A new online marketplace is helping batik artisans and small businesses in the Central Java town of Lasem to survive the pandemic.
A new e-commerce platform called Pasar Rakyat Lasem (Lasem Community Market) is the latest initiative to emerge that is supporting artisans and small businesses outride the epidemic.
Pasar Rakyat Lasem, which uses the domain name kesengsemlasem.com meaning “crazy about Lasem”, is dedicated to giving visitors a taste of the town’s unique culture.
Curated by fashion designer Didiet Maulana, the online marketplace features products under three categories: kriya (crafts), rasa (cuisines) and wastra (textiles).
Didiet said the initiative was born out of many people’s desire to buy Lasem products, but hadn’t had a chance to visit the town.
“When the pandemic happened, we wanted to rejuvenate the existing market in Lasem [by] supporting the artisans to keep creating while allowing others to enjoy their creations at the same time,” he said at a virtual press conference broadcast via YouTube on Tuesday.
He said that the ongoing epidemic meant that people were increasingly heading online, so it was crucial to establish an online marketplace.
The platform currently offers 27 products, ranging from fish crackers to a copper teapot to a selection of batik fabrics featuring the famous tiga negeri (three nations) dyeing method.
