One of Lemari Lila’s collection with Jago Ngguyub pattern (Source: Lemari Lila)

Lila Imelda Sari is the owner of Lemari Lila (literally translated  as Lila’s Closet). Growing up in a household where the ladies wore pretty kebaya and watching the world goes by in Pasar Beringharjo in Yogyakarta, Lila was inspired to create her own collection. Lemari Lila was born to realise her childhood dream of becoming a stylist and designer.

In this episode of aNERDspective (our NERD talk show where we converse with amazing friends about their textile adventure and perspectives), we talked to Lila about her entrepreneurial journey from the Friendster days (!) to opening her current store in the a creative hub in Prawirotaman, Yogyakarta. Of course, we have to talk about the creation of the iconic Mbok Jum’s family and the cocks patterns. 

Note: Full chat is in a mixture of English and Bahasa Indonesia and it is available on IG TV. This transcript and the translation (highlighted in blue) has been edited for reading format.

Tony Sugiarta: Welcome Mbak Lila, to another episode of aNERDspective. How are you doing in Yogyakarta?

Lila Imelda Sari: I am fine. In Yogyakarta, COVID (number) is still high, but I am fine. (Sale of) dresses at our store decreases, but we have an online shop, so we also serve our customers from Whatsapp and website. 

Nice. Today’s chat will be a very easy chit chat session. We would like to find out more about your journey in starting and developing Lemari Lila. Perhaps you can start with a little introduction of who Lila is and your involvement, how you get to know textiles and how you start the brand Lemari Lila?

My name is Lila Imelda Sari. I am a housewife. My background is from the Faculty of Law, from Atma Jaya University in Jakarta. I also run my fashion brand, Lemari Lila, or Lila’s Closet in English. So, you can open (the closet) and find clothes there. I have one son and I spend my childhood moving from one city to another in Indonesia. I love new things. In the last 13 years, I have been living in Yogyakarta. When I had just moved to Yogyakarta, I gather so much creative inspiration and support from people around me. Not to mention, designing clothes and having my own boutique was my childhood dream.

In 2010, I decided to pursue my dream and Lemari Lila was born. It started out small, only had a handful design and sometimes I modified existing garments and clothes. I sell my products online, first via Friendster, then I move to Facebook, and in 2015, I decided to open my first offline store in Yogyakarta.

What triggers me, mostly, my love of traditional clothing and I love something vintage and retro. So, I combine the traditional cloth from Indonesia with the retro and vintage look. That is the line of the design. I want to make clothes that look traditional but also retro and still updated with today’s fashion. Of course, with our own characteristics. 

When I was young, I often saw my mum and my grandmother wore traditional clothing on a daily basis. We are Asian, we have already seen many ethnic patterns and symbols, such as animals, waves, nature. It has become part of me since I was a child. Something that resonates with me deeply, or you may say it is a familiar territory. So, when I grew up, I always wore a kebaya and kain to the ceremonies when the other friends wore dresses.

When I move to Yogyakarta, there are many crafters, batik and hand-woven (textile) makers, and other productive friends who live here. So, it makes me want to do something with this dream and I make it real now. 

Why did you move to Yogya?

After I graduated from university, I worked in a bank and I also worked in the film industry as a production staff in a feature film. My friend who made the participatory video moved to Yogya (and ask me) to join the team. I worked as a facilitator of teenagers who live in villages and we became advocates for the teenagers and children who make the film. 

During break and lunch time, I always went to Beringharjo market (ed.: one of the biggest markets in Yogyakarta, in the middle of Malioboro street tourist belt) and I bought batik and kebaya then modified them. And I was like, this is me, this is my dream and I want to do something (about it).

My friend, who was also my boss at the office, always said, “Why are you late? We have to meet a client/partner”. I kept apologising because I was always busy buying batik, going to a tailor, etc.

Then I think that this is my dream and passion, I have to stop this job and start on my dream.

So, because of your passion you developed Lemari Lila. You mentioned that you started with Friendster, online, and social media before you actually open a shop in 2015. 

When I only use Facebook, customers have already been built up. They always ask me when they come to Yogyakarta, they want to see my workshop and come to my boutique. I don’t have one and I don’t want them to come to my home and open the door for 24 hours. Then my husband said to me, “You have to open the offline store.”

First, I have a very small store, really the size of a closet. Maybe if there are 12 or 15 people in there, the place is already packed and they have to wait until it is empty. After 3 years, I moved to a bigger lemari or a place in Jalan Prawirotaman.

