INTEGRATING TEXTILE AND LOCAL METAL JEWELRY CRAFTSMANSHIP IN AVANT-GARDE KEBAYA DESIGN: A PRACTICE-BASED STUDY

Abstract

This article applies an experiential design method to develop an avant-garde kebaya that integrates handcrafted local metal accessories. The main issue addressed is a lack of integration between local jewelry craftsmanship and experimental fashion concepts. The authors address the issue by applying a five-stage design thinking framework (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test) to experiment with kebaya forms, which were transformed into three-dimensional avant-garde fashion silhouette. Data were collected through field observation and co-design process with the local metal artisan Nio El from Sidoarjo. The creative synthesis of textile-based fashion elements and three-dimensional accessories has produced a design concept that suggests the formation of a unique avant-garde aesthetic is viable through a spectrum of innovation possibilities, from minimum to maximum transformation. The conceptual design results imply that the fundamental principles of garment construction, such as the kebaya’s central element of the brooch, the sheer body-wrapping textile, and the wrap skirt construction logic, can be reinterpreted in the context of an experiential avant-garde design. The results suggest that cultural assets and existing craftsmanship offer sustainable innovation. This study concludes that an experiential design approach offers an innovative strategy for advancing practice and design education, building a repeatable framework for heritage-based creation.