Delicate, beautiful, hand-embroidered lace is the trademark of Balinese brand, Uluwatu. If you have been to Bali, you might have noticed a steady stream of shoppers in a boutique in Kuta that sells clothes trimmed with exquisite lace. Many Malaysian tourists – especially those who love fine lace – are familiar with the brand Uluwatu, and apparently, it near impossible for them to visit the Island of the Gods and not bring back something from the boutique for themselves and their friends.

Uluwatu sells handmade Balinese lace made into beautiful clothing and household items. The story goes that the founder, Made Jati, (who designs each item with her sister, Nyoman Suti) named the brand PT Uluwatu after an 11th century Balinese Hindu Temple. The brand has been around for 25 years and specializes in lace-work (krawang), a fast disappearing handmade skill. The krawang motif is then added onto beautiful collections of predominantly white handmade lace clothing, gorgeous bed linen and table linens that can be kept for generations to come.

The brand has been in Malaysia since 2006 and was brought in by local company Rias Homestores Sdn Bhd (RHSB). According to Ida Fazura Datuk Megat Muhaiyadin, one of the partners of the company, (the others being Azlin Ramli and managing director, Izard Azman), they came across the brand while on holiday in Bali and fell in love with the beautiful products. However, in Malaysia, Uluwatu seems to have fallen into the “specialized” product category, rather than retail. In fact, the label has come to be known mainly for its kebayas despite carrying a large selection of contemporary clothes.

“We’re still building the brand,” says Ida. “We’re trying to get people to understand and appreciate it. There is a slight difference in the handmade lace on each piece.”

Uluwatu uses fabrics such as cotton, linen and premium quality rayon, all manufactured in the Javanese town of Bandung. Their classic designs feature feminine cut work motifs like flowers and butterflies. The selection of clothes range from long-sleeved blouses, sleeveless tops, pants, dresses and linen shift dresses, while the products consist of white cotton bed covers, sheets and pillow cases, coasters, napkins and tablecloths.

According to Izard, while linen is mainly used in Bali, rayon is the material of choice in Malaysia. And for our market, there are also designs you may not find the original collections as RHSB works with the designers to create styles it feels will appeal more to locals. We’re also more modest it seems, so you will find some interesting differences. “In Bali, the clothes are more for tourists, pieces for the beach, so they don’t mind revealing some skin. But for our market, we had lining put in the dresses, and lining under the krawang to cover the holes,” says Ida. “We do have those who prefer to have the same collection as in Bali. For example, this year for Hari Raya, we’re bringing in the kebaya pendek, but we’re not modifying it as we found customers prefer it the that way. There are those who are more daring and don’t mind wearing the original designs.”

While the brand is known for its mainly white color theme, there is also cream and black and occasional seasonal colors. Ida says they’ve tried pastels, blues and browns, though the market still shows a preference for the more neutral colors and black. If you want to dress up the muted colors, there’s a range of accessories to go with the clothes, though these don’t come under the Uluwatu label. The collection includes a range of semi-precious accessories called Ilyana, in the form of dangling earrings and ethnic styled necklaces designed by local jeweler, Precious Inez.

Ida says the current summer trend – where lace and crochet look is all the rage – is an advantage for the brand: “What people have to appreciate is that our clothes are handmade. Take a look at the quality and the detailing, that’s what sets us apart.” Can’t you just hear that perfect summer dress calling your name?

The Uluwatu boutique is located at The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, Selangor. Prices range from RM99.90 to RM359.90.

News by The Star Online – thestar.com.my