Source: Maskoolin.com
translated by: Pranav.R.B

Batik is known the world over as a traditional form of clothing, which has motifs that represent Indonesia. The popular Batik brands which are popular inside the country, and also globally, consist of 10 brands. They include:

1. Danar Hadi

2. Batik Keris

They were founded in Solo in the year 1967 by a couple, called H. Santoesa Dullah and Hj. Danarsih Santosa. The name Danar Hadi comes from the combination of Hj. Danarsih’s mothers name and her fathers name H. Hadipriyono. Since the year 1975, Batik Danar Hadi expanded its operations to Jakarta and other big cities. It weren’t only for the weaving, spinning, and distribution system that expanded, but Danar Hadi too had penetrated into the furniture business, Batik museums, function halls, and restaurants.

3. Batik Semar

Batik Semar were founded in 1947 in Solo by Somadi Kasigit, under the name of “Batik Bodronoyo”. Bodronoyo itself represented a different name from Semar, in that they were focusing on traditional puppet figures called “Wayang”. Initially, Batik Semar were only involved in making handmade Batik. As time progressed, because handmade Batik could only be targeted at the segment between middle to upper-class due to its high price, Batik Semar decided to produce other forms to target the lower to middle market segment

4. Iwan Tirta

Iwan Tirta are well known for their design works through the implementation of Batik into their craft. Their designs have even been worn by world leaders during the APEC Conference in Indonesia, in the year 1994. During the year 2003, PT Iwan Tirta were supported by ITPC (Irwan Tirta Private Collection) to become an officially recognized seller. The works of Iwan Tirta are mostly exclusive designs which prices range above the value of 5 million Indonesian rupiah per piece.

5. Parang Kencana

Parang Kencana was founded in 1992 by Mariana Sutandi. Its desire in the world of business and love for Batik had taken Parang Kencana to develop quite rapidly. Parang Kencana had opened 30 outlets, and provided jobs to 400 Batik craftsman who were located in Pekalongan, Cirebon, and Jakarta, 7 fashion designers, 5 batik designers, and 70 employees

6. Wirokuto Batik

With an initial capital of 6 million Rupiah, in the year 1996, M. Romi Oktabirawa started this brand representing the Batik of Indonesia called Haji Putera. They were producing silk shirts of large sizes, and the market segment being targeted were the middle to upper-class. With the progression of time, the brand started to gain recognition amongst people. Thus, Romi had founded Wirokuto Batik which was meant to represent the Batik works of the city people, and here he designed the batik by himself. Through its involvement in various exhibitions, it allowed this brand to earn recognition faster amongst the people, and also fell into the market segment targeting the middle to upper-class market.

7. Alleira Batik

Founded in 2005 under the name Allure which comes from the English word “alluring”, which means attract or captivate, this brand developed to become Alleira so that it could enter the international market. It all began when Lisa Kurniawaty Mihardja together with her partners, founded this batik business together with its employees, to target the market segment involving the middle to upper-class market. Lisa had worked together with Annisa Pohan to market this brand. Today, Alleira has 8 branches located in famous malls around Jakarta, Medan, Makassar, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur.

8. Kencana Ungu

Kencana Ungu represents a batik store which is located in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta. This brand was founded by Hartono Sumarsono, an entrepreneur and one of the first batik collectors in Indonesia. Not only limited to a batik shop, Hartono also produced textile and clothes under the label Kencana Ungu. In the year 2010, Hartono successfully created material which was given the name Batik Citra Lawas. The prices of Kencana Ungu varied, with items starting from 45 thousand Rupiah and upwards. People chose Kencana Ungu because of their reasonable prices, and the material were comfortable to wear, such as the sleeping clothes for example.

9. Bateeq

Bateeq is part of a brand under the holdings of PT Efrata Retailindo, with Michelle Tjokrosaputro as the President Director. Michelle had dreams to make Bateeq as big as Zara. The batik products being offered were plenty, starting from shirts, women’s fashion, Muslim clothes, and also t-shirts. The material being used also varied, such as silk and cotton

10. Galeri Batik Jawa

Galeri Batik Jawa have opened outlets in 5 big cities, and they are Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bekasi, Semarang, and Bandung. Mayasari Sekarlanti, or more commonly know as Nita, is the person responsible behind this batik start-up which begun in 2005. The prices of their products range from 350 thousand Rupiah to 1.5 million Rupiah.