In 1992 I took the image a step farther, creating a visual representation and a storyline.

A photo shoot at Tugu Hotel in Seminyak placed all emphasis on the mood rather than on the clothes. These photos would define the image of Uluwatu up to present.

I also created a storyline with a press release which still appears on the Uluwatu website today. As has become very common in the last ten years, I anchored the brand by creating a character.

Abercrombie & Fitch have been outstandingly successful recently with this technique, creating an imaginary Australian family history and character for their lingerie line Gilly Hicks. For Uluwatu I actually used a real person, my wife Made Jati, and I created around her a fictional history of the business, of lace in Bali, and the structure of the company.

Without meaning to disappoint Uluwatu fans, this website is about marketing. I feel it is a testament to marketing and image that for some people the imaginary Uluwatu history has eclipsed the true background of the business. But, no, Made Jati did not start Uluwatu with her sisters, there is no real connection between Uluwatu and Balinese tradition, lace work does not have a connection to traditional Balinese handicrafts.

At the same time, I don’t want to say “it is just marketing”. Uluwatu created an image and a product which has fulfilled the needs and dreams of hundreds of thousands of visitors to Bali and reflects and promotes some of the finest of design standards of Bali. In the best sense of marketing, we satisfied our customers and enriched their experiences while providing meaningful employment for hundreds of families in Bali. If marketing can create a new reality out of ephemera, Uluwatu has done just that.