Rome Showcases Eco-Friendly Wastra Nusantara Fashion

RRI.CO.ID, Rome - The Indonesian Embassy to the Holy See, in collaboration with fashion house OERIP Indonesia, hosted a cultural showcase titled "Women, Thread, and Time" in Rome, Italy, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026. The event cast an international spotlight on Wastra Nusantara (traditional Indonesian fabrics) by specifically highlighting its eco-friendly production methods and commitment to sustainable fashion.

OERIP Indonesia presented 17 distinct collections that rely entirely on organic, plant-based dyes. The vivid color palettes embedded in the traditional handwoven textiles are extracted directly from nature, utilizing indigo roots, secang wood, noni fruit (mengkudu), bark extracts, mango skins, and turmeric.

By showcasing these botanical dye techniques, the exhibition demonstrated how Indonesian creative industries are successfully minimizing textile chemical waste and reducing their overall environmental footprint.

Beyond botanical raw materials, the collection integrated sustainable design principles by producing garments that are largely unisex and one-size-fits-all, effectively reducing fabric cutting waste while maximizing inclusivity. A standout piece that drew significant attention was the Outer Peta Wastra, a structured cardigan featuring a hand-drawn map of the Indonesian archipelago stitched onto the back, carefully pieced together using surplus woven fragments from each corresponding island of origin.

Founder and creative director of OERIP Indonesia, Dian Erra Kumalasari, explained that the true value of these eco-friendly textiles lies in their philosophy and lengthy manufacturing cycles. "The fabrics we use are made by female weavers over months or even years. One of our collections is a traditional fabric that's approximately 200 years old and took 10 years to make," Dian said, as quoted by Antara.

She added that the platform serves a vital socio-economic function, actively supporting and empowering more than 500 traditional female weavers across 70 remote regions of Indonesia.

Indonesian Ambassador to the Holy See Michael Trias Kuncahyono praised the sustainable fashion house for blending environmental stewardship with heritage conservation. “We see the important role of OERIP in preserving traditional Indonesian fabrics or Wastra Nusantara,” Ambassador Trias said during his opening address.

For the Indonesian Embassy to the Holy See, promoting eco-friendly traditional textiles is part of a continuous, strategic pipeline of cultural diplomacy within the Vatican and broader Italian communities. The embassy regularly schedules targeted heritage events to foster international appreciation for Indonesian creative traditions.

In 2024, the embassy successfully organized a batik fashion show and workshop alongside Batik House Indonesia in Salerno. This active engagement continued into 2025 through interactive jarik (traditional fabric wrapping) workshops with the Wisni Drupadi art studio, alongside a prominent kebaya exhibition featuring the Mirandi Serad Collection and regional dance performances by the Kebaya Menari community.

Through this consistent outreach, the embassy aims to ensure that Indonesia's rich cultural diversity, deeply aligned with global environmental values, continues to capture the interest of the global public. (Naura Sofia-EN)