Not your regular batik: This Indonesian fashion brand is making hand-drawn batik for a new generation

Indonesian entrepreneur Abel Hesed Tandadjaja founded Batik Wolter in 2019, a Jakarta-based fashion brand dedicated to preserving and promoting batik tulis, a traditional handmade form of Indonesian batik. The craft, created using a meticulous wax-resist dyeing technique, is deeply intertwined with Indonesia's cultural identity for Tandadjaja, who grew up surrounded by his family's fabric business.

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The idea of owning a truly one-of-a-kind piece stayed with me.

Tandadjaja's passion for batik tulis ignited during his corporate career, where he noticed the distinctiveness of hand-drawn pieces worn by senior executives. This observation sparked the idea of creating a brand that celebrates the uniqueness of batik tulis, presenting it in a modern context. "The idea of owning a truly one-of-a-kind piece stayed with me," he told CNA Lifestyle.

Unlike printed or stamped batik, batik tulis is entirely hand-drawn using a canting tool to apply wax, a process that can take weeks or months per piece. Tandadjaja emphasizes that the slight variations in lines and motifs are not flaws but authentic marks of the human touch. "You can actually see and feel that it was made by someone, not something," he explained.

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There are no shortcuts. Every piece is unique.

Batik Wolter collaborates with artisans from families with generations of batik-making experience, working with batik villages across Pekalongan, Yogyakarta, Solo, Cirebon, and Lasem. This approach ensures access to a rich variety of regional styles and techniques, resulting in over 1,000 designs offered by the brand, ranging from tailored shirts and jackets to bespoke suits for men and women.

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You can actually see and feel that it was made by someone, not something. Those irregularities aren't flaws – they're what make the work authentic.