Sebastian Gunawan fashions a new look<\/p>\n
By Agni Amorita<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A man with principle. That's how we should
\ndescribe fashion designer Sebastian Gunawan, who will present on
\nMonday, Nov. 15 his second line collection called Votum at the
\nBallroom in the Mulia Hotel, Jakarta. More than 75 of Votum's
\nlatest creations are set to be shown.<\/p>\n
\"There go my new millennium colors, such as red, pink and
\ngreen,\" said Sebastian, who will also present blue denim in
\nvarious cuts, such as a raincoat jacket in zebra patterns. \"There
\nwill be red, white and black jeans too.\" Sebastian said he will
\nshow pants to pallazos, short sleeves to long sleeves, and mini
\nto maxi dresses. \"I want to begin the New Year with a colorful
\nwarm greeting.\"<\/p>\n
In fact, colorful is his main attribute. The sustained attack
\nof gray for the last two years was unable to persuade Sebastian
\nto become a lavender fan. And that is just a start for the long
\nlist of his unshakable design principles.<\/p>\n
When Jakarta was flooded by the kebaya mania (kebaya is a
\ntraditional Indonesian long sleeved blouse), Sebastian Gunawan
\nmaintained his colorful and modern city look collections. He has
\neven strengthened his well-known European influence, although he
\nhas been forced to cut his budget to buy imported fabrics in the
\nmonetary crisis. Sebastian can drop his price to Rp 150,000 per
\npiece by his minimalist approach.<\/p>\n
\"Being creative is the key word,\" he said. In return,
\nSebastian's consistency has given him a great number of loyal
\nclients that enable him to innovatively invent more creations.
\nThis must be the main reason why earlier this year in the ongoing
\nmonetary crisis, he launched his newest line -- Sebastian &
\nCristina -- and also an expensive bridal collection. He even
\nagreed to help a local theater group by donating some creations
\nfor its performance. Sebastian's first costume designer job
\nstarted last October in the week-long Miss Julie, a classic drama
\nby August Strindberg put on by Jakarta's Institute of the Arts.<\/p>\n
Sebastian spent two months researching the costume for actress
\nInne Febriyanti, who performed as Miss Julie, as well as for the
\nother characters. \"This story's setting was in the Middle Ages so
\nI had to transform it without losing its flexibility to be worn,\"
\nhe explained. For Miss Julie's dancing scene, Sebastian created a
\nsexy sleeveless nightgown that in various publications was
\nsuggested as a supporting element for the success of Miss Julie.<\/p>\n
Born in Jakarta on July 2, 1967, Anwar Sebastian Gunawan or
\nSeba as his friends call him, admits that he adores beauty.<\/p>\n
\"And basically fashion is about being beautiful,\" he said. His
\ninterest in the fashion world began in his junior high days.<\/p>\n
While his schoolmates went to movies after school hours, young
\nSeba went to the Susan Budihardjo Fashion School in Jakarta. \"I
\nwas only 17 when I attended Susan's class,\" he recalled. Then
\nSeba flew to Los Angeles's Fashion Institute of Design and
\nMerchandising in 1988. Later on, as Seba started to take on the
\ninfluences of European style in his works, he decided to pursue
\nfurther studies in Milan. \"I spent two years at the Instituto
\nArtistico Dell' Abbigliamento Marangoni,\" said Seba, who
\ngraduated with distinction for his Fashion Illustrations.<\/p>\n
Milan became his second home. \"I started my professional
\ncareer as a designer there,\" said the former designer for Milan's
\nEgon Von Furstenberg boutique. It was also Milan that introduced
\nSeba to Cristina Panarese, the mother of his daughter.<\/p>\n
\"Cristina was my schoolmate,\" said Seba. \"And we have always
\nheld different viewpoints about fashion,\" said Seba.<\/p>\n
Seba tends to create elegant gowns while Cristina, who used to
\nwork for Radisa For Titolo By Basile in Milan, is fond of the
\nnaughty -- and sometimes the avant garde -- street look. The two
\ndifferent perspectives -- Yin and Yang, East and West -- work
\nwell for both of them. \"It made us realize how we need each
\nother.\"<\/p>\n
The couple were married in 1992 and have made Jakarta their
\nhome.<\/p>",
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