Creating beautiful aprons was just the beginning for this beautiful collection and artisan. As a young mother, cooking was not Nea’s favourite thing to do, but she tried to cook nice meals for her family and that’s when she had an idea. In an effort to make her cooking more enjoyable, she made herself an apron from the most comfortable material, sized to fit her perfectly and designed to make her work easy. And, as a batik lover, Nea started designing her own batik pattern inspired by her surroundings in nature and love of life in Bali. Her designs feature water hyacinth, fish, butterflies, chickens, elephant ears, seahorses, Borneo Mandala, and many more living things that she sees in her everyday life; all have become inspiration for her designs.
Nea’s creativity continued when a friend from Korea saw her lovely apron design and said she would like to sell those in her boutique in Korea called “Ibu Bali”. As time went on, the next five years saw Nea creating not only aprons but also bags, bed linen, bathrobes, pillowcases, home décor, and even surfboard and laptop covers!
Her products are made from 100% premium quality cotton, sourced locally from Central Java, Indonesia. They are soft and yet long-lasting, able to used daily and washed as often as needed. Linen that is imported from India is being used to create a more luxurious look and touch.
The dyeing process is the hardest part of all, and for that part, Nea employs several local men to do the job under her direction. The process starts first for the colouring by boiling fabric in a colour bath for two hours, applying a hot wax stamp on the fabric, and then the second colouring. Other hand-dyed techniques are then often added to create a certain pattern and modern hues in the fabric.
Nea is happy to support local women and she hires them as seamstresses in her workshop in Gianyar. Her attention to quality and constant innovation are crucial to Nea being able to meet customers’ growing needs. She believes that having a relationship with her clients is very important, understanding their needs and preferences, sourcing the right fabrics, and working with the best artisans to ensure the finest end result. Her passion is creating something special for her clients, to allow them to feel that the product is uniquely made for them. Her products are currently displayed in Westin Hotel Nusa Dua, and imported to Japan, UK, Korea, and Australia.
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