Manhattan Beach's Kasih Co-op Uplifts Indonesian Artisans
Mar 18, 2025 10:15PM ● By Jeanne Fratello
(Manhattan Beach's Ivana Darmawan models a scarf from her Kasih Co-op collection. Photo via Kasih Co-op.)
Kasih Co-op, a Manhattan Beach-based company run by resident Ivana Darmawan, is making waves with its handcrafted works from Indonesian artisans.
The company, which partners with Indonesian artisans to produce authentic handcrafted clothing and household items, now sells its products in more than 70 shops across the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Kasih Co-op was also recently selected to participate in NEST's 2025 Artisan Sustainability Accelerator, a program that helps small entrepreneurs strengthen their business operations and support their workers and communities.
Darmawan started Kasih Co-op in 2012. (The name Kasih means "love" or "care" in Indonesian.) She has lived in Manhattan Beach since 2016, and is the parent of two children at Pennekamp Elementary. ("We love it
here since the kids get to walk to school and walk with the neighbors," she says.)
While Darmawan was on a recent trip to Indonesia, she corresponded with MB News about her growing business.
MB News: What does Kasih Co-op do, and what are the products it sells?
Darmawan: My vision for Kasih Co-op is
to partner with Indonesian artisans to create authentic handcrafted
pieces into your home. We design our pieces here in Manhattan Beach and
we work with our artisans in Indonesia to create hand dyed batik
bandanas, kimono robes, napkins, handwoven Ikat pillows, throws, and
handmade wooden tableware. I'm most excited that our products are all
handcrafted; for example, our batik bandanas, scarves, and robes are made
from white 100% cotton fabric that our artisans then hand-stamp with hot wax, dye in color and hand-draw using
a canting batik tool before processing in a second color. The fabric
is then sun-baked and boiled off to showcase the patterns.
MB News: How often do you make trips to Indonesia?
Darmawan: I try to make trips to Indonesia once every few years, although we have
been visiting Indonesia one a year for the past three years. I grew up
in Indonesia, and moved to study at UCLA in 2003. My family is still in
Indonesia and I have two kids, ages 8 and 10, so we visit
my family in Indonesia while I make a trip to work with our artisans
there.
MB News: How many artisans do you work with?
Darmawan: I work with 18 different Indonesian artisan partners and over 50% of
them are women-owned businesses. I typically create new designs and
product launches with a few artisan partners; however, from time to time I
reach out to new artisans to add new product offerings and launch new
products. I work with artisans from Jakarta, all over Java, Bali and Sulawesi in Indonesia.
MB News: Where can people buy your products?
Darmawan: Our products are sold online on www.kasihcoop.com. In Los Angeles, we have two showrooms where our products are displayed. One is at the Deco Building showroom on Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles that features Indonesian handcrafted products; the other is at the Indonesian Trade Promotion Center Los Angeles, also on Wilshire Blvd in Los Angeles. Our items are also carried in various boutiques and museum gift stores.
In Los Angeles, you can find our hand-crafted items at UCLA Fowler
Museum Gift Store, at Gifted Los Angeles gift shop and at Homage gift store in Pasadena. Our items are carried in 70+ other boutiques and gift stores across U.S., Canada, and Europe.
MB News: Can people order directly from you in Manhattan Beach?
Darmawan: I
can hand-deliver our items for customers in Manhattan Beach within
one business day if the customer prefers, they can just leave us a note
on their order. Or we ship our items within one business day when we
are in town. (Editor's note: shipping is currently paused through March 25 while the team continues its work in Indonesia.)
(All photos are courtesy of Kasih Co-op.)
Manhattan Beach-Based Kasih Co-op [5 Images]
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