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DENPASAR, Bali (BPN) – Another cultural festival to arrive in the country this month as the Government of Mojokerto, East Java, to hold the Mojo Specta Festival on 21-25 November 2019. One of the main programs at the cultural arts festival is the 2019 Mojo Batik Festival (MBF) which will be held for two days on 23 – 24 November, in collaboration with renowned designers in Indonesia. The batik festival which is held for the first time is an effort to awaken and introduce original batik from Mojokerto.
Irma Lumiga as one of the designers involved and also organizing the event said this MBF 2019 is to help raise Mojokerto’s batik which is identical to the Majapahit Kingdom pattern
“This festival is to develop batik Mojokerto which has been “asleep” for a while even though it has existed since the Majapahit Kingdom era,” she said during a media meeting at Rumah Sanur, Denpasar, on Friday.
For this reason, Irma continued, she was asked for help by the Mayor of Mojokerto Ika Puspitasari to raise Mojokerto’s batik, and that’s why she decided to create the 2019 Mojo Batik Festival which will be themed the Sisik Gringsing Tribuana Tunggadewi.
“Sisik Gringsing motif is the characteristic of Mojokerto’s batik. And Tribuana Tunggadewi is one of the queens who once ruled in Majapahit and the symbol of prosperity, and fertility,” Irma explained about the chosen theme.
Besides, Irma together with Dwico and Diana Couture, also involving local SMEs in the festival’s process and talent for fashion shows. The goal is that the country knows that batik SMEs in Mojokerto has good potential.
“This is our job as designers. It’s not only about business but how to contribute and be responsible for Indonesia’s richness,” she said.
While Dwico, a well-known Indonesian designer who will also take part in the event, said he will focus and target his work for youth.
For him, this is an important mission to popularize batik among youth. For that, he designs clothes that are not complicated and can be easily accepted by the youth.
“For youth, batik seems old-fashioned. That’s what I want to change by making designs based on current trends like combining batik with a t-shirt. So that batik can go into the millennial generation,” he said.
In addition to the fashion show, the 2019 Mojo Batik Festival will also be filled with a parade of 1000 meter long batik, consisting of 96 original Mojokerto’s batik motifs, which are stretched by as many as 890 women.