Pendampingan Cepu Fashion Designer Community melalui Pelatihan Fashion illustration Digital dan Penguatan Komunitas

Abstract

Abstract: The Cepu Fashion Designer Community (Cepu FDC) is a creative community in Blora Regency, Central Java, focused on fashion product development. The community faces limitations in fashion illustration skills and production technology, which remain rudimentary, as well as weak community governance and a lack of a collective branding strategy. This community service project aims to enhance members’ design and management capacities through an international partnership between Sebelas Maret University and Universiti Malaysia Kelantan. The methods employed include participatory capacity building through outreach sessions, batik pattern workshops, training in manual and digital fashion illustration, the application of appropriate technology, and guidance on management and branding—all evaluated using paired pre-test and post-test instruments on a five-point scale. The average paired score of the 12 participants increased from 2.64 to 4.20 (a 59.00% increase), with the highest improvement observed in the area of digital fashion illustration (112.71%). This program resulted in new variations of Blora batik motifs, copper-stamped batik, ready-to-wear collection designs, and institutional capacity building for Cepu FDC, which supports the achievement of SDG 4 and SDG 17.

Abstrak: Cepu Fashion Designer Community (Cepu FDC) merupakan komunitas kreatif di Kabupaten Blora, Jawa Tengah, yang bergerak dalam pengembangan produk fesyen. Mitra menghadapi keterbatasan keterampilan fashion illustration dan teknologi produksi yang masih sederhana, serta lemahnya tata kelola komunitas dan strategi branding kolektif. Kegiatan pengabdian ini bertujuan meningkatkan kapasitas desain dan manajemen anggota melalui kemitraan internasional antara Universitas Sebelas Maret dan Universiti Malaysia Kelantan. Metode yang digunakan adalah participatory capacity building melalui sosialisasi, workshop pattern batik, pelatihan fashion illustration manual dan digital, penerapan teknologi tepat guna, serta pendampingan manajemen dan branding, yang dievaluasi menggunakan instrumen pre-test dan post-test berpasangan berskala lima. Rata-rata skor 12 peserta yang datanya berpasangan meningkat dari 2,64 menjadi 4,20 (naik 59,00%), dengan peningkatan tertinggi pada aspek fashion illustration digital (112,71%). Program ini menghasilkan variasi motif baru Batik Blora, cap batik tembaga, rancangan koleksi ready-to-wear, serta penguatan kapasitas kelembagaan Cepu FDC yang mendukung pencapaian SDG 4 dan SDG 17.