Handmade Headdresses to Support Native Balinese Artists: An Interview with Novum Crafts
Q: Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions Daniela! When did you first begin Novum Crafts?
A: Novum Crafts began about 2 years ago.
Q: We love the unique beauty of each Indian headdress on offer through Novum Crafts and understand that you have immense respect for this Native American tradition. Please tell us a little more about your fascination with these headdresses and what they mean to you?
A: When we first came to Bali we were looking for a way to do business to make a living but at the same time wanted to do something to support the Native artists. We came across many interesting products but none were as intriguing as the Native American Headdresses. So we decided to give it a shot. That’s how the whole thing started. From the beginning we did have a pre-existing fascination for Native American culture but actually dealing with the headdresses really ignited that interest.
Admittedly, we have had a lot of positive as well as negative feedback from the Native American community. There are those who think anything Native is exclusively for Native Americans and no white people should wear it. And then there are the more open-minded Natives who love what we do and support our business. For us personally, we simply love the product and the fact that they support indigenous Balinese families. We also love what the headdress represents today in festival culture where it has less of the conventional meaning and instead is an embodiment of the Bohemian lifestyle.
Q: How would you describe your label in just three words?
A: Blissful. Adventurous. Bohemian.
Q: We love the fact that the items you sell have been hand crafted by local gifted artists in Bali, Indonesia and that in turn, these artists are now able to support their families by making a living from their craft. Please tell us more about this?
A: Like mentioned above, when we first came to Indonesia, specifically Bali, it was the country and people we fell in love with. These turned out to be very happy people by nature and also very loving. But unfortunately with no money, financial prosperity such as health care or education was a closed door. We decided we wanted to help them in a sustainable way but of course had to make a living for ourselves. So we really dove into Indonesian culture which resolves around craftsmanship and that’s how we came across the headdresses. Now we are proud to say that a lot of indigenous families make a good living off supplying our company with beautiful headdresses. The perfect win-win situation.
Q: What does an average day in the life of Daniela involve?
A: It involves a whole bunch of emails from various customers with the most different requests. From customizing products to simple queries about how to track their order all the way to wholesale enquiries from Alaska. Then there is the back and forth from the warehouse that involves simple daily chores such as keeping our warehouse clean, tracking our inventory and making sure we have enough supply down the road. And then of course there’s giving interviews with websites like your own (which is less occasional) ;)
Q: Lastly, what would you like to achieve with Novum Crafts in the not-too-distant future; Do you have any exciting, upcoming plans that you would like to share with us?
A: Of course, like every other business we are trying to expand.
To find out more about Novum Crafts and to see their full range of handcrafted headdresses, please visit their website. You can also follow Novum Crafts on Facebook and Instagram. Enjoy!
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Photo credits (in order of appearance): Photographer: Annina Zuber, Cherokee Model: Ylona | Photographer: Dannie - Photography & Digital-Art, Models: Alexandra Prinz and Dragana V. | Photographer: Milan Rosan, Model: Leah E. Morris