Happy New year to everyone, one of my 2012 resolutions is to start updating my BatikAntik Blog. So here we go…my first update for 2012. I have always been in love with Limaran batik by my dearest friend Insana Habibie. I do have one of my favorite Limaran batik though…it is the Anusasuna Parwa collection.  A extraordinaire deep red orchestration of flowers in the muted color combining mustard and khaki brown in the whole ensemble.  I was lucky to have the set version of this batik, which consists of the sarong and the shawl. The sarong is beautifully embroidered with flowers and leaves that are artistically drawn.

Last August, 2011, I was asked to represent Indonesia in the CEO Panel of Innovation and Technology APEC Summit in San Fransisco, I wanted to wear a special batik dress.  So I decided to cut the shawl of the red Limaran batik into a dress.  I was nervous actually in cutting such a gorgeous master piece, but Insana told me to just do it since it is not often that I would be on one stage at the APEC summit together with Walt Mossberg (a well known senior Wall Street journalist, famous for his All things D) , Mikitani san (a billionaire CEO of Rakuten Japan) and Reid Hasting (CEO, Netflix, who couldn’t join though last minute).  Thus, the batik becomes “THE DRESS” that I wore to the my panel at the APEC Summit in San Francisco, last August 2011.

I asked mba Yani Soemali to do the dress for me….she was like: “Are you sure you want to cut this gorgeous batik?”  It did felt like I was about to commit something unforgivable…hehehe.  Hey but I did it….I was happy, it was just a very simple, 3/4 sleeved dress. Very minimalist and cut to fit the body.  Love it…

Walt Mossberg and I in my red Limaran dress

Hiroshi Mikitani of Rakuten and I after the APEC CEO panel