The philosophy behind the name is very simple: Lekat means “attached” or “sticking” in Indonesian. That’s what Amanda wants to convey through her brand. Amanda wants Lekat to have a priceless value so that its story will stick with her customers, through and through.
Lekat was born in 2013, but the passion was born before that. After graduating with a degree in Graphic Design from Pelita Harapan University, Amanda entered the jewelry business in 2012. However, due to her domestic responsibilities as the youngest child in the family, Amanda changed direction and began designing clothes. That’s where Lekat began her journey.
Lekat is now a design studio that offers ready-to-wear and custom items. Located in South Kemang, Jakarta, Lekat stands out as an eco-ethical fashion brand amidst the capital’s fast fashion culture. The brand was born from Amanda’s question: If one of Indonesia’s cultural riches is its woven fabrics, why not start there? So she set off for the nearest weaving artisans, the Outer Baduy Tribe, located in Lebak, Banten, approximately 163 km from Lekat’s home in Jakarta. Amanda traveled approximately 5 hours by land to reach the Outer Baduy Tribe, a long journey well worth the effort.
What Amanda learned from the Outer Baduy Tribe went beyond just their weaving technique. Amanda also learned about their resilience, environmental preservation efforts, and their daily lives. The Baduy are one of the most well-preserved indigenous communities in Indonesia, particularly in West Java. Their highly protected and even to some extent, isolated lifestyle differs significantly from Amanda’s own urban life. The Outer Baduy people live a highly organized, harmonious, peaceful, and unique lifestyle. This has resulted in valuable cultural products, one of which is woven fabric. Woven fabric is typically made by women. Besides weaving, the Outer Baduy’s primary activity is farming. This cycle cannot be forced to follow a production timeline, so Amanda must adapt.
The woven fabrics of the Outer Baduy Tribe are renowned for their exquisite craftsmanship and simple motifs. Amanda chose woven cloth from the Outer Baduy Tribe because, apart from its simple motifs making it easier to create and wear, Amanda also thought that no one had brought woven cloth from the Outer Baduy Tribe as a design collection material, because usually other brands always focus on woven cloth from West and South Sumatra, as well as woven cloth from East Nusa Tenggara.
Lekat’s designs are unique and memorable – despite the intention of creating casual styles for everyday wear, Amanda incorporates sustainability into her designs. Seeing the growing concern about textile waste, Amanda didn’t want Lekat’s studio to add to the problem. So, she reused offcuts from her designs and created patchwork motifs to incorporate into her clothing designs. This patchwork has become Lekat’s signature, authentic and recognizable design. Lekat prioritizes customization in each of its designs, allowing customers to create their own unique, exclusive Lekat collection.
To date, Lekat has traveled the world and walked the runway at numerous fashion shows. In 2018, Lekat was one of the Indonesian brands at the TRANOÏ International Fashion Trade Show Women’s Edition at the Caroussel du Louvre in Paris, France. Lekat also graced the runway at Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo in 2019. Using Pable fabrics, Lekat also participated in Plaza Indonesia Fashion Week 2024 with approximately 30 collections.
Lekat’s initial encounter with Pable stemmed from mutual friendship, which later blossomed into a relationship based on shared values: craftsmanship, sustainability, and resourcefulness. Lekat once again trusted Pable for their latest project, a couple’s collection with Adhyakti, Terralogical, Prolog Design, and Plataran Kinandari, which was released on November 12, 2025. Lekat’s experience on working with Pable’s fabric has been nothing short of great. Lekat uses Pable’s fabric such as Herringbone, Twill, and Sekir. Besides how accessible it is, Amanda wanted to add Pable’s story to the equation.
Lekat is a truly Indonesian brand that drives its business from an ethical perspective, both social and environmental. This proves that sincere and noble intentions can produce rich stories.
