Our pieces are created through long-term collaboration with artisan partners across Indonesia. We work directly communities who lead their own creative processes, set their own pace, and work within traditions shaped by place and time.
Our role is partnership — not oversight, not preservation, and never saviourism.
Meet the communities whose textiles bring depth, colour and cultural knowledge into conversation with modern silhouettes. Their craft forms one side of the bridge RŪPAHAUS stands on.
Lorek Weavers
Based near Klaten, east of Yogyakarta, the Lorek weavers are led by Ibu Sukinah and her daughter Mbak Ratmi. With over 30 years of natural dye knowledge passed through generations, their family practice forms the foundation of our Lorek collections.
Working with women from their own and neighbouring villages, weaving is shared across households and done from home — allowing craft to continue alongside daily life. Through long-term collaboration, these textiles are made with care, continuity, and deep respect for tradition.
Batik Painters
Working from his independent atelier in South Yogyakarta, Mas Ta creates our batik kimonos and shirts using traditional wax-resist batik techniques. Collaborating with local batik painters, he applies plant-based dyes and contemporary patterns, ensuring each hand-painted piece remains unique — shaped by heritage, personal expression, and the rhythm of the hand.`
No two motifs are ever the same — each RŪPA batik piece carries its own rhythm, story, and hand.
Kanekes Weavers
Around three hours southwest of Jakarta, the Kanekes live in bamboo villages set deep within a forested hill region, accessible only on foot. The area is divided between outer villages and a sacred inner forest, where ancestral animist traditions are carefully protected. This distance from the modern world limits economic access.
Through the guidance of Arsid, an outer Kanekes member, the community now shares its craftsmanship beyond the forest, supporting livelihoods while preserving cultural integrity and ways of life.
Ikat Weavers
Set within untouched landscapes, Sumba is known for colours and textures found nowhere else in Indonesia.
In East Sumba, ikat weaving is a sacred inheritance, shaping the rhythms, methods, and care behind every textile. Raised in a weaving family, dye master Papa Deki, has devoted his life to preserving tradition—sourcing dyes from the land and ensuring knowledge continues with integrity. He is supported by Mama Ika, who mentors and trains the young weavers.
Boghita and co.
Based in a small town 60 km south of Jakarta, our collective of pattern makers and seamstresses are the hands that bring each RŪPAHAUS design to life. Working within a close-knit production workshop, they translate pattern into form with precision, patience, and respect for the craft of garment-making.
We work in small batches, allowing each piece to be sewn slowly and intentionally. This approach prioritises quality over speed and care over volume. Through long-term collaboration, we work side by side to ensure fair practices, shared growth, and garments made to be worn and cherished for years to come.
Klipoh Potters
Nestled among the Menoreh Hills and surrounding rice paddies, Klipoh village has been shaped by pottery since the 9th century. Here, Supoyo and his daughter Arum continue a lineage passed down through generations.
Influenced by Borobudur, their clayware embraces imperfection and authenticity. Pieces are shaped slowly by hand, often celebrating irregular forms and textures. Clayware once considered “flawed” is given a second life, honouring creative freedom and the quiet beauty of making from the heart.
BAMBOO ARTISANS
Working from West Java, Pak Toto is a master bamboo artisan with over three decades of experience. His practice began in the early 1980s in West Java, where he trained under leading Indonesian artists and helped shape a more contemporary approach to bamboo craftsmanship in the region.
Today, Pak Toto’s work reflects a deep respect for material, structure, and process. Rooted in tradition yet open to experimentation, his craftsmanship continues to influence a new generation of bamboo makers across Tasikmalaya, where bamboo has long been part of everyday life and making.
beeswax chandlers
This collaboration brings together our in-house team and small-scale beekeepers from Perth and the Peel region. Beeswax is sourced close to home, collected directly from Western Australian keepers and handled with care, honouring both the bees and the landscapes they sustain.
In our Perth studio, each candle is hand-rolled using traditional methods. The slow, tactile process allows the warmth, texture, and natural variation of beeswax to remain intact. Made in small batches, each candle reflects craft.