Ayu Azhari Ready to be Cultural Ambassador Promoting NTT Woven Fabrics

Kapanlagi.com - Since a few years ago, woven fabric has become an inseparable part of the daily life of senior film star Ayu Azhari, one of the fabrics she often uses comes from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

For NTT woven fabric, Ayu has even promoted it in various prestigious cultural exhibitions in Europe.

"I myself have a special concern for this weaving. When NTT's weaving became national news a decade ago, I participated in promoting it to important cities in foreign countries. One of them was during a cultural tour and diplomacy in London where I promoted the distinctive characteristics of regional weaving," said Ayu Azhari speaking at the Wabiner Exotic Woven Fabric Festival in Kupang, NTT, together with Julie Sutrisno Laisodat, the wife of the Governor of NTT, Dr. Victor Laiskodat, and Ricky, a representative from Bank Indonesia," Tuesday (23/3/2021).

1. UMKM Goes Global Theme

The theme carried in the Festival is UMKM Goes Global. In the UMKM Tenun Goes Digital Business Matching talk show session, Ayu emphasized that NTT has now become the center of Indonesian Tenun civilization.

This mother of six children also expressed her readiness to become a cultural ambassador for NTT Tenun.

"NTT has a high culture, which is reflected in Tenun products, so NTT is the center of Tenun civilization in Indonesia. I am ready to become a cultural ambassador to promote the Tenun works of the people of East Nusa Tenggara," she said.

2. Will Bring Change

credit: Personal Documentation

The wife of musician Mike Tramp hopes that the Exotic Tenun Fest, which takes place for three days in Kupang, NTT, will bring about change for the people of NTT with strong coaching and entrepreneurial spirit.

"NTT has long been the center of the world, a religious type of society, with the majority of devout religious followers, also having the best Theology education center, world-class in the land of Flores. Well, this capital can be further developed from religious diplomacy to the new global challenge in UMKM Goes Global," said Ayu.

3. Twice Jokowi Wears NTT Woven Fabric

Meanwhile, Julie Sutrisno Laiskodat explained that for several years she has been promoting traditional NTT woven fabric in many prestigious events in Europe and America.

What makes Julie proud is that President Jokowi Widodo has worn NTT woven fabric twice in state activities. "It is a pride for traditional weavers and the people of NTT," she said.

4. Tell the Struggle of Woven Fabric to the World

Julie explained that her struggle to introduce woven fabric to the international world began in September 2017 when NTT woven fabric appeared for the first time in the Couture New York Fashion Week.

From February 27 to March 6, 2018, Julie, who is also a designer, successfully brought back woven fabric to a prestigious fashion event, namely the Paris Fashion Week 2018 in Paris.

(kpl/dan/nda)