I went to your store last year when I visited Yogyakarta and I like how Lemari Lila is in the compound of creative art spaces with other creative entrepreneurs.

Actually, it is an old building. The owner of the building offered us one room there. The decoration, the tiles and the wall really fit with my design.

Talking about your design, as you said, you wanted to bring something traditional, retro, and vintage, but with an updated modern look. Maybe you can share a little bit of your creative process. How you actually create all these new collections or patterns?

What pushes me forward is my passion to keep on creating and designing. With classical batik, we have the power to create any pattern and design, but for some old patterns we do not really have a free (reign) to modify because of the philosophy, meaning and history of the pattern. That is why I decided to make my own pattern.

The first pattern of Lemari Lila, I called it Jago Ngguyub, which depicts a rooster and a bantam, symbolising togetherness. For centuries, Javanese community in Indonesia have lived by the principle to reach a collective which is for a better and harmonious community. That is the philosophy of what we want to tell the world. It is like a man in Indonesia like to have a chit chat and play with a rooster. That is the symbol of Indonesian lifestyle in both urban and the villages. That inspires me to create the Jago Ngguyub pattern – Jago means Rooster in Javanese and Ngguyub means people sitting together having a good time and having a chit chat.

After that, I created a pattern called Mbok Jum and Pak No. Mbok means “mother” in Javanese. Jum is an acronym for Jumiyem. The inspiration is from an old woman who sells traditional herbal drinks in Beringharjo market. I always come to that market and see people come and go. In 2007, they were still wearing kebaya and cloth, but now maybe only wearing blouses and long skirts. I imagine it in my head that there is a woman from Java, called Jumiyem, selling herbal drinks. I name it kebaya Mbok Jum. 

So, kebaya Mbok Jum was first, a cutting of kebaya, with kutubaru kebaya style. Then I turn the name of the kebaya as an icon. I asked my friend who can draw better than me, his name is Rona Narendra and he made the illustration of Mbok Jum, an Indonesian woman with sanggul (bun) and kebaya. We then make a batik stamp and we make it as a batik pattern.

It is fun for me. I make a new pattern, but in a traditional way. I make my batik pattern because, as I said, I cannot change the meaning of the old classical pattern.

So, it is better to create something new and create your own pattern based on your experience.

Yes, I also want to introduce the figure of a Javanese woman with the bun and her name is very Indonesian, which is Jumiyem. After Jumiyem, I make pattern of her husband Pak No (Pak Sudarno), who is a farmer. Now, Pak No and Mbok Jum have two children, the twins Margiyo and Marginah. I make it fun but always learning and want to know about the traditional history of fabric and batik.

How and where do you gather inspiration? How do you transform these inspirations into a creation?

I gather my inspiration from my daily life. Since I was young, I have always liked women icons and I think they are the core of the family. As an example, when a child is hungry, people will ask where is his/her mother, they seldom ask who is the dad. 

I also like to draw people, especially Javanese women. I am the kind of person who cannot just see and talk. I must do (or create) something. When I saw these women, I was inspired and I discussed this idea to my friend who makes enamel cups and has pictures that look like these Javanese women. So, in a similar fashion to old patterns which have a philosophy, I tell their (the Javanese women) stories. 

Hence, there are women figures whom Lemari Lila represents through our clothes. Although subsequently there are many men who wear it, our target customers are Indonesian women. Whatever motifs and designs, they are very close to what I saw and experience on a daily basis.

You mentioned the design of the kebaya. Mbok Jum itself was inspired by the ladies in Beringharjo market. How the brand actually encapsulates the spirit of Indonesian women who are the providers of the family, how they turn the economic wheels at home, and how they strive for the best of their family. Your brand becomes a representation of these modern Indonesian women. Is that your target audience as well?

Yes, actually my target audience is urban women from age 18-25 years old, who have purchase power, have interest in today’s fashion trend and Indonesian traditional fabrics. Those wanting to look unique but without forgetting the roots and identity as an Indonesian which we receive very warm feedback.

Now, if you look on our Instagram, you will see men are starting to wear our products as well. That is why we choose to expand our market to male audiences as well. The products include kain lilit (wrap cloth) and they also receive positive feedback from any gender. 

Lastly, we also make several clothes for kids.

Nice, I am looking forward to the male version of Lemari Lila’s collection. Can you share a little bit about the challenges that you have while building Lemari Lila?

The challenges… First, our products are entirely hand-made, which means we cannot produce them in a mass quantity. Nowadays, there are so many brands that manufacture their products, selling at a cheaper price, and easily meet customer’s demand. There is also a matter about (enhancing) my own knowledge about traditional fabric. As someone who specialises in that area, it is my job to know about a fabric’s characteristics and physical properties. For example, natural dye is prone to fade by 3% or 5% or how synthetic dyes react to certain fabrics.

