Dian Oerip, Keeping Textiles Alive with Heart
Her choice of Mollo textiles was inseparable from the various meanings and stories contained in the handwoven fabrics. The dominant red and white threads in the cloths reflect their Indonesian origin.
Dian Oerip
Her globetrotting is no match against the age of the traditional textiles of the Indonesian archipelago she handles. However, Dian Oerip is capable of infusing soul into each textile she holds so it becomes even more vibrant. This matches the brand name she carries on her journeys.
“Hi, sorry. I was preparing for a trip to Paris to take some Mollo textiles there. I’m traveling with Melanie Subono. [She’s] the public relations chief,” said Dian Erra Kumalasari via Zoom on Monday (16/5/2022).
For the umpteenth time, Dian is crossing borders to introduce Indonesia’s cultural heritage. This time, she has chosen Mollo textiles from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) to present at Festival de La Culture Indonésienne (Indonesian cultural festival) on 23-25 May 2022 at Université Paris Nanterre. Later on 28-29 May, she traveled to Kalenkote and Rijswick in the Netherlands.
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Her choice of Mollo textiles was inseparable from the various meanings and stories contained in the handwoven fabrics. The dominant red and white threads in the cloths reflect their Indonesian origin. On the other hand, the pronunciation of Mollo resembles moelleux in French, which means soft or smooth and corresponds with the fabrics’ texture.
The same holds true of the stories presented as the backdrop to Mollo textiles in the world’s major fashion hub. The woman from Ngawi, East Java, selected the story of Mama Aleta Baun, who protested against a mining company that was harming the natural environment of Fatukoko village in Fatumnasi, NTT. Mama Aleta, along with the other women of the village, staged a resistance by weaving. The cultural attempt was fruitful.
Melanie Subono’s attendance at the show was not without reason. Melanie had previously appeared at Indonesia Fashion Week 2022 along with Mollo textiles.
“Mbak (Miss) Melanie is a loyal user of Oerip Indonesia products. She is willing to introduce Oerip,” said Dian.
Other enthusiasts include actress Dian Sastrowardoyo and presenter Najwa Shihab.
Besides Melanie, many other people also follow Oerip Indonesia, the brand name of Dian’s company. Miss Indonesia 2005 Nadine Chandrawinata had her wedding dress made with Sumba textiles designed by Oerip Indonesia. Other enthusiasts include actress Dian Sastrowardoyo and presenter Najwa Shihab.
Not only celebrities, but the general public is also attracted to Dian’s fabrics offered via Oerip. Every evening, viewers throng the Instagram Live feed of the Oerip account (@oerip_official) in a race to buy the fabrics she is offering.
From the heart
In the beginning, the chemical engineering graduate of Diponegoro University pursued her hobbies of traveling and photography. Unexpectedly, on every trip she discovered a rich variety of the beautiful textiles of Nusantara (Indonesian archipelago).
Dian Oerip
“I was collecting the textiles one by one. I made dresses out of them, as I’ve never liked buying clothes at malls or boutiques. With these fabrics, I could create clothing in designs that suited me,” said Dian, who has never gone to fashion school or studied design.
In 2008 she set up Oerip Indonesia, which has 50 employees. As she expands her products, she continues to explore remote parts of the country, finding diverse textile types and motifs that she has not yet encountered.
The past 13 years has not been enough to track down all the kinds of textiles in Nusantara. To date, she has handled the textiles of Sikka, Futus, Sumba and Bajawa in NTT, Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Tarum and Gringsing in Bali, the Badui tribe in Banten, and the Dayak Iban, Ulap Doyo, and Dayak Entikong tribes in Kalimantan. She has also handled the ulos traditional textile from North Sumatra as well as the textiles of the Tanimbar people of Maluku and the Torajan people of Sulawesi, and many more.
Dian found these unique fabrics without planning to. “I never planned to look for certain textiles. I went without ever arranging a destination. I just followed what my heart wanted,” she revealed.
This was also the case when she took the textiles to the international market. Somebody contacted her via social media in 2015 and Dian went to the United States to introduce her textile products at Voice of Indonesia in the state of Florida.
“I didn’t know the man, but I was convinced that he was a good [person]. So, I just left. I event went to The Hague [Netherlands] and other European countries,” said Dian, who has distributors in Florida, Rotterdam and London.
For this reason, they cannot be treated casually. Many textiles are even blessed with prayers before the thread is woven into cloth.
Dian also feels sure that textiles create a strong bond and can generate close ties. For this reason, they cannot be treated casually. Many textiles are even blessed with prayers before the thread is woven into cloth. She does the same when cutting them.
“Choosing the fabrics, designing and cutting are all done with my heart. I never design with a concept, just let it flow. The same applies to choosing the fabrics, cutting them. It depends on how I’m feeling in the morning,” said Dian, who begins her mornings with yoga and then follows with cutting fabrics, letting her feelings direct her to certain textiles.
She is also convinced that buyers also have a strong bond with certain textiles. “If there’s no connection yet, something may go wrong. Once we opened a tender [and] a man bid the highest price. [But] suddenly it was cut off and he got nothing,” said Dian, who has once sold one of her fabrics at Rp 25 million.
For the weavers
Although she is developing her business across the globe, her main priority is the weavers’ welfare. Dian organizes workshops to help guide them toward creating the kinds products sought in the market, which are dense and smooth fabrics using fine thread. Dian also helps promote the weavers through social media.
Dian Oerip
Dian frequently posts the weavers’ social media accounts so buyers can contact them directly. She also encourages digital literacy among them to help facilitate promotion and sales.
She also conveys her appreciation for the weavers through her clothing designs, which uses minimal cutting. This way, the motifs of the weavers’ original textiles are preserved.
Moreover, most of the weavers are women who are the backbones of their families and are engaged in community efforts. Because of this, nearly all events she initiates channel the voice of women.
“This is indeed for them. For me, they not only weave textiles, but also weave life,” she said.
Dian Erra Kumalasari
Born: 25 November
Education: Chemical engineering, Diponegoro University
Award: Pancasila Achievement Icon from Pancasila Ideology Development Board (BPIP), 2019
Exhibitions:
- France & UNESCO, Louvre Museum, Paris, 2018
- Indonesia Festival World Culture, Prague, Czech Republic, 2018
- Art Fashion Oerip Indonesia, New Delhi, India, 2019
- Oerip Goes to Campus, Poznan, Poland, 2019
- Adiwastra Nusantara, Jakarta, 2022
- Indonesia Fashion Week, Jakarta, 2022
(This article was translated by Aris Prawira)
