Pengembangan Ekonomi Kreatif Kerajinan Sutera di Kabupaten Wajo

Silk development in Wajo Regency is relatively strategic since it involves farmers, opens business opportunities, gives an opportunity for populist economic development, and increases farmer’s income and foreign exchange. Wajo Regency is known as silk producer city in South Sulawesi. Silk weaving activity has been the daily activity of Sengkang Bugis people since their ancestors. The research purposes were (1) to what extent is the characteristic of silk craftsmen in silk craft development conducted in Tanasitolo Sub-district Wajo Regency; and (2) how is silk product development in Tanasitolo Sub-district Wajo Regency. The research was conducted at Pakkana Village Tanasitolo Sub-district Wajo Regency with consideration that the area is one of centers for silk product business development in Wajo Regency. Samples taken were 30 people using purposive sampling. The research results indicate that the characteristics of silk craftsmen in Tanah Sitolo area of Wajo Regency were: 1) Respondents in Pakkanna Village were all female; (2) the highest respondent age (80%) was between 26-50 years old; 13.33% were under 25 years old and 6.67% were above 50 years old; (3) respondent’s family dependents were mostly 5-6 people, which was 36.67 percent; (4) based on experience, most respondents has the longest experiences of 20-25 years, which was 13 percent; and (5) most respondents (50%) had average level of education of junior high school (SMP). Silk craft development had been long conducted but it was in the level of design motive renewal packed with modern motive according to merchants’ order level and consumers’ direct order. The development has been a creative economic-based development.