To Explore the Fashion Culture in Indonesia, BINUS Northumbria School of Design Students Visit Tasikmalaya and Garut
BINUS Northumbria School of Design, known as BNSD, is one of Jakarta’s best universities focusing on fashion and design. Having four programs to offer, it cannot be separated from the innovative work of each student, including elements of regional cultures. The richness of Indonesian cultures can be an inspiration and character in fashion works. With culture-based knowledge, students will learn and participate in promoting the fashion culture in Indonesia.
In equipping the students, BNSD conducted immersion trips to Tasikmalaya and Garut. This activity aimed to know the local cultures more closely so that every Fashion Design and Fashion Management student could understand the processes and manufacturing techniques in crafts, cloth, embroidery, and original local weaving. BNSD wants to continue exploring the richness of cultures and strives to spearhead a global initiative through Indonesia’s original cultural identity.
This activity was held for 3 days, from 6 – 8 June 2022. Together with the faculty lecturers, the students gained a lot of experiences through the visits. On the first day, the students visited Kampung Naga, a Sundanese traditional village well known in West Java, and Haryati Embroidery Kawalu, a collection of cloth handicraft products. Both of these places have their own cultural authenticity and appeal to ancestral arts.
On the second day, students had the opportunity to visit several places in Tasikmalaya, such as the Payung Geulis workshop directly by Mrs. Rossi, the embroidery craft SME owned by Mrs. Evi, Mendong weaving SMEs, and Tasikmalaya batik SMEs. This visit was very effective, as the students could get to know some of the Indonesian styles through handicrafts and regional cultures.
This activity ended with a trip to Garut on the third day. BNSD students visited Hendar, a Garut woven textile craftsman. He is one of the weaving craftsmen who started as an artist. Now, he has successfully built a famous weaving business in Garut.
The immersion trips held by BINUS Northumbria School of Design (BNSD) to Tasikmalaya and Garut provided knowledge and exploration experiences for the students to get closer to Indonesian cultures, which are rich in historical elements and ancestral identities. This activity is expected to provide an output for each student to recognize the processes and techniques of fashion works that will be applied to their projects. Therefore, the fashion culture in Indonesia will continue to develop and spread out widely to the international arena through the creative industry of the nation’s young generation.
