I recall one of my best trips ever - the land of the laughing monkeys, rice paddies as far as the eyes could see and, foot massage parlours galore.... Bali! The land of an unparalleled tri-fecta of beauty in the untouched landscapes, generosity and peace amongst the people and a sense of calm and collective-good.
The buzzing streets of the capital, Denpasar, offer a robust line-up of tailor shops
encouraging passer-by’s to walk-in and select their style de mode and fabrics. I
happened to personally settle on a stunning navy blue Batik Silk material with an
array of colourful butterflies etched on it. The fabric was fashioned into a timelessly elegant dress replete with hem-work and lining. I have since worn that dress at parties and fancy dinner-do’s with a dozen compliments dished out.
So what really is Batik? It’s a silk dye process, involving a wax application to silk
fabric to create intricate designs. Originating in Indonesia, the skill of batik lies in the application of wax to prevent bleeding of dyes. The patterns and motifs applied using Batik are symbolic and are either drawn on fabric using a pencil or a Tjanting tool. Tjantings are a round ladle with a spout through which the artisan carefully pours either beeswax or paraffin wax on the fabric. Once set, the fabric is then dipped in a dye bath and thereafter steeped in boiling water to remove the wax, revealing an intricate batik design. This painstaking and laborious process ensured Batik was, and continues to remain a national treasure, worn for ceremonius and religious events.
As we ran a short series on Batik on Insta, check out our handle-
@wovenwindsglobal, I was inspired to write-up a blog on one of my all-time favourite dresses, one that I continue to hold on to almost 14 years down the line even though I seem to ashamedly be bursting in at the seams! It is a testament to the workmanship of the tailors, taking a soft, vibrant fabric and turning it into a statement piece, one which I simply cannot bear to part with!
To own your own hand crafted and bespoke selected Batik Silk scarf head on over to our collection on www.wovenwinds.org and use our discount code WELCOME10 to get a 10% off our entire collection on your first order!