The other challenge is to find people who share the same passion as we do, from customers to artisans. Because they are very essential to Lemari Lila’s growth.

There is also the part to know about Indonesian fabric, how to keep and maintain the fabric. What we make are handmade clothes, not manufactured. So, it is my duty to give them the knowledge (and to cultivate connection back to our roots) in my own way and style.

You point out something about not just understanding the culture and heritage, but also the characteristics of the material itself, the construction of fabric, and how you insert it into the design. Maybe you can share a little bit more with some examples?

Since my background is not from the textile industry, I need to know and learn more about textiles, how it is being constructed, etc. Mostly, I learn (through experience) after the cloth is completed.

For example, natural dyes or synthetic dyes will run and fade after being washed with harsh detergent. The colour runs may be caused by insufficient fixer or the fixing time is not long enough. There are so many fabric characteristics that must be learnt.

There is also (knowledge) about fibers and weaving. (Some) woven cloths are not meant to be cut as clothes. Once we cut, it will fray. These are things that I, as someone who works with Indonesian textiles, especially batik and Yogya weaving, need to know about their characteristics. That is my challenge. 

Also, to pass this knowledge to our customers who use our products. Some asked if there is any textile that is not difficult to maintain. There is none. They want to keep it simple, to wash it in the washing machine together with other clothes, dry it under the sun and iron it. That is not possible. Batik will fade and tenun will fray (if it is not well taken care of).

In my opinion, among batik artisans, seamstresses and buyers, we should have the same spirit when wearing Indonesian traditional textiles. Regardless of the forms, be it carpet, cushion covers or clothes, the spirit must be the same. When a batik artisan is so careful but the cloth is cut haphazardly by the seamstress, the batik maker will be upset when there is no common understanding. That is the biggest challenge that I want to keep on learning.

Among batik artisans, seamstresses and buyers, we should have the same spirit when wearing Indonesian traditional textiles.

Do you actually fit the motif to the (sewing) pattern itself?

No. We usually have finished textiles and then we cut them because it is easier. There are some when we batik according to the (sewing) pattern. It depends on the need.

So, Lemari Lila uses only handstamped batik?

Yes, sometimes with the hand painted, i.e. colet, in which the pattern is colored by hand. I do not use printed motifs, but hand stamped batik. For me, handwritten batik is not meant to be cut for clothes, but you have to use it as a whole.

Other than batik, do you use any other textiles?

Yes, I am using hand woven lurik Yogyakarta. In 2015, I used Tenun Ulos, but some friends from Batak said that I cannot use certain patterns and certain colours. So, it was very hard for me because I have to know first when I use Tenun Ulos. I then thought why do I have to use cloth from another island if I can use the handwoven cloth from Yogyakarta. I also make my own patterns, not the classical lurik pattern, but make it more colourful, like yellow or pink.

Going back to challenges, do you have any challenges during COVID-19 pandemic?

With the current pandemic situation, I still produce designs that are within our characteristics to meet the market demand. As for now, kebaya is still our highest current demand. I am also limiting myself from expanding too creatively and rather focusing on the design that we already have. I have to wait for my passion to make a new collection, new pattern and new cutting. Now, I limit my production.

A limit, in what sense?

A limit in the quantity. It is not the time to make a new and spectacular design. During this pandemic, Lemari Lila only produces products that are popular and are our signatures. 

The other challenge is that the batik crafters had a break. They feel lazy and move slowly when they want to start again. Some of them also become farmers. When (the production) begins, when the tourists come back and I have to make a new batik, they will be slower. I have to understand that and to wait until it is going normal again. 

I hope that everyone who is involved with Lemari Lila, such as the seamstress, artisans, and support staff will continue to be productive, although not as fast and as many as before. I try my best not to let anyone go and they can remain productive, by any means possible. As such, we have to smartly pick which designs are much sought after and to put aside for a while the plan to create a new design or motif. We continue with the motifs that are currently available, as long as the production continues. The same motif can be made with other colours. We do not need to make a new batik stamp but differentiate it in terms of new colours or combined with other patterns. We still need to have something new with the stamps that we already have. That’s what I have done during COVID. 

So we can remain productive, we have to smartly pick which designs are much sought after and to put aside for a while the plan to create a new design or motif. We continue with the motifs that are currently available, as long as the production continues.

