Where our clothes come from
Bali
is an island in the Indonesian archipelago. Our manufacturing facilities (in the outskirts
of a village in central Bali) are owned by a Balinese man named Wirata
and his wife Nyoman. Our Indonesian staff consists of expert
tailors and seamstresses from Java and Bali. The atmosphere is like that of a close-knit family, and they really are masters at what they can do with fabrics.
We keep (in the retail store) a photograph
album of our latest trip there, that depicts a verdant, terraced
paradise. The Wiratas and their employees all live together in a compound that
incorporates the business, so it is a true family venture. Both men and women are
employed, and a photograph of one Javanese tailor, Gog, hangs on the
wall of the Real Bodies store. Our photos show the stages of work, beginning with the
creation of patterns out of newspaper, on through the finished
product. Another picture shows women sitting cross-legged on the floor doing the finishing
sewing. The shop is immaculate, and is located in beautiful
surroundings, nestled on a rice-paddied hillside that has belonged to Nyoman's family for
many years.
