Inspiring traditional innovation

Entrepreneur's Story

By: Agustinus Gius Gala

Globe Asia-09 Oktober 2008Indonesia's traditional art and crafts are getting a modern makeover from new retail outlets that are at last beginning to appreciate the hidden talents of the country's craftsmen amid growing demand among young and trendy buyers. Alun Alun Indonesia is ahead of the curve. In small towns and large cities across Indonesia, commercial life is centered around city squares, the alun alun.

This is where traders come to sell their wares and buyers look for bargains, where the hub of economic activity is at its most intense.It was at the alun alun that Indonesia's craftsmen also offered their work for public scrutiny and appreciation. According to Joop Ave, Indonesia's former minister of tourism who recently launched the book Indonesian Arts and Crafts, it is often the poorest people working far from the media spotlight who produce some of the country's finest designs and items in traditional arts and crafts. Unfortunately their work is underappreciated and often tucked away in dusty corners.

“I remember visiting a poor desa (village) in Lombok where the local women produced the most beautiful cloth I have ever seen,” he notes. “It was of such quality that it would immediately be on show at some of the best museums in the world.”According to Joop, some 20 million Indonesians earn a living from the arts and crafts industry but the sector receives little support, especially from modern retailers who prefer to display contemporary fashion.That may be about to change with the revitalization of the Pasaraya shopping complex and the opening of Alun Alun Indonesia, a modern retailer specializing in Indonesian arts and crafts. The 5,000 square meter store in Jakarta's central Grand Indonesia retail complex houses more than 1,000 items from across the vast archipelago, ranging from batik and traditional cloth to jewelry and antiques.

The store has a special corner for upcoming young Indonesian designers who want to experiment with marrying traditional patterns with more modern designs, especially in clothes.“The idea came to us about two years ago when a group of friends got together to explore how we could promote arts and crafts at the same time President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was talking about promoting the creative industries,” says Catharina Widjaja, managing director of Alun Alun Indonesia. Minister of Trade Mari Pangestu has worked hard to encourage the handicraft industry and also inspired Catharina and her friends, who include Pincky and Dea Sudarman, the owners of Gedung 28 in Kemang, and Cherie Nursalim. “We wanted to have a space that is like a stage and we focused on the aesthetics based on our passion and love for Indonesian arts and crafts,” says Catharina.

A place to call home

Since opening a year ago, Alun Alun has proved a hit with both the artisan community and shoppers, especially those from the expatriate community. By supporting nearly 1,000 vendors from across the country, 55% of them operating small- and medium-sized enterprises, the store is seen as a welcome face for an industry long accustomed to being shunned.By paying great attention to packaging and display, Alun Alun can elevate the image of Indonesian arts and crafts and add greater value, says Catharina. The store works with the community to create items that are popular with buyers in order to provide benefit for everyone.

Unlike other retailers, Alun Alun pays attention to details such as describing items and their origins; displaying them with proper lighting; ensuring the store layout is easy to navigate, with special corners for products from different parts of the country.Catharina admits that creating Alun Alun has been an eye-opener in terms of discovering the richness of Indonesia's culture. Even with its range of products, it has yet to fully penetrate the eastern part of the country which has its own unique cultural identity.“Many local artists now use Alun Alun as a benchmark for creating designs and items,” she notes. “We try to work with them to improve the designs by telling artists what is saleable and what customers want.”

She adds that with older Indonesians still resistant to paying a higher price for such items, she is focusing on serving the expatriate community and younger Indonesians. “That is why we try to be less ethnic and more contemporary,” she says. “If we can get 10% of the market, we will be quite happy.” With the creative sector expected to play a larger role in the country's gross domestic product going forward, it currently contributes about 5% to GDP, so marketing and proper promotion will be critical.

According to Catharina, Alun Alun is already studying the possibility of expanding to other Indonesian cities as well as overseas. A store has just opened in Bali and the company is looking to open in Kalimantan soon. It is also working on a website to sell its items through e-commerce.“Certainly we have to have more presence and visibility both at home and abroad,” Catharina notes. “We also need to expand our product range and make better use of our store space to display the items.”Alun Alun already has a full schedule for the rest of the year with events and shows highlighting the richness of Indonesia's arts and crafts.

This month a group of upcoming SMEs that have yet to show their goods at the store are being given the opportunity to show off their designs. In November, a large pearl exhibition is planned to showcase Indonesia's significant pearl industry.“It's very encouraging but it's still a learning process for everyone involved,” notes Catharina, who adds that Thailand has had a head start on Indonesia in promoting the native arts and crafts industry and in the process developing modern marketing concepts. Indonesia can also take a leaf from the Thai book and elevate an industry that has in the past played second fiddle to other economic sectors, she believes.