Other than that, discounts. Discounts every time. I have a discount program so the customers will buy.

Can you share a little bit about the program, probably when we are talking about the marketing and the strategies, what do you offer to the customers?

Other than discounts, we make masks and we contact our loyal customers. I am more pro-active via Whatsapp, together with my staff, as well as on Instagram story or social media. Social media is a very powerful communication tool. Although we have a website, Lemari Lila’s customers are in the range of 25 – 45 years old and many of them are lazy and do not want to open the website. They do not want something cumbersome and Whatsapp tends to be more convenient. 

We must be able to see situations like this and, as such, for customer services, I trained my staff with the skill to discern, which one we need to push for sales and which one we need to ease up. There are many who like to ask but do not buy. It is not a problem but the customer service must be upheld, to be closer to them. 

That is what Lemari Lila did at the beginning, to be more personal with the customers. When Lemari Lila grew bigger, we entrusted the responsibility to the staff. During the pandemic, I contacted the old consumers personally. They felt that when Lila contacted them it was like an old friend reconnecting, hence to be closer to the customers. 

How is the relationship with the batik crafters? Does Lemari Lila have permanent employees or do you work with several groups of batik craftsmen?

For the artisans, we do have fixed artisans as we do have our own patterns which were commissioned illustration works. Those motifs are not distributed freely as people might misuse it and we cannot prevent it. We have not registered it for copyright protection and it is now based more on trust. In the future, we want to register it but those motifs are results of a collaboration between two parties and that is something that we need to think about. 

We have our own permanent seamstresses and staff. Although we have our own motifs, we also use old Bantul motifs with the aim so that the art form is preserved. For example is a tenun stagen (a woven wrap cloth to be worn around the torso and function like a corset). Many do not use it now. We cut it into smaller pieces and make it as an accent. Nevertheless, there are many stagen makers who stop producing because there is a lack of demand. Other than dancers, not many use rolled stagen  as it is very troublesome. It was meant to teach us patience when wearing it and now, many people choose something that is more practical.

Have you achieved your vision and mission to introduce traditional fashion to your consumers?

I am not yet satisfied. More or less we have achieved them but I am not satisfied because I am still learning. I am very open in (experimenting) with motifs and colours. Minimally, we have taught the consumers that handmade batik and tenun cannot be 100% similar to each other, like a machine-printed cloth. 

There are many customers who come and complain about the colours. For example, a green colour that looks like an old cloth. When you see it on the website, it looks brighter. While many batik fans might be in awe because it is difficult to get that particular shade, there are some customers who ask for an exchange as the colours are not as imagined. So we have to continuously explain it to them.

Yes, it is also one of our challenges to explain that the colour on the screen may be different from the colour of the original product.

Yes, we even have photo editing techniques to make the colors similar, even though it looks dull.

One of the things that you promoted on the website are Teman Lila or Lila’s friends, some other brands whom you work with. Can you share a little bit on how you collaborate with them or if you have any selection criteria who do you want to feature?

Lila’s friends are literally my own friends who are artisans. Their products are handmade as well, authentic, and happen to share the same spirit with me and with Lemari Lila. I want to give them a place to express their creativity with us by consignment. I think (we can) we support each other. Before we sell their products in our store, I personally curate them myself so they match with our aesthetics. 

The idea is to support each other and to be creative. For example, when a person is wearing Lemari Lila’s clothes, the bracelet, the necklace or the shawl fit with the design. So, they are like friends. They are literally my own friends mostly. 

Do they actually create new products to suit Lila’s products or it is something that they already have?

50% of them already have their own products and sometimes, I ask them to make a product to suit my design. For example, Sinta from Bul Bul (gift shop), she always draws the patterns of tea or tea sets and then I ask her to make a product with the woman figure with the sanggul. We create something together. 

I also tell them what my customers want. So I tell them what items fit with Lemari Lila (‘s product) and which items do not. It has to suit the characters of my customers. For example, someone wants to put a woven backpack in Lemari Lila, it will be hard to sell because most of the people who come to Lemari Lila are working women, mothers or teenagers who want a modern ethnic look. They will not look for a backpack. I gave her suggestions where to market as well as ideas for Lemari Lila. It has to be something more unique but for women of a certain age. We even discuss the small stuff, like the materials of the string. We brainstorm and design it together.

Other than an offline store, the sales are also through the website and social media? 

Actually only through an offline store and the website. Social media is only for announcements when a new product is released. Meanwhile, purchases are always directed to the website or Whatsapp. It will be confusing if there are too many (sales) channels while our products are limited. (Social media) can also be a bridge for customers who are not accustomed to opening websites.

