Nagawati Surya, Empowerment Through Waste

Hana aims to reduce fashion waste, which she often refers to as “raw material”, so it no longer pollutes the environment. Hana wants to remain empowered.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Nagawati Surya

Nagawati Surya, 58, who goes by the nickname Hana, recycles and repurposes fabric remnants, banners and gunnysacks. She uses them to make creative products with high value., her activities in repurposing waste into useful products not only contributes to saving the environment, but have also opened a way for Hana to empower herself as well as the people who live near her.

It all happened accidentally. Eight years ago, Hana, who had a limited understanding of sustainability, was faced with a challenge when she accepted an offer from the organizers of Indonesia Fashion Week to manage used banners and cloth remnants produced by the event.

What filled Hana’s mind at the time was only how best to respond to the challenge. She wondered how she could create durable products so the used materials, including fashion waste, could again be useful.

“I had nothing to lose. The waste would not be used again, so that was zero cost. So, I wouldn’t be wasting material for trialing [new products] because nobody needed what we were experimenting with,” Hana said on Wednesday (29/6/2022) at her workshop in Pulomas, East Jakarta.

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Hana felt encouraged, because she wanted to do something to empower herself as she approached the age of 50. Born in Surabaya, East Java, Hana had previously lived in Singapore with her family.

When her children had finished university and decided to return to Indonesia in 2013, Hana, who had been a housewife all her life, felt the need for a challenge. At the most extreme end, Hana did not want to become useless.

In the first year after returning to Indonesia, she was offered the position of liaison officer from Indonesia Fashion Week (IFW). However, Hana deemed the job unsuited to her. The following year, when a second offer came from the IFW to manage waste, Hana was interested in trying it.

This was a rather bold decision because Hana had no design skills. Hana’s experience was limited to sewing by hand. Yet she was persistent. She had strong determination. Assisted by a team of seamstresses and a niece with a flair for design, Hana started repurposing the used IFW promotional banners as well as fabric remnants to create useful products. Hana and her team combined the two types of waste into hard-wearing bags.

Still, what makes me want to keep it up and even more curious is the method of processing.

“Everything was self-taught. I didn’t search [for tutorials] on Google. We explored as we worked. ‘Ooh, this can still be used, this also fits the need.’ We even made cords ourselves by [twisting] strips of cloth and banners. We bought zippers from the [leftover stock] of a garment factory in Cipadu,” recalled Hana.

The process was not simple, but the resulting products were satisfactory. The bags that Hana and her team produced passed the IFW team’s test. Hana started gaining confidence. The challenges that arose from the start of the project kept Hana hooked. She became intent and serious about entering the fashion waste industry.

In her view, many things about repurposing waste are interesting and challenging. On the other hand, there was a potential market niche, although it was still limited at the time. The bonus is that Hana contributes to the reduction of fashion junk.

“Still, what makes me want to keep it up and even more curious is the method of processing,” said Hana, who later turned to repurposing coffee sacks.

KOMPAS/RIZA FATHONI

Nagawati Surya

Manipulating fabrics

The first three years were the most difficult for Threadapeutic, the brand Hana founded, because the market was still limited and small. It made only enough sales to pay employee salaries. Hana stood firm. She resolved that, as long as she could still afford to go on, she would not give up. There was a goal far more important to Hana, which was empowering others through her business.

“So, we aren’t just business-minded. It’s more out of a desire to enable self-advancement and empower others. We aren’t only processing waste, but also nurturing people. Many people might think this should be a purely business venture, focusing on sales. But at my business, [we are] more concerned with the people involved, how they produce useful products, want to progress further,” Hana underlined.

Along with her employees, now totaling seven, Hana has undergone many ups and downs. She is convinced that where there is a will, there is a way.

“As none of have any special skills other than sewing, we share our jobs. Whoever can do this, just keeps doing it. We’re learning in phases, always challenged to make progress. Therefore, we are always getting ‘promotions’,” she said.

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One of the techniques Hana applies to use fabric remnants is faux chenille. Layers of cloth are sewn very tightly together and then brushed so that they appear furry, resulting in final products that are not only unique, but also attractive.

It’s hard to believe that the material is fashion waste. Economically, their sales value is also high, gradually increasing from hundreds of thousands of rupiah to reach millions of rupiah.

Hana is indeed serious. From the outset, she has refused to create just any product that will only give rise to new waste. Her principle is that her products should be good and durable, rather than just kitsch products. Hana has even thought about after-sales service, if her products become worn or damaged, so as to extend their life span.

Eight years has passed, and Hana is continuing to look for new techniques and methods to expand. Hana does not only produce bags, but has also diversified her creations to pillow cases, glass trays, accessories, tapestry and decorative wall panels.

She started producing decorative wall panels during the Covid-19 pandemic, using a complicated procedure that took a long time to finish. Yet the finished products, which carry price tags reaching hundreds of millions of rupiah, was enough to revive Threadapeutic from the impacts of the pandemic.

Their self-confidence in their jobs has grown, because they handle waste.

Hana certainly has reason to feel proud. She has succeeded in converting waste into products with high economic value. But her journey has not ended. She is aware of the great challenges ahead. She fully understands that textile waste is hard to eliminate.

Hana has observed that at the factory that is now her partner, despite the utmost care taken when cutting fabrics, it still produces a large amount of waste.

“From 2019 up to the present, we ourselves have recorded 1 ton [of repurposed waste]. It’s because our team is small. So, this raw material [fashion waste] is really a big quantity,” said Hana, who is now collaborating with a garment manufacturer in Pulo Gadung and several fashion brands to source her materials, which are generally made of cotton.

For Hana, the success of her business, which handles complicated processes to repurpose waste, is something to be proud of. But she is even more proud that, through repurposing textile waste, she is able to empower others: her employees.

“Their self-confidence in their jobs has grown, because they handle waste. There is no special training, but they are still willing to learn for their own progress,” said Hana, her eyes bright.

Hana hopes that in the future, she can collaborate with as many parties as possible and continue to meet with many young people who are also interested in repurposing waste. She aims to reduce fashion waste, which she often refers to as “raw material”, so it no longer pollutes the environment. Hana wants to remain empowered.

Nagawati “Hana” Surya

Education:

- GCE O Levels, Nan Chiau Girls’ Secondary School, Singapore (1978-1982)

- Associate in Arts degree, Business Administration, Santa Monica City College, United States (1982-1984)

- Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, Pepperdine University, USA (1985-1987)

Occupation: Founder and owner, Threadapeutic

This article was translated by Aris Prawira.