Founder of Batax Bule, Metrini Weaver believes that thoughtful purchasing decision, no matter how small, grants us the opportunity to learn a story. In such a mass-produced, consolidated retail landscape, we often lose the stories behind the items. Metrini believes a garment, a bracelet, a sofa, a wristwatch is not just a useful product, but also embodies the stories and labor of all the people who helped to create it. 

Her Indonesian heritage (particularly her Batakenese ethnicity), her life as a naturalized U.S. citizen, her abundant curiosity, creativity, entrepreneurial mindset, and dedication to honoring the craft and labor of her collaborators—have opened her eyes to the opportunities we all have to buy things with full hearts, honoring the artists, craftsman, laborers, and earth that make “things” possible. 

She was born in Sumatra, Indonesia, in the city of Medan, and attended the University of Indonesia - the first of her family to attend college - where she earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She has been a researcher and international journalist since 2016, focusing in particular on environmental issues, sustainability, and the global economy. Her passion has been connecting with people and telling their stories and the cultures and landscapes that shaped them. 

When she began attending the Fashion Studies program at Moore College in Philadelphia, she noticed her designs were much brighter than what she was seeing in the city. Her designs always had a strong link to her home country, but were also fused with the more elegant, classic cuts she was used to here in the US.

She began sourcing her materials from Indonesia, traveling home every year to reconnect with her family, her heritage, and the people who create these vibrant patterns, rich woven fabrics, and unique textiles. Because the art of weaving and dying is not being passed from generation to generation as much as it used to be, Metrini is doing all she can to help create a market for this craftsmanship and keep it alive for generations to come. 

Batax, is a fusion of all of the things that made her journey unique and universal, from her mixed culture to her work as a broadcaster for Voice of America. Her fabrics come from all over the islands of her home country, and she has began incorporating jewelry designed by women artisans from all parts of the world that she has visited.

When you purchase a product - any product or one of our designs - take a second to think about the hands that touched it, honoring the connections we have with people from all walks of life through the items we choose to call our own.