Menswear: Let's hear it for the boys<\/p>\n
Muara Bagja, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
It is a woman's world when it comes to Indonesian fashion. They
\ncan take their pick from a rich assortment of apparel available,
\nand in particular the market for luxurious evening gowns from the
\nmany designers catering to their needs.<\/p>\n
But the other half has been left empty-handed in the fashion
\nstakes. Even when a piece of menswear bears the "Made in
\nIndonesia" label, it's usually a casual or office shirt churned
\nout by the millions from a garment factory assembly line.<\/p>\n
Made-to-order clothes are limited to batik shirts or suits for
\nformal wear, and there is really nothing made locally that is
\nstylish enough for a man to don for hanging out in a cafe or
\nclubbing.<\/p>\n
The lack of attention to menswear cannot be explained away by
\nsaying the local design scene is still finding its way. In the
\n20-odd years since Indonesian fashion began its development to
\nreach a wider market, the few designers who have put out a men's
\nline have done it as an accompaniment -- an after thought in some
\ncases -- to their main women's collections.<\/p>\n
That may be changing as designers wake up to the potential in
\nthe market, including the much-trumpeted international rise of
\nthe "metrosexual" -- straight men who care about their appearance
\nand are willing to shell out cash for clothes and skin-care
\nproducts.<\/p>\n
Ten designers, along with two garment producers and a
\nboutique, showed what they have in store for men at the Male
\nFashion Trend 2004, held at Alila Hotel in Jakarta over two days
\nat the end of August.<\/p>\n
The opening day saw designs presented by Samuel Wattimena,
\nJazz Passay, SOE by Ratih Soe, Susie Hedijanto, Vincent Fak, Yivu
\nBoutique by Julie and Dhedy Rizaldy. On the second day, Taruna K.
\nKusmayadi, Malik Moestaram, Ian Suhadi, Levi's, Nautica and Vick
\nVan Monsieur showed off their collections.<\/p>\n
"I invited several designers to join this show," said Samuel,
\none of the country's most prominent designers who took the
\ninitiative for the event.<\/p>\n
"Some of them have produced men's apparel for quite some time,
\nwhile some have just started this side of their business. In my
\nopinion, there is actually a good market for clothing for men."<\/p>\n
He noted the growing interest in style among men in urban
\ncenters, and that for most, looking good is a requirement.<\/p>\n
"More and more men are making TV appearances on various
\noccasions, ranging from talk shows to TV films," he said at the
\nnews conference held prior to the show.<\/p>\n
"We organized this fashion show to inform the public that
\nthere are now a number of designers that specially design
\nmenswear."<\/p>\n
Although the designs blended inspirations from different
\ncultural elements, two definitive fashion styles emerged.<\/p>\n
Some designers looked firmly to the East, coming up with
\nkimono-style shirts, shirts with batik motifs, sarongs and black
\nvelvet rimless caps, similar to traditional Indonesian peci.<\/p>\n
Others took the advice "go West" to heart, with designs taken
\nfrom the fashion lore of cowboys, rock culture and hippies.<\/p>\n
Yet even the latter designs were truly "local" at heart,
\nselecting elements from international male fashion trends and
\nadapting them to the tastes of local consumers on the designers'
\nown terms.<\/p>\n
"To enjoy these collections, set yourself free from any
\nreferences," Samuel said. "These designers are presenting their
\nown collection that meets their own needs."<\/p>\n
Or, as designer Taruna put it, it is a breath of fresh air for
\nthe heretofore staid menswear scene.<\/p>\n
"Usually, we see men come to a party donning a batik shirt or
\nwearing a suit. It's sooo boring."<\/p>\n
Now there are choices galore for the boys.<\/p>\n
For ethnic elements, look to Samuel's designs, such as the
\nkimono-style loose shirts on Tuban woven textiles, Makassar silk
\nand woven fabric from East Nusa Tenggara.<\/p>\n
Jazz Passay borrowed from the Ujung Pandang style: a suit, a
\nshirt and silk sarong with a rattan rimless cap, while Ratih Soe,
\ntaking historical inspiration from King Mulawarman from the
\nkingdom of Kutai in Kalimantan, used a sequined Lycra T-shirt
\npaired with a sarong.<\/p>\n
Susie Hedijanto presented shirts with motifs representing the
\nreliefs of temples, shadow puppets and ancient maps. Ian Suhadi
\ntapped the beauty of woven fabric from Garut, West Java, with
\ncollarless casual shirts and loose trousers.<\/p>\n
For men whose tastes run to the more modern, Dhedy Rizaldy's
\ncollection, including shirts with details on the seams in the
\ncowboy style, would suit them just fine.<\/p>\n
Vincent Fak was inspired by the dark and beguiling fashions of
\nrock stars, with all-black clothes made up of a combination of
\nleatherwear and embroidered items.<\/p>\n
In the hands of Malik Moestaram, hippie chic came alive in
\nhemmed shirts with embroidered flowers. As for Vicky Sutono and
\nArifan Mas, the design team of Vick n Van Monsieur, kites were
\nthe inspiration for white shirts and white trousers, featuring
\nmany attractive seams and pleats.<\/p>\n
Yifu Boutique by Julie showed youth-oriented streetwear,
\nsending models down the catwalk in T-shirts and ripped jeans, as
\nwell as the softer look of a cream shirt and pants for a low-key
\nnight out on the town.<\/p>\n
It's inevitable that the collections are exclusive because
\nthey remain limited in quantity, but Samuel hopes such events
\nwill bring more prominence for Indonesian-designed menswear.<\/p>\n
"Today we have the lifestyle, the need and the garment
\nproducts. We only need suitable sales outlets," he said.<\/p>\n
It was a pity that while showcasing menswear is a great idea,
\nchoosing the venue of a club with poor lighting and an ill-
\ndesigned catwalk failed to do justice to the fashions.<\/p>\n
"We aren't confident enough to hold this show in a star-rated
\nhotel," Samuel said, noting that this is planned as an annual
\nevent.<\/p>\n
"We were afraid that the audience would be very small and we
\nalso wondered whether this show deserved an upmarket setting."<\/p>\n
Valid concerns, perhaps, but it will take some more bold steps
\nbefore menswear gets the respect and the place it deserves on the
\nlocal fashion scene.<\/p>",
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