My business partner said that we have to create a website because we have been answering the same questions all the time, such as what sizes or what colours we have. It is all available on the website, but people still Whatsapp us or direct message us to ask about that.

The trick is that, on Instagram, there are quick replies and you can provide the link to the website. If a customer asks, you can answer it with quick replies and give the website link so they can be directed to the website. If you need assistance, you can contact us via Whatsapp. It is said that sales via Whatsapp happen often in Indonesia because Indonesians like to communicate and to ask questions. That is a challenge.

I think it is not just in Indonesia, in Singapore as well. One of the challenges of us selling batik because they want that interaction with the seller. They want to ask where is this batik from, how is it made, what is the story behind it. So, personal touch is very relevant with our customers as well. But, it is definitely a good tip to do quick replies and direct it to the website. 

Going into the new year in 2021, what are some of the upcoming projects or upcoming exciting stuff that we can expect from Lemari Lila?

My friend, Hagai, a costume designer of a big movie, Losmen Bu Broto, which will be released this May, asked me to support that film with some kebaya. Losmen Bu Broto is actually a famous TV series in the 80’s in Indonesia. They are making the movie and I will produce the kebaya for the movie. They may be released to the public in May. It is a kebaya. I still design some dresses and pants but kebaya still the winner from Lemari Lila. I also have the hashtag #KebayakanGayamu (ed.: translated to “Kebaya-fy” your lifestyle).

That is a very catchy hashtag definitely.

Maybe it is a cliché to ask people to wear a kebaya. For me, kebaya is not yet a daily outfit. A lot of people commented: where are you going wearing such a (formal) wear? , why are you dressing up?, or are you going to sell jamu?,  even though I wear them everyday. I make the cutting a loose fit so that I can ride on a bike, for daily wear. It can also be used as outerwear, jacket with jeans, etc. That’s what I want, so that kebaya is not seen as something fancy, formal or used as a joke and associated with a mbok-mbok, that is deemed lowly.

But it was actually a daily outfit in the old days, right?

That is the hope. Many thought that wearing kebaya is cumbersome but it is not true. That is not impossible, (and you can wear it) in our own way. I always see Japanese women wearing kimonos on the beach and they are easily recognised as a Japanese. I wanted that (association) for kebaya.

I think we also have to come up with a campaign together that wearing Indonesian textile is not complicated.

Yes. In fact, kebaya can be combined with shorts or jeans. You can do that with loose cloth but it is easier with kebaya. They can be combined with anything. People still see that kebaya is something that stands out but that should not be the case.

Is this due the development and generational gap which deems kebaya as something different and complicated?

Yes, The development in fashion and the influences from overseas, with brands whose designs may look ordinary. 

There are also many who do not want to go out of the traditional kebaya pattern. To them, Lemari Lila is not a kebaya, they are just a blouse. To me, it is. It is still a kebaya with a new pattern. Many place kebaya as a formal wear, need to be tight-fitting, etc. I go away from all that and I make a kebaya that is unique and fun. I do have a kebaya that still uses traditional cutting but for casual everyday wear. #KebayakanGayamu.

I also like Lemari Lila’s marketing campaign. What was the last one that I saw? Ra Urusan?

Yes, it was made by Anton Ismael. The marketing campaign are Ra Urusan, Stel Kendo, and Wes Tau. (ed.: loosely translated from Javanese as ‘don’t give a damn’, ‘let loose’ and ‘been there, done that’ respectively). Anton and his team made it. He visualise that these words represent the philosophies that I want to convey from my designs.

That is the essence, something very Javanese but fun and modern. Truly the spirit of Lemari Lila.

Yes, that is something that an outsider sees. When he made it, I was shocked. I also think that his assessment of Lemari Lila is true.

What are your hopes for Lemari Lila in the future?

My hopes for Lemari Lila in the future are to keep on thriving, to be more liked and to be more known by people. But, more importantly, I hope that we can keep on supporting and maintaining the preservation and the availability of our local textiles.

Nice sum up. Thank you so much once again for dropping by and for sharing your wisdom and your experiences. It has been a great fun time. 

Thank you so much for the attention for Lemari Lila and we are looking forward to meeting you again in Yogyakarta, when the pandemic is over. 

We hope you enjoyed this episode of aNERDspective. Check out the previous episode on IGTV and our gallery and store if you would like a piece of Indonesia for your home or wardrobe. Do checkout Lemari Lila’s website and Instagram for their latest collection.

Photo credit: Lemari Lila, unless stated otherwise.