Cut to Modern Style - Indonesian Traditional Cloth Preservation

While pop culture is arising in Indonesia, some traditions are starting to fade, one of which is the way of dressing. Many traditional clothes are slowly being abandoned, and this is becoming seen as, for some, a threat to the Indonesian nation. This is exacerbated by the interest shown by other nations in Indonesia's traditional textile heritage, with some even claiming iconic Indonesian clothes, such as batik, as part of their own cultural legacy.

Even the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture admitted that many traditional clothes are threatened with extinction and need to be saved. As the younger generation has been entrusted with preserving the nation's culture, a sense of awareness has begun to grow to preserve the spirit of traditional clothes. Indeed, while in the past the drive to preserve the culture was often associated with old peoples and delivered in monotonous ways, recently I’ve observed a shift, with an emergence of campaigns encouraging the younger generation to embrace traditional clothing in a modern and engaging manner, both online and offline, also cooperating with influencers and celebrities to boost this campaign.

It cannot be denied that with social media, clothing styles are increasingly becoming diverse, unique and widespread, for both men and women. Several digital campaigns have been conducted, becoming a prevalent trend utilized by various groups to reach a broader audience. One of the most popular traditional cloth campaigns is held by Remaja Nusantara (RENUS) (which can be found on Instagram @remajanusantara). RENUS, a community under the support of Swara Gembira Organization (instagram.com/swaragembira/), serves as a platform for young people in Indonesia who are interested in integrating one-piece traditional cloth into their everyday life, and it provides education about its relevance and alignment with current fashion trends. We can use our creativity to model one-piece cloth into various items, including tops, skirts, or accessories. I had the chance to interview Zevanya, Administrative and Business Development Stakeholder of RENUS to discover more about their job.

What is the background of RENUS and when was it founded?

RENUS was launched in 2019. It was originally founded to be a forum for young people interested in traditional cloth. At that time, a cultural movement was rising, under the guidance of Swara Gembira, known for hosting performances. Over time, Swara Gembira's emphasis on the importance of preserving literature led to a natural transition where attendees of their performances started embracing traditional cloth attire. In 2018, Swara Gembira noticed that traditional cloth culture was still perceived as taboo among the younger generation - this realization prompted the creation of the #BerkainGembira campaign in collaboration with Remaja Nusantara, a derivative organization from Swara Gembira. The campaign was initially launched on YouTube before gaining traction on Instagram and TikTok. The engaging content of the #BerkainGembira campaign went viral, and the hashtag has since garnered 44 million impressions on TikTok.

Wastra or traditional Indonesian cloth is often identified by the younger generation as ancient, old and formal. RENUS was founded to break this assumption, by bringing it into a fashion style that is contemporary and even friendly for everyday use. Cloth can elevate and embrace old culture to be present again in today's modern era. There are various ways to use fabric that can be adjusted and mixed and matched according to each individual's fashion tastes.

What is RENUS main agenda?

Firstly, the digital content program: interactive contents & live on social media to promote wearing cloths such as campaigning hashtag #BerkainGembira (happily wearing one-piece cloth), and create a movement to introduce and invite younger generations to wear traditional cloth. This can certainly build Gen Z's awareness of local products and Indonesian cloths and fabrics. The message is conveyed in an entertaining and informative way, presented through several content sections, such as Padu Padan Wastra (mix and match tutorials for clothing with traditional fabrics), Rombak Gaya (fashion makeovers using traditional fabrics), and Style Competition between audiences. Meanwhile, through Discord, a discussion forum has been established, including sub forums like the fashion category, featuring topics such as "what-to-wear-today" and Kainpedia, as well as recommendation categories like "fashion-inspiration" and "fabric-shop". Furthermore, there are sections dedicated to "traditional-cloths-markets" and free chat forums, fostering a diverse and interactive community.

Note: Kainpedia is a section of the RENUS Discord community dedicated to sharing knowledge about Indonesian traditional textiles. The name combines "kain" (Indonesian for fabric) and "pedia" (from encyclopedia). It serves as a space for discussions on the history, production techniques, and styling of traditional cloth, as well as recommendations on where to purchase authentic fabrics

In implementing the #BerkainGembira digital campaign, Swara Gembira collaborated with several public figures and influencers from generations Y and Z. These public figures and influencers with their respective clothing style characteristics were heavily involved in the Rombak Gaya content column, resulting in a new look incorporating traditional fabric, without losing their identity. This is one strategy to show generation Z that any style, weather vintage, eccentric, and so on, can still look great when combined with traditional clothes (wastra).

Secondly, our agenda includes partying with one-piece cloth! This involves organizing where wearing traditional one-piece cloth is a requirement. These events have become a regular activity aimed at promoting socialization among teenagers who share a passion for Indonesian literature, alongside providing musical entertainment.

Are there any other activities of the RENUS program apart from holding events and creating content to increase awareness in wearing cloth?

We often hold Berkain Tutoring sessions, which provide guidance on how to create fashion with one-piece cloth, which has been held approximately once a month since early 2023. In Berkain Tutoring, participants are invited to learn directly to wear cloth with the correct technique so that it is comfortable to wear every day. The aim is to eliminate the idea that traditional cloth is old-fashioned and encourage its re-integration into contemporary fashion sensibilities. Participants can learn with direct assistance from supervisors while gathering with fellow youngsters who are also interested in Indonesian traditional clothes.

Is the audience of RENUS limited only to youngsters?

No, we are open to everyone. Many of our RENUS audience members typically do not fall within the Gen X and Gen Z demographics.

How is the enthusiasm of Indonesian youngsters in preserving Indonesia traditional clothes?

Since 2020, Pemuda Nusantara has launched a large-scale campaign to encourage young people to accept fabric as everyday clothing. What used to be something very strange is now something natural and normal. In general, young people's enthusiasm for Indonesian traditional cloth is very good, and can be seen from our posting engagements, and the attendance rate to our events. Many participants put a great effort in creating and wearing unique one-piece cloth fashion, in order to be featured on our TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

Is there any support from the government related to this campaign?

Since RENUS started promoting traditional cloth, some government officials, like ministers, have begun wearing it too. However, we haven't received direct support or help from the government. We're doing everything on our own as an organization. Because of this, our campaign isn't reaching as many people as it could.

Is there any obstacle RENUS currently facing?

There are two main obstacles. First, traditional cloth is still often viewed as something ancient and sacred. When we wear it, there's an expectation that we should know how to wear it properly, even though there are no specific rules for everyday styling. Second, traditional cloth infrastructures are not easily accessible to the public. While many people sell them online, the branding itself is not good. If you want to buy offline, you have to visit traditional markets, where it's difficult to find the same colour palettes, because craftsmen often lack consistency. Additionally, mass media and prestigious fashion events still tend to focus on the latest collections, neglecting traditional clothes that still hold value for styling.

Belkain tutoring (source: www.instagram.com/remajanusantara_/)