FOCUS
Fashion with a Balinese touch
“Laksmi Bali” ~ Fusing contemporary design with classic Balinese sewing techniques
Posted February 15, 2010
Inspired by Balinese natural beauty and classical Indonesian sewing methods, a young Indonesian designer started a line of fashion wear combining contemporary designs with traditional technique.
Indah Handoko was hooked on fashion designs while interning at a fashion house in New York. “I’ve to learn everything from scratch including fabric selection, sewing, displaying etc.,” said Handoko who was studying at Baruch College at the time.
Upon earning her degree from Baruch College, she continues her passion in the fashion field by freelancing with various independent fashion houses in the city.
With her creative talent, she was fortunate enough to earn a freelance assignment with J. Crew for about eight months.
“It was a wonderful learning experience for me. I learned a lot from the time with J. Crew and it has helped me blossomed in my design work,” explains Handoko.
Other than fashion, Handoko other passion is traditional Indonesian dance. Handoko often volunteers as a dancer with the Indonesian Embassy in New York dance troupe performing Balinese dance at various functions in the area. She travels frequently to Bali for dance lessons with master instructors.
During these trips to Bali, she has the inspiration to start a “resort-summer based” clothing line combining the classical Balinese techniques and her contemporary designs. Her target group is between 16 to 40 age category.
She chose the name “Laksmi Bali” for her brand. “Laksmi” means Hindu goddess of beauty. The name has a strong resonance to Bali as the island has strong Hinduism influences.
“I employed local women artisans who are very good at traditional sewing and laced work. These artisans are mostly women who enjoys working independently at home and have free time to perform their spiritual rituals,” said Handoko.
Her clothing line has been picked up by various retailers in Bali including gift shops in hotels and resorts. Her clientele has grown beyond Bali to far flung places such as St. Bartz and Hawaii.
She is currently working on her third collection for her brand. Summer is the peak tourist season in Bali as she is rushing to complete her collection soon.
Her design work caught the attention of Balinese Fashion Council who invited her to join in their promotion drive. “I am not quite ready as yet. I would like to enjoy the steady growth of my brand,” said Handoko with a smile.
Handoko recently conducted a successful trunk fashion show at her parent’s residence in Dunwoody. Her parents are long time Atlanta residents for over 20 years.
For more information: visit www.laksmibali.com