Collection: Kasih Co-op
Woman-Owned | 700-Year-Old Batik Craft | 50%+ Women-Led Artisan Partners | Nest Guild Member
Kasih Co-op—meaning "love" or "care" in Indonesian—was founded by Ivana Darmawan, who grew up immersed in Indonesian and Singaporean culture before moving to Los Angeles for college at UCLA. Inspired by watching her mother successfully navigate the challenges of female entrepreneurship in Indonesia, Ivana launched Kasih Co-op from her Manhattan Beach, California home with a mission to support other women while sharing the handmade artisan products she grew up appreciating. With her mother serving as her biggest mentor, supporter, and on-the-ground quality inspector in Indonesia, and support from the Indonesian Trade Promotion Center in Los Angeles, Ivana has built a business that bridges centuries-old Indonesian craftsmanship with modern global design.
Every piece starts with traditional batik—a wax-resist dyeing technique originating from Java that dates back to the 13th century. Using tightly woven cotton fabric called "kain mori," artisans apply hot wax either by hand-drawing with a spouted canting tool (batik tulis, the oldest method from the 14th century) or hand-stamping with copper block stamps called "cap." After the wax dries, fabric is hand-dyed, then boiled to melt away the wax, leaving intricate white or colored patterns against vibrant backgrounds. Many artisans have been perfecting this meticulous craft for over 20 years, learning directly from their parents. Unlike mass-produced textiles with uniform machine-printed color, Kasih Co-op's hand-dyed batik embraces natural variation—slight shifts in tone and rich, multi-layered colors that make every bandana, scarf, and kimono robe truly one-of-a-kind wearable art.
Designed in Manhattan Beach and handmade by collaborative groups of women-led artisan cooperatives in Indonesia—including batik fabric producers, seamstresses, quilt makers, and ikat weavers—Kasih Co-op products preserve time-honored skills while scaling women's businesses. As a Nest Guild Member and 2025 Nest Sustainability Artisan Accelerator participant, Kasih Co-op is advancing sustainable and ethical standards while dedicating a percentage of profits to supporting education for Indonesian girls, empowering the next generation. Featured as props in Idina Menzel's Broadway musical "Redwood" and recognized as a UCLA Bruin Business 100 Honoree, Kasih Co-op proves that every purchase supports women artisans, preserves traditional skills, and celebrates Indonesia's vibrant cultural heritage.
