Garut Skin Crafts, Poppy Dharsono Yakin Potentially Upgrading

Chairman of the Association of Indonesian Fashion Entrepreneurs (APPMI) Poppy Dharsono

Chairman of the Indonesian Fashion Designers Association (APPMI) Poppy Dharsono stated that Garut's skin ingredients have the potential to advance to class if the skills of the skin craftsmen in the area are improved through training programs.

On the sidelines of the launch of the Indonesia Fashion Week 2025 campaign in Jakarta, Friday, he conveyed the need to change the mindset of the origin of the sale into a mindset to convert leather into added value fashion products.

According to him, such a change in mindset can bring opportunities to increase the income of skin craftsmen.

"Automatically later their lives will be better, and Garut City will be better known," he said.

Poppy said that there are still many craftsmen in Indonesia who have not paid attention to the details of the products they produce, such as the quality of the stitches.

He conveyed the importance of facilities for craftsmen to improve the ability to produce skin products with better quality.

"I don't dare to be a grade A. But not as low as I used to be, but in the middle class," he said.

"Just here we are, so that the price can't be good, like Gucci the price, no, no. Stay here, so it's still interesting. If you continue to pull the production of the road, the important thing is that people get jobs," he added.

Poppy realizes efforts to improve the expertise of craftsmen require facilities and time.

He encouraged collaborative efforts with older players in the skin industry as well as the opening of a nursing study program at universities to improve the skills of skin craft players.

APPMI has opened Piazza Florence to support the increase in the capacity of skin micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Garut and help 700 to 800 skin MSMEs there market products at a decent price.

"With the Piazza Florence, everything that has been curated, I make cooperatives, they sell there. Now, every time they come from Jakarta, the market is not the one in Garut anymore, but the one above," said Poppy.

"Well, I will continue to improve this, that's why I continue to connect with Italy, so that one day they will also move their factories to Garut," he added.