MakersMarket Highlights Local Creativity and Craftsmanship
Jakarta. August is a special month in Indonesia, with almost all houses, office buildings and shopping malls beautifully decorated in celebration of the country's Independence Day.
Festivities are hosted across the archipelago to celebrate our national day.
The Indonesian marketplace for local handicrafts, Marketplays.id will celebrate Independence Day in a very special way this month.
Over the Aug.26-28 weekend the marketplace, in collaboration with the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf) will present the MakersMarket pop-up bazaar at the Grand Indonesia shopping mall in Central Jakarta.
"It's not just a pop-up market, but also a platform to support local entrepreneurs and educate the market about the quality of local products," Ivan John, founder and chief executive of Marketplays said during a press conference at the Hard Rock Cafe in Jakarta on Wednesday (03/08).
According to Bekraf data, Indonesia's creative industry generated Rp 642 trillion ($48.9 billion), or 7.05 percent of the gross domestic product, in 2015. By 2019 contribution of the sector to GDP is expected to swell to 12 percent.
"The government is seriously developing creative local products now," Ivan said. "We also want to inspire and encourage Indonesia's young generation to use local products and be proud of them."
The three-day bazaar is open to the public with no entrance fee. Around 100 tenants will feature, offering local handcrafted products and well as food and drink.
"We'll be showcasing dozens of handmade leather goods during the bazaar, such as coin pouches, wallets and namecard holders," Richwan Hartono, the creator behind brand Sekkha, said.
The 26-year-old is also going to conduct a special workshop during the bazaar.
"I will teach how to make [leather] car-keys holders from scratch," Richwan said.
Workshops teaching a variety of skills from calligraphy, leather crafts and textile dyeing will be available to visitors, ranging from Rp 300,000 ($23) to Rp 400,000 per session.
"These workshops are very positive," Richwan added. "They teach people how to create something that they like and also help them appreciate local handmade products more."
Another highlight of the bazaar is the beautiful apparel from Imaji Studio.
The label, founded by three friends in Jakarta in Aug. 2015, features culottes, shirt-dresses and outerwear made from handwoven cotton and natural dyes.
"All of our dyes are made of plants that are native to Indonesia," said Shari Susilo, co-founder of the brand. "And each is applied with different techniques, which result in one-of-a-kind pieces."
Hellorat Project will feature their ceramic mugs, plates and bowls during the event.
"Handmade products are special," said Rani Aryani, the co-founder of the brand. "They have a special connectivity to the makers, which then extend to the customers."
Rani, a postgraduate student at the Bandung Institute of Technology, hand makes the products at a friend's studio in Pondok Labu, South Jakarta.
"I'm very excited to be in the bazaar," she said. "It's not only about selling my products, but more importantly it's an opportunity to meet my customers at the bazaar and get to know them."
Around 400,000 people are expected to attend the event.
"At the bazaar, visitors can see for themselves that the quality of local products are indeed on par with international brands and they have very reasonable prices, too," Ivan John said.
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