Sebastian Gunawan: Glitz and glamor for everyday divas<\/p>\n
Muara Bagdja, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Sebastian Gunawan is no pretender to the title \"king of style\".
\nIt's an honor he has earned during a decade in fashion, defined
\nby the sumptuous glamor of his creations which have won many
\nfollowers and created a new genre of Indonesian fashion.<\/p>\n
It was thus wholly appropriate that his latest collection,
\nmarking the 10-year milestone in his career, was called \"glitz
\nand glam\".<\/p>\n
\"The elements of glitter and glamor, when blended with elegant
\nand feminine designs, will eventually produce inexhaustible
\nbeauty,\" said Sebastian, 36.<\/p>\n
At the end of September, some 1,600 guests flocked to the
\nHotel Mulia Senayan in Central Jakarta, with design legend Iwan
\nTirta and celebrities such as singer Titi DJ among those taking
\nthe coveted front-row seats. His loyal clients, fashion
\njournalists and other assorted members of the local fashionista
\nhad queued up to enter the ballroom and receive a souvenir -- a
\nglossy, beautifully presented appointment book with pictures of
\nhis creations.<\/p>\n
From the A-list guests to that attractive book and, of course,
\nthe designs, the event was what the French would praise as a
\nspectacle.<\/p>\n
It opened with models in blouses and skirts, dominated by
\nblack and white embroidery, coming down an orange acrylic catwalk
\nset against a black background.<\/p>\n
That wall was pulled back to reveal a two-story set of
\nwindows, with the models bathed in light and standing in each
\nwindow wearing elegant long-sleeved dresses. In its creativity
\nand ingenuity, Jakarta had seen nothing like it before.<\/p>\n
The ending was no less spectacular: five models, in all-white
\nwedding gowns, stood in the windows as the lights dimmed,
\ncreating a purplish haze. White confetti showered down on them
\nfrom the ceiling, the merging of the festive and esthetic.<\/p>\n
Stunning openings and finales are all well and good, but it is
\nwhat comes in between -- the substance of the show -- that really
\nmatters.<\/p>\n
Sebastian did not disappoint with his 98 designs, which were a
\nfond look back to the styles of the dynamic 1960s.<\/p>\n
\"My mood is dominated by the 1960s era. In the 1950s,
\neverything was regular. You wore gloves and a hat. But then,
\nthere was a revolt and a newfound freedom. The glamor was also
\ndifferent,\" he said.<\/p>\n
For him, this freedom was reflected in simpler designs, with
\nless decorative elements, including his famous use of beads. He
\nfocused instead on the cut and pattern, dominated by a prominent
\nflower motif on soft chiffon.<\/p>\n
Many of his designs were cut below the breast and fanned out,
\nnot in the childlike Mary Quant baby-doll style, but in long
\ngowns with a tail detail or flowing shawl.<\/p>\n
A long dress with a budding green flower motif, for example,
\nwas cut under the bust, with the shoulder strap combined with a
\nlong shawl trailing the steps of the wearer.<\/p>\n
Broad sleeves seamed to the back part of the dress formed
\nsomething like \"wings\", or what the designer termed his \"Batman\"
\nlook. An outsize ribbon was added to the back part of another
\ndress, creating an impression of elegance and coquettishness.<\/p>\n
Freedom was also reflected in his bold design lines, such as
\nin a long dress in the style of the Javanese traditional
\nbreastcloth, with slits on the right and left hips.<\/p>\n
\"I would like to combine elegance and playfulness. The result
\nwill be something with difference and character,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Unlike the rigid features of his usual bustier and ballgown
\ndesigns, Sebastian's new collection, while keeping to the glamor
\nquotient, accommodated a more relaxed design element resembling
\nflapping wings.<\/p>\n
\"I like dressing up a woman whose appearance will reflect
\nglamor and beauty. She dreams of being a diva but does not
\nindulge herself in fantasizing herself to be a film star on the
\nsilver screen. She makes this dream come true in real life, on
\nthe red carpet,\" he said.<\/p>\n
For many of his guests, the most enticing items were the \"ring
\ngown\" and the \"painting dress\".<\/p>\n
The former is made of a series of rings of beads about the
\nsize of the circle formed by our thumb and index finger;
\nSebastian called it his \"Oreo\" gown.<\/p>\n
The rings are arranged in such a way they make up a
\ngeometrically cut miniskirt that fits closely to the body.
\nMatched with a bangs hair-do and knee-high boots, it could have
\nbeen a vintage piece once worn by '60s supermodel Twiggy.<\/p>\n
It was at once cute and fun but with the necessary glamor
\nprovided by all those glittering beads.<\/p>\n
Another dress to impress was the painting gown. He did not
\ncreate it with paint and brush but by using different kinds of
\nlace that formed a rustic panorama of a mountain, grass, trees,
\nclouds, even a house and a flock of sheep.<\/p>\n
He used a patchwork technique similar to the naive painting
\nstyle of folk artists, the irony of this fresh departure from his
\nusual gowns embellished with embroidery, beads and sequins no
\ndoubt not lost on him.<\/p>\n
For it is those gorgeous gowns that have been his trademark
\nsince he opened his studio in Harmoni, Central Jakarta, in 1992
\nwith his Italian-born wife Cristina Panarese, also a graduate of
\nMilan's Instituto Artistico Dell' Abbigliamento Marangoni.<\/p>\n
He launched his debut collection in 1995, bringing the
\nballgown to the Indonesian public and then gaining a new legion
\nof clients when the economic crisis that struck two years later
\nled to well-heeled women turning their attention to quality
\nclothes made here.<\/p>\n
Another factor in his remarkable success is his hospitable,
\nkind and easy-going personality -- a PR dream -- and his ability
\nto get along well with almost everybody.<\/p>\n
He has proven beyond a doubt his expertise at making gowns,
\nbut some fashion observers are looking for him to move on and
\nshow his skills in other design areas.<\/p>\n
\"We hope to see him design something other than his specialty
\nof the long dress,\" said one fashion designer. \"We also would
\nlike to see how Sebastian makes, for example, an attractive suit.
\nThis will show him as an all-rounder.\"<\/p>\n
It is a point well taken in Sebastian Gunawan's development as
\na designer. Yet we must also acknowledge and be proud of one of
\nour compatriots who has made his mark in fashion -- and done so
\nwith grace and respect for others.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sebastian-gunawan-glitz-and-glamor-for-everyday-divas-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}