Today I will write about the last two to three weeks of Ilham´s adventure to build up an own homeindustrie in Jakarta, Indonesia.
First of all we have to explain, that for designers it´s really needful to have an own home industry. Because it´s depending on the other homeindustrie and the shoemaker there, how long you it takes till your new prototypes are manufactured. And this can take long. You have to wait until they finished other orders and push yours between. Mostly priority is not the prototypes.
Also the distance between Ilham´s place and the other homeindustrie was very far. He has to stay there over night to discuss and show all the details personally, whats the designers imagination. Here Since a short distance makes the working easier. Especially in Jakarta, where you need maybe two hours for a drive, which you normally you can do in 20 minutes, if there is no "macet", means traffic jam.
T
he best what can happen was at this time was, that Ilham´s family has an empty "ruko", which is a working, retail and living space / house. And we can use it. It just has to be cleaned a bit and need some furnishing and equipment. Thank you mama & papa & family!
So and that´s where we started to think about... to begin!
Let´s go!
First thing is to find a shoemaker for making the pattern and sewing. So Ilham searches two employees
and gladly found Odie and Diyan. They are now working in our working room, two men for making the shoe prototypes. Welcome guys!
Marapulai Clothing want to pay faire salary and want to have good working conditions. So we pay Odie for pattern sewing and Diyan as sewing assistent more than the standard of living. Their working day is 8 hours like normal. In addition, they can both stay for free in the empty house. There is a ground floor for working and a first floor for living. Good thing is they don´t have to pay rent and no long commute.
In general the minimum wage for employees in factories is around 1,3 million IDR (approx. 113 Euro). But for the life you need about 2 million IDR (approx. 175 Euro). Most of the factory workers live with their parents, because they cannot afford to pay rent. For this salary, the workers must often work very long, usually more than half a day. But we don´t want to be like this, we want to have good conditions in every part.
So the first day of working, it´s still a bit empty in the room, but next days more working furniture is coming. They are sewing on a "brother" deep sewing machine for sewing applications on leather.
Searching the second hand sewing machines for shoe leather was a
challenge. Which is a good one, which is stable, durable and in good
condition. So here are a view impressions, how it looks like, in the
second hand shops.
After deciding between them, Ilham has to transport a sewing machine.
But he was with his motorcycle, so it has to fit on it. In Indonesia
it´s totally normal to drive like this. :-)
And more things of need Ilham bought, almost transportet the same way. Some the high sewing machine is coming today. We will see how it works and what we can tell you next week.
You can now preorder it with your customize leather colors and sole color in sizes 36 to 47. We make the handmade shoes in our manufactory especially for you according to your color wishes. Of course every shoe has the indonesian map on the sole. Sneakers you must have! 
