Who would have thought that the abundance of tourists and students in Yogyakarta had an important role in driving the textile industry sector in Yogyakarta? Rajiv Harkishore Lula, a well-known textile entrepreneur who owns a number of textile outlets in the textile center on Jalan Uripsumoharjo Yogyakarta, said tourists and students contributed greatly to boosting his textile business cycle. "Many tourists who initially only come to buy materials for souvenirs, over time they become resellers because the price of cloth here is cheaper than where they live," said Rajiv, Monday, January 16, 2023.
The founder of Zaara NX Textile said that it was from tourists that his textile business could reach all corners of the country. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic which knocked down a large part of the economy, the business continued even though it had experienced a decrease in turnover of up to 60 percent.
"Now turnover has increased by around 80 percent, moreover lecture activities have returned to normal, many students are shopping and also becoming resellers," said Rajiv.
The abundance of students in Yogya, according to Rajiv, is a factor in the textile industry in Yogya continuing to live. The students needed attire for their graduation ceremony to their wedding ceremony.
"Students who are now literate in the field of fashion are a support, they hunt for materials for hijabs to clothes here and then sew them into finished products and sell them to consumers both domestically and abroad," said Rajiv. "Former Yogya students who are now resellers and The wholesalers of cloth here come from Bandung, Jakarta, Surabaya and Kalimantan."
Rajiv explained that his shop, which now has three branches, provides hundreds of fabric products, starting at IDR 1,000 to IDR 1.8 million per meter. The students and reseller tourists are hunting for wedding tulle, brocade, batik, Japanese cotton, silk motifs, jacket materials to veil materials.
The third textile shop owned by Rajiv will open in a big way for four days from 19-22 January 2023 and invite a number of artists such as Soimah, Raffi Ahmad, to Ivan Gunawan.
