Wearing Batik-mask (loan from Sandra Niessen),
jacket made from Batik Cirebon by Kamaratih Batik
& Batik legging by Baobab Batik from Swaziland
Today we celebrate the ninth year that Batik is the official UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia. Since 2 October 2009 every year it is Hari Batik, Batik Day, today and since 6 years I have the tradition to share a series of Batik Statements on this day. {I posted this at 19 p.m. European Time, so in Indonesia its 12 a.m.}
The first series was in 2012 and it was dedicated to the fact that Batik wasn't considered to be a fashionable thing. I thought Batik should & could be worn like that. Only 6 years later and I am exclusively wearing outfits made from Batik for this years series. Batik truly became the fashion item it should be!
This year I would like to explain what statements you can make with Batik.
The fabric itself tells a story through its motif. So for choosing the right Batik to wear it is nice to know what the patterns mean. You can find some populair motifs explained in my Batik Statements series Pattern Edition.
I wear a lot of 'Batik Modern', Batik with a less traditional motif or in a different colour combination, so I can make my own statement with it. It is also handy to wear 'Batik Modern' to avoid mis-interpreting the meaning and rocking an inappropriate pattern to the wrong party.
But making statements with Batik is not only done by the fabric itself, it is also done by how you wear it, or in what form.
In these statements I am wearing three custom-made pieces; a jacket, dress and skirt. The fun thing about custom-made is that you can choose your Batik and make it fit perfectly. Since my second 'Journey to Batik', I have added 6 custom-made pieces to my wardrobe and a seventh is in the making. It is the perfect way for me to wear what I love and show off how it can be worn in a fashionable, colourful, fun and stylish way. So You can also make a custom-made statement with your Batik!
The last statement I would like to make, is the sustainable one. Batik is a handmade textile, either hand drawn with canting or brush or hand stamped with cap or block printing. This doesn't automatically make it a sustainable produced product, but it is a unique, high quality handmade textile. Different batik makers have different methods, so finding out which ones are fair, green, eco etcetera is a puzzle. But Batik it is always a better choice then a machine made fast fashion product. To find out more about 'Is Batik Fair?' please read the blogpost I wrote about it.
Thinking about making this years Batik Statements, I thought of the graffiti I spot regularly during my walks in Utrecht (NL). The pieces change rapidly, covering one another to make their mark, to make their statement. With a name, a symbol, or tag, readable and not so much, walls are filled. I love walking past these temporary outside exhibitions and thought they make a nice photo-shoot setting. So I am sharing with this years Batik Day Celebration how we can make statements in different ways and I hope you share yours with me!
On Instagram & Facebook please use the hashtag #batikstatement and don't forgot to tag me! Or send by email to sabine{@}sabinebolk.nl. Please share why you choose this Batik and what statement you would like to make!
Wearing dress made with Batik Lasem, designed with TheAria Batik
{I am the reseller in the Netherlands}
and Baobab Batik leggings
Wearing reversible skirt by Guave,
made with Batik Cap on one side,
and recycled & organic textile from Enschede on the other side
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