Kain Cinde: Traditional Classy

Throughout history various people from across India have come to Nusantara (the old name for Indonesia). Being mostly traders, they brought with them a variety of goods such as the colorful and rich patterns of Indian textiles. One such was the Patola cloth, traditionally perceived as sacred due to its complicated process of employing a double weaving technique. Patola originated from the Gujarat area and its basic ornamental patterns depict humans, animals and plants as well as various arrangements of geometrical forms. In India the cloth was used in different rituals and was believed to hold powers that repelled disasters. It was traditionally made from a silk known as Tchinde, and when it arrived on East Indonesia's shores, it became known as Sinde. In Java it is referred to as kain Cinde, while in Sumatra it is commonly known as Cindai. Nevertheless, the original name Patola is still commonly used in other regions including the Minahasa people of North Sulawesi whose new motifs of textile weavings have adopted the Patola patterns. 

Not only did people from across India import traditional Patola, but also the Portuguese traders occupying Gowa (India) at the time who brought Patola to the Maluku islands in Eastern Indonesia for barter with clove and nutmeg. In Maluku rituals and ceremonies, people wore Patola cloth around their waists and necks. The Portuguese also introduced it to Nusa Tenggara Timur in southeastern Indonesia, where local artists have developed the cloth further and have since assimilated Patola into their own designs. This particular cloth has been highly appreciated everywhere, and has become an integral part of many rituals and ceremonies. Traditionally, special cloth was made in limited numbers, used only for rituals and ceremonies. As an example, one can find four meters long Patola cloth in Lio (situated in Nusa Tenggara Timur) commonly known as katipa that is exclusively used to cover corpses.

In the two centers of Javanese culture, Yogyakarta and Solo, Patola patterns have also been incorporated into their famous batik and termed nitik (meaning a dot), while in Pekalongan (northern coast of Central Java), this specific pattern is known as jlamprang. As in other regions, Patola cloth from Yogyakarta and Solo is known as kain Cinde and has been exclusively worn by nobles as symbols of high social positions. In traditional or religious ceremonies, this particular patterned cloth is worn as trousers and long skirts, while in wedding ceremonies it's worn as belts, chest wraps and shawls for dancers. It is also used as wraps for various heirlooms such as keris (Javanese dagger), wayang kulit (shadow puppets), gamelan (traditional Javanese musical instrument) and as ornament for krobongan (a sacred room inside many houses of nobility in Yogyakarta and Solo).

In the city of Palembang in South Sumatra meanwhile, this particular cloth is known as kain Sembagi. The people of Palembang have been using the cloth in bridal showers as well as for wall ornaments in various ceremonies, while kain of dark colors are used to cover corpses.

Most of the weaving process does not employ the traditional double weaving technique, except in Tenganan village in Pegeringsingan, Eastern Bali. This sacred cloth specifically made in this village is called kain Geringsing (shining kain). Kain Geringsing is regarded to possess magic powers used to avoid disasters at many traditional Balinese ceremonies.

The beauty of kain Cinde or Patola has inspired some designers such as Ghea Panggabean who first employed it in her classy designs, more recently followed by Denny Wirawan. Fashion designers have helped develop Patola in different ways and, at the same time, have ensured that local artists everywhere can continue to prosper, creating various opportune synergies extent in preserving the cloth and enriching the country's development of fashion design.