Foundations in the Pants

What drew you to create ILMU Couture?

It all started in 2003 with my martial art practice. I made a pair of silat pants for a friend that year, from a retreat center bed sheet. Once I myself began practicing silat with dedication and regularity, I too needed a uniform. But in 2003 sourcing one was easier said than done - the internet was still relatively infantile, and besides that I lived off grid in a tiny cabin in the woods.

Once I finally got my hands on some kung fu pants, I began to realize the limitations of typical martial art uniforms - they’re designed for men’s bodies. Not a great fit for women. To accommodate our figures and movements we have to size up, but then there is just too much fabric! And often they are made from terrible synthetic fabric that doesn't breathe. The foundation is all in the pants. So, how can we move well, from our center, from our core and foundation, if that foundation is restricted and encumbered by a bad fit and unpleasant materials? So from then on, and especially while I was living at the White Crane Silat school in Indonesia, training all day long every day, I discovered ways to adjust the uniform to make it work better for me. There have been many iterations. I think the current design is my sixth full incarnation of the pants and I like that number. The form has really followed function - a woman’s body, in motion.

Other women began to notice my well fitted uniforms and I began doing custom sewing work - ILMU Couture was born. The demand quickly overcame my capacity and I knew that if my designs were going to live I needed to go into production. I had to wait a while for the right window to open. In 2017, it did.

"The designs are... evolutionary in their genesis and ultimately biodegradable"

I’m proud of what we’ve been able to create as we’ve gone into production. I’m at a place in my life where I can live with full integrity to my ideals, so we haven’t had to cut corners. For example, I’m very sensitive to waste - the amount of garbage we all produce is a big issue for me. Think of the enormous heap of garbage in the landfill with your name on it - from your plastic toys as a child to your outdated technology, your single use plastic anything, your synthetic clothing. We can do better! In designing ILMU Couture, I’ve selected natural, organic and recycled materials that will recycle, compost and biodegrade. Moreover, the designs themselves are timeless pieces whose style will always be relevant. Reducing our footprint even further, our garments are made locally in San Francisco.

What is this word ILMU? What does it mean?

ILMU is the Indonesian word that means science. Science, referring to the process that leads us to our assumptions about the world and our ways of being. In my martial art school we have an important text that talks about “good science” acting in harmony with nature. So my idea is that my designs (especially the pants because they were my first design, the driving force behind the whole line, and have had the longest evolution)... the idea is that the designs are designed for Nature - harmonious with the female body in practice, in motion - organic, mindfully and locally produced. Streamlined by the elements, responding and evolving as information is received - no frills - the fabrics and shapes are naturally beautiful, speak for themselves... Evolutionary in their genesis and ultimately biodegradable.

Who do you imagine wearing the clothes?

I imagine the woman who really resonates with ILMU is a woman connected to her own nature. She knows what she needs to feel whole and it doesn't come from the outside. She is reverent to the vehicle of her body and nourishes and maintains it mindfully. She doesn't need frills or trends because her beauty is timeless and her inner light outshines whatever she is wearing. She’s interested in clothing that frames her essence finely, simply, holistically, functionally - because she herself is the work of art and she knows her own value. And most importantly, she’s a woman with things to do. She moves.

What is the most interesting thing you’ve done in the ILMU clothes?

Ha! Well, that’s definitely: herding alpine goats on a remote mountaintop in Big Sur.

It sounds like you are a mover with things to do! Plans for the future?

Well we’re releasing the pant, the jacket, a headband this spring. Next, maybe a haramaki, a couple of different skirts and a dress that women can throw on for warmth and cover over the ILMU pants. All the pieces will work together to create a timeless wardrobe. A child’s pant, skirt and sweater are on the drawing board. A men’s pant or two. Also, I’m open to inquiries - I started as a couture business and that is how I muse. What do you need for your practice?