Asmawati, a seamstress, has been overwhelmed with orders, not only from residents of Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi where she resides, but also from people from places like Medan in North Sumatra, and Timika in West Papua. She and her eight employees have had to work extra hard to make the party dresses, wedding gowns, Muslim clothing, office uniforms and embroidered kebaya customers demand.

Asmawati's living room, which doubles as a sew