The Return Of The Native

Local brands are making a promising comeback in domestic markets, fuelled by their accessibility, and a touch of nostalgia and national pride.

- Marc Almagro

The lockdown has increased our reliance on what is within reach and has consequently led us to the re-discovery of local brands. With global trade still mostly on hold, support for local enterprise is giving local brands a major opportunity to innovate.

From Fabric to Brand

In 2004, Iwan Tirta built an extension brand on the success of a batik fabric business that he grew in the 1970s. By then his name was synonymous with fine Indonesian batik, which he helped to revive and subsequently champion through the ‘70s and ‘80s almost until his passing in 2010.

Trained as a lawyer, Tirta spent decades retrieving traditional patterns and methods of producing batik, elevating the fabric and its designs to a genuine cultural heritage, and eventually propagating its universal appeal through a commercial platform.

“Iwan Tirta Private Collection was set up to manage his line of products from fashion to home decorations,” says Ms Widiyana Sudirman, CEO of PT Mahakarya Warisan Nusantara, the group that owns the brand. “We aim to be known as the leading brand for Indonesian heritage craftsmanship that stays relevant for current generations.”