Roman Nuansa and Mba Tumbas: Making Wastra a Daily Outfit Hit on TikTok

Kapanlagi.com - In the midst of the onslaught of global fashion trends, two TikTok creators, @romannuansa (Oman) and @cadburylemonade (Mba Tumbas), choose to walk their own path. They are consistent in preserving and popularizing wastra Nusantara through regularly created TikTok content. For both of them, this platform is not just a place to showcase OOTD, but also a medium for education and inspiration for the younger generation.

Their journey is shared in the Wastra Story session, which is part of the 2025 Parade Wastra Nusantara series on Saturday (9/8/2025). Mba Tumbas and Roman Nuansa agree that their goal is not only to tell stories but also to inspire more people to be proud of wearing wastra in their daily lives.

"Many are shocked because a lot of people think that wastra is usually worn for formal occasions, but this is starting to encourage many people to wear wastra in everyday activities. With OOTD pairs that are contemporary dangdut yet still value wastra," said Mba Tumbas.

Oman added that for him, TikTok is not just a social media platform, but also a space to find community and share ways to use fabric from various perspectives.

"Learning together and connecting about wastra as clothing that can be worn daily. It can be matched with personality," said Oman.

1. Falling in Love with Wastra

Nusantara Textile Parade © KapanLagi.com/Budy Santoso

Oman himself began to fall in love with wastra because he was inspired by his grandmother who always wore cloth in her daily life. Seeing cloth as part of tradition, Oman started experimenting, providing tips on how to wear cloth without stitching, as well as sharing the philosophy and principles of wastra to keep it relevant in the modern era.

His desire to learn more about wastra grew when Oman visited an exhibition showcasing a piece of Batik fabric with a fantastic price. From there, Oman began to study and enjoy the process of making wastra. Eventually, he immersed himself in the world of wastra by becoming a textile artist focused on ecoprinting.

Meanwhile, Mbak Tumbas grew up in a Javanese family that was quite attached to wastra. However, her desire to mix and match outfits using wastra emerged in 2021. At that time, Mbak Tumbas saw an opportunity because there were not many creators discussing wastra creatively on social media. She wanted to inspire people who were actually interested in wearing wastra but felt shy or confused about how to mix and match it.

2. Hoping Textiles Become Part of Daily Life

Nusantara Textile Parade © KapanLagi.com/Budy Santoso

Through textile content on TikTok, both share the same hope. That is to make textiles a part of daily life, not just worn for formal events. Instead, it can become a reflection of self-expression while preserving the nation's identity through textiles.

"We should not be ashamed no matter where we are because it represents ourselves, seeing textiles as a form of self-expression," emphasized Oman.

Oman often combines sarongs for men into daily outfits, even utilizing textiles as home decor, shirts, or unique accessories made from leftover fabric. He also provides varied fabric wrapping tutorials that can complement any look. The same is done by Mba Tumbas with her signature Dangdutcore style.

Mba Tumbas enjoys experimenting with clashing patterns using contemporary fabrics that remain safe without violating traditional rules. Moreover, she once cut her hair completely, which made her even more expressive in wearing textiles. One of Mba Tumbas's go-to formulas in wearing textiles is by combining unsewn fabrics, modern sequined kebayas, and shiny silver pants to create a modern look that still highlights textiles.

3. Mba Tumbas's Steps and Nuance Romance

Mba Tumbas's Steps and Nuance Romance as textile content creators have not stopped here. Both want the community to better understand the long process that artisans go through to produce beautiful textiles that are pleasing to the eye and can be worn. Thus, the community no longer sees textiles as just fabric, but as a cultural heritage that needs to be preserved.

"I want people out there to feel more confident wearing textiles in their daily activities, not just for certain events and formal occasions," said Mba Tumbas.

Through their creativity and dedication, Oman and Mbak Tumbas prove that textiles are not just traditional fabrics, but also symbols of identity, self-expression, and cultural pride. They exemplify that the younger generation can preserve cultural heritage while packaging it in a modern way to remain relevant in the eyes of the world.

Dear Fimela friends, the Nusantara Textile Parade 2025 is made possible thanks to the support of sponsors from PT Pertamina Persero, Bank BRI, Permodalan Nasional Madani, the South Kalimantan Provincial Government through the Communication and Information Office, Tarakan City Government, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero).

Read more about the Nusantara Textile Parade at Liputan6.com.

(kpl/phi)