Lina Berlina // Fashion designer & Lurik lover
My name is Lina Berlina and I am a fashion designer from Indonesia, living in Berlin. I started my journey in Berlin as a community tailoring teacher, so I know the challenges for a Woman of Color starting a business here. I remember feeling sad when I first came to Berlin in 1993 because people looked down on me for my heritage. I wanted to show them that I am a strong, capable person. Now, I have an established fashion line in Berlin.
Since I first developed my fashion line in Berlin, I have had a passion for “The Magic Striped” cloth from my cultural heritage called Lurik – a traditional Indigenous Javanese hand-woven cotton fabric, all forgotten several decades ago. I want to give Lurik a new face, interweaving modern design and the mysticism of Javanese traditions.
My life commitment is to introduce people to my culture through my designs; to show that my roots are rich in culture, and beautiful. I am proud of where I come from and I would choose to wear my Lurik over any famous brand in the world.
I would like to support other Women* of Color through my work, to show them that their heritage is beautiful and that they are strong. We can talk, share and I would love to collaborate with other Women* of Color entrepreneurs.
