Meet the founder of Stelar, a handbag label that preserves indigenous Bali weaving skills
As tourism in Bali takes off, local artisans are giving up generations-long indigenous skills in favour of jobs in hospitality. Here’s how one social entrepreneur is regenerating craftsmanship and communities, one handwoven bag at a time.
If you visited Bali and didn’t buy a bamboo bag, did you even go to Bali? This ubiquitous accessory might be available at every market and street stall on the island, but not all bamboo bags are created equal.
Ask Lorna Watson, the brains behind Stelar, an accessories brand that works directly with local artisans in Bali to preserve their indigenous skills, heritage and craftsmanship. A collection of handwoven and leather goods including tote bags, belts, wallets and clutches that capture the spirit of Bali, all of Stelar’s products are proudly made in communities, not factories.
“We currently work with 160 different artisans that are located within their own communities in Bali, Lombok and Java,” said Watson, who has a background in fine jewellery and over 25 years of experience in the luxury goods industry. Originally from Scotland, she first came to Bali for yoga 20 years ago and attempted to start a jewellery line to stay longer, but found it extremely challenging to get the project off the ground.
Several years later, as tourism in Bali grew exponentially, Watson realised that many local craftspeople were abandoning their skills and communities in favour of jobs in tourism such as taxi drivers or tour guides.
“I was very saddened and intrigued by this, and decided to investigate out of personal interest,” she said. In 2016, she was introduced to a family in East Bali who were fourth generation basket weavers working with atta grass – a natural plant fibre indigenous to Bali that’s sustainable, water-resistant and can last up to 50 years with proper care.
“As they told me their story and introduced me to their technique and materials – which was extremely precious and durable – I realised that it was actually very similar to working with metal materials [in jewellery],” said Watson. She then decided to design and commission a capsule collection of three bags from the family, headed by artisan Wayan, whose community were living in a refugee camp at the time due to the eruption of Mount Agung.
“It was a way for Wayan’s community to pass the time and earn some money from their traditional skills while they were in the refugee centre,” said Watson, who ended up taking the capsule collection to London and testing it over the summer. “It had an amazing result and sold out within the first month, and that’s how it all began.”
Stelar’s current collection is 60 per cent made from local plant fibres and 40 percent locally sourced leather. “We work with about five different natural plant fibres and nappa leather that are all indigenous to Indonesia. Our bamboo bags are made using a double-layer technique that uses an ancient skill originating in Lombok,” shared Watson. “So, you actually have two bags – an inner and outer bag that's woven together, which makes it much more durable.”
As a sustainability-centred and responsible brand, the choice to use natural leather was intentional. “All non-animal leathers are coated with microplastics and they don't biodegrade, whereas the materials we work with are predominantly naturally biodegradable and surplus to something else that's happening in the industry,” explained Watson.
For example, all of Stelar’s leather comes from Java and is a byproduct of organic farming. “We work with a tannery that’s certified with the Leather Working Group – an international certification that ensures they don't emit any chemicals or waste into the environment thanks to internal filtration systems.”
Today, Stelar is sold online and stocked at luxury retailers including Selfridges in the UK and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong. The brand has also worked with sustainably-minded luxury hotels such as The Legian Seminyak in Bali and Cap Koroso in Sumba to create unique and custom collaborations.
All of Stelar products are still handmade by local artisans, and not just by women either. “During the pandemic, a lot of men actually told us that they wanted to stop working on construction sites and return to their craft by working full-time for Stelar instead,” explained Watson. Doing so would allow them to stay at home, be there for their families, and eventually pass on their skills to the next generation, so Stelar contracted them to do just that.
“That was a really big breakthrough for us as a business in terms of the impact we were creating, and the commitment that we were giving and receiving,” Watson said. “It’s very much a collaborative dynamic.”
For Watson, it was important to create a connection between Stelar’s consumers and its artisans, which is why every item is tagged with a branded disc and unique code. “When a customer enters the code into the website, they are directly connected with the artisan who handcrafted their purchase,” she said. Stelar is currently working on creating a two-way communication where each artisan will have their own wall where customers can post messages about their bag, and artisans can share more news about what’s happening in their community.
As the brand continues to add new products – and artisans – to its collection, Watson remains true to her company principles of community, craftsmanship, transparency and regeneration.
“The name Stelar originates from the Greek ‘stele’, which means pillar or foundation, and the Latin ‘stellar’, which means the best in their field,” said Watson. “So, Stelar is a hybrid of the two, which means to create a pillar for craftspeople who excel in their particular field of expertise.”
And now, thanks to Stelar, these craftspeople can continue doing what they do best for generations to come.