Exclusive Interview With Brand: Tulle and Batiste
An exclusive interview with the founder of Tulle and Batiste. An ethical & sustainable brand from Indonesia.
SECTION 1: ABOUT YOU
1. Would you share a bit about yourself and where you’re from?
My name is Jannah and I have 3 wonderful kids, a caring husband, and about 8 dogs and 7 cats who we either have rescued from the streets and beaches in Bali or who themselves decided to call our house and factories home. I was born on the Indonesian island of Java and am blessed to live and work on Bali island.
2. Was it always the intention to become a sustainable and ethical designer?
When we were teenagers, me and my sister started making our own clothes. The shops in our local town didn’t sell the clothes we loved and we didn’t have the financial means to buy the clothing we wanted to wear. Thus out of necessity, we learned to sew and design. I remember how satisfying it was to get compliments from my friends on the clothing I was wearing.
Me and my sister have come a long way since. We are still working together. My sister nowadays oversees our pattern-making and sampling.
I have been operating our garment company PT. Pratama Bumi Energi for nearly 20 years. We used to be the original product developers for a well-known Byron Bay label and have worked with some of the leading Australian clothing brands over the years. Having started my own label was the best decision I have made, so I can put all my love and heart into my own label.
I own and operate three factories in Bali where we handle everything from design, sampling, spec grading, printing, sample production, and full-on production. In our main office, we handle the sampling and QC. I personally design and grade each style.
3. What was it that first raised your awareness of the issue of fast fashion?
Since I am a manufacturer myself I have first-hand experience that has contributed to my growing awareness of the issue of fast fashion. Firstly, I started noticing the constant stream of new clothing trends in stores and online platforms. It seemed like new collections were released at an alarming rate, making clothes feel disposable rather than durable.
Running my own factory I know the true costs of producing a piece of clothing. When clothes are being sold at a ridiculously low value, somebody must be losing out. And that somebody most likely is the worker that made that garment.
4. If not engaged in designing, what alternative direction would you pursue?
I cannot imagine a life without designing. I have always created. From necessity because we didn’t have the financial means when growing up all the way up till today. My hands become itchy when I am not creating something when I am not designing a new style.
I can design a whole collection in one day. The gates of inspiration have been opened to me and I feel an urgency to keep designing. I feel blessed to receive this much inspiration.
SECTION 2: ABOUT YOUR BRAND
1. Could you tell us more about your label?
Vintage French fashion has always fascinated me since I was a teenager. I have always loved the bohemian feeling. It was therefore an easy choice to give our label a French-sounding name.
“Tulle” is a lightweight and very fine netting, most commonly used for veils and gowns whereas “Batiste” is a fine cloth of cotton or linen for high-quality garments.
2. What is the ethos when you design? And what defines your style?
Tulle and Batiste offer vintage-inspired collections personally designed by me and my team of highly skilled artisans. Each garment is handmade with lots of love and cares for details and quality.
I get inspiration from so many sources. The colors of the sky, the mountains, and the beaches in Bali, Indonesia’s rich cultural heritage, its flora and fauna. I love to mix and connect these with vintage bridal dresses, bohemian pictures, and vintage French 1800 – 1900 fashion while using the softest and best quality rayon, lace, crochet, and embroidery we can source and/or produce.
I would love to hope that women from all ages and all walks of life would want to wear Tulle and Batiste. The patterns and designs we create are made with an emphasis on making a women’s body look good, whether you are young or a little older, a little shorter or a little taller, carrying a little less weight on your body or a little more. We are all perfect in our imperfections
3. What fuels your passion and sustains your motivation?
To stay true to my life principles while working hard to create a better life for my family and children. To take care of my staff and their families. To take care of all our many dogs. To give back to the beautiful Bali that I call myself home.
4. What part of your job resonates with you the most in terms of happiness?
I will never forget the first time someone posted a picture on Instagram of herself wearing a Tulle and Batiste garment and thanking me for making her look so pretty and confident. Little things like that are what make me happy and grateful.
SECTION 3: MEET THE TEAM
Here at Tulle and Batiste, we believe we do our best work when we are happy, healthy, and inspired. From offering flexible vacations and full health benefits to getting everyone together for office birthdays and outings, we strive to make working at Tulle and Batiste a balanced and fulfilling lifestyle, not just a job.
Our team consists of a healthy mix of men and women, from both Bali and Java with a mixed background of cultural values and religious beliefs. Most of our staff have been trained by myself instead of employing people with formal education. I believe in offering opportunities. In return, you will find them to be very loyal.
Happiness is when you are given the opportunity to make others happy. It’s so rewarding to be able to support the people and families who work with me. For me, my team is like family.
We will never produce Tulle and Batiste anywhere else than in our own factories. We will never go to China for production to chase a cheaper production price. Success is in the details, inconsistent quality, and in great personal relations and customer service. In giving back to the people in my team.
By designing and producing all styles ourselves in a controlled environment I can guarantee our team members work under the best possible working conditions, in a clean workspace, at proper working hours, and with financial reimbursements very well above the average wages. Besides, our company is fully compliant with the Indonesian tax regulations and we offer health care insurance and pensions for everyone in our team.
Unlike most other labels, which have their ranges produced by third parties in undisclosed factories and locations, our factories are always open for inspection by our customers. We believe in offering full transparency.
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