Kasih Co-op

Kasih Co-op is a sustainable, handmade American accessories and home label, founded in Manhattan Beach in 2012 by Ivana Darmawan. Darmawan grew up immersed in Indonesian culture before attending UCLA, and after college she followed her passion for traditional crafts and her desire to empower women artisans. Kasih means love or care in Indonesian, while Co-op refers to the collaborative groups of makers the woman-owned business works with. The range includes hand-dyed batik bandanas, scarves, head wraps, kimono robes, napkins and other textiles, all designed in the US and made in Indonesia. The brand began with batik jewellery and ikat poufs before evolving into hand-dyed textiles and wooden goods, with pieces made from natural, soft cotton. Each batik piece is crafted by hand using traditional wax-resist techniques, stamped with copper plates or drawn with a canting tool. Kasih Co-op supports 18 artisan partnerships across Java, Bali, Sulawesi and Jakarta, over 80% of them women-owned, and ensures every artisan is paid fairly. Darmawan was a participant in the Build a Nest Sustainability Artisan Accelerator, and one of the brand's batik bandanas appeared as a prop in Idina Menzel's Broadway musical Redwood.