Fashion Design and Business students at Ciputra University in Surabaya, under the guidance of lecturer Janet Teowarang, are transforming artwork by children with disabilities into contemporary fashion designs. This collaborative project with the Dmart Tithiek Tenger Foundation in Malang aims to increase the market value and appeal of batik Topeng Malangan created by artisans with disabilities.
The university purchased three batik fabrics made by these artisans and digitized them. The students then redesigned the batik motifs to appeal to younger generations and created miniature garments for Barbie dolls inspired by modernized world fashion history. These miniatures are part of an exploration within the Fashion and Culture course.
The students realized three real clothing collections from the miniatures. On April 26, 2025, these collections were presented to Eko Hardiyanto, Chairman of Commission D of the Malang City DPRD, who expressed high appreciation. The Dmart Foundation now has a sales space for batik artwork created by artisans with disabilities in the Malang City DPRD building. The university hopes this project will increase income for the artisans.