October 2019 Edition Apparel October 2019 issue | Page 34

FEATURE
OTHER LEARNINGS
Apart from the batik textile itself, Pooja is most
impressed with and deeply inspired by the
respect and honour the Indonesians have for
the technique, and the pride with which they
wear batik garments. “Given India’s rich textile
heritage, we must also take greater pride
in wearing garments designed from textiles
handcrafted by our country’s artisans.” It is
interesting to note that in Indonesia, from the
time a child is born, batik is associated with
special occasions, such as wrapping the
newborn in a batik textile bearing propitious
motifs; all occasions—be they formal or
festive—are marked by wearing exquisite
batik garments.
On October 2, 2009, UNESCO added
Indonesia’s batik tradition to its Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, under the
tangerine, light blue, fuchsia pink, and sindoori
red, in order to cater well to Indian consumers,
many of whom have a penchant for bright hues.
criterion of batik being a unique cultural icon
of the country, which bears historic symbols,
stories, and philosophies of the human life cycle.
The listing also recognises the deep connect the
Indonesians have with batik. To commemorate
this recognition, October 2 is observed as Batik
Day in Indonesia, and to celebrate this, citizens
proudly don a range of attire made with batik.
MARKET MOVES
Pooja Shroff retails her pieces at well-known
multi-designer stores including Aza, Anahita,
Elahe, Ole, AGASHE, Azra, and 85 Lansdowne in
India; Le Rosh Boutique in Jakarta; and VESIMI in
Dubai. She believes that designers need to be in
sync with the market in order to keep themselves
successful and relevant.
“In the past few years, the apparel industry
has been affected by demonetisation and the
introduction of the Goods and Services Tax
(GST), which has had an impact on designers as
well as customers. Consumers are now observed
preferring to spend more on garments that can
be worn multiple times, on various occasions,”
says Pooja.
She believes that with her fabrics being
comfortable for the skin, the prints, diverse, and
the garments placed at reasonable price points,
her label is in sync with the requirements of the
contemporary market.
Shroff is committed to continuing designing
garments with batik-based prints that are suitable
for daytime as well as evening, and aims to work
on new batik-inspired collections each season.
POOJA IS MOST
IMPRESSED WITH AND
DEEPLY INSPIRED BY THE
RESPECT AND HONOUR
THE INDONESIANS HAVE
FOR THE TECHNIQUE.