Sumba Attrac tion
Dian Sastrowardoyo falls in love with traditional clothing and holds fund-raising exhibition
I t was love at the first sight for movie star Dian Sastrowardoyo when she first encountered clothing from Sumba, an almost-barren island in East Nusa Tenggara. Now, the ethnic fabric has driven the star to organise a fund-raising programme for social projects on the island.
The cultural exhibition, entitled “Lukamba Nduma Luri – Benang Yang Memberi Hidup, Kain Yang Memberi Hidup”, featured hand-woven fabrics and was held at Plaza Indonesia on August 8. The exhibition heralded the function of traditional cloth in the islanders’ daily lives as “Lukamba Nduma Luri”: the cloth that gives life. Dian went on to note the dire conditions of women who produce the amazing fabric. “They don’t have access to clean water. It’s an irony,” she said. The target for the fundraising is to make Rp200 million to build a water house and restore a traditional house that has almost collapsed.