Thin is in for contemporary Indonesian models<\/p>\n
By Dini S. Djalal<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Two models on a Jakarta catwalk, wrapped in
\nslinky slips, are taking a bow. One, a full-figured twenty-
\nsomething-year-old, wears a confident smile as she wiggles past
\nagape admirers. Her colleague, barely out of her teens, struggles
\nto keep her dress from falling off her tiny frame. A woman in the
\naudience whispers, "That girl looks like you can break her bones
\nlike a twig! Thin may be in, but that just looks unhealthy."<\/p>\n
But as the 90s waif phenomenon demonstrates, scrawniness sells
\n-- at least for the dieting public. Kate Moss may have gained a
\nfew pounds on her hips since she burst on the scene as the Calvin
\nKlein clotheshanger, but a glance at the modeling world's current
\nsupernovas -- six-foot Stella Tennant, rail-thin Shalom Harlow
\nand Kirsty Hume -- prove the power of lanky limbs. "Brooke
\nShields in the 1980s was never as thin as Kate Moss. Even male
\nmodels now are thinner too," said photographer Junarta Taufiq.<\/p>\n
The emaciated look has been adopted not only by models, but by
\nretailers. The collections of recent seasons show a major shift
\nin proportions, as designers translate the supermodel uniform --
\nshrunken T-shirts, pencil-thin pants, see-through slips -- onto
\nthe catwalk and into the stores. Spending-spree times for the
\nunderweight, but slim pickings for hearty eaters.<\/p>\n
Some designers say that models are now thinner because they
\nare also younger. "I never had any problems fitting models
\nbefore. Now, even size small doesn't fit some of these girls
\nbecause their bodies are not developed. The clothes just fall off
\ntheir skinny bodies," says designer Ghea Panggabean.<\/p>\n
But now, Indonesian models being thinner is also a sign of
\nchanging times. "Models are basically presenters of clothes, not
\nindividuality. And the trend now is for slimmer clothes," said
\nJunarta. As a photographer, Junarta admits that he prefers models
\nwith "good proportions". Junarta said: "Thin is definitely better
\nthan plump."<\/p>\n
Unless you're a model who has to diet to stay thin, most
\nmodels are naturally thin. But for those prone to weight gain,
\nthere are many ways to keep off the fat. The stereotype of the
\nchain-smoking model is no myth. "Models smoke so they can avoid
\nsnacking," says 26-year-old Luna, a model-turned-actress.<\/p>\n
Exercise regimes are a way of life for professionals, but some
\nweight loss tactics are less conventional. Those desperate for
\nslimmer thighs often turn to an acupuncturist. "Naturalist"
\nDoctor Hembing, who uses "herbalist" science to shed fat off of
\ninsecure models, is a favorite.<\/p>\n
With these less painful methods of weight loss, anorexia has
\nyet to hit the model community -- at least not conspicuously.
\nModels deny that their peers are anorexic, although designers
\nmurmur that some girls are too thin for their own good.<\/p>\n
Bulimia is another matter. Extreme bulimics -- excessive
\nbingers who vomit their feasts -- aren't acknowledged, but mild
\nbinges and crash diets seem to be an accepted lifestyle.<\/p>\n
Even the thinnest models say they eat less before a show. "For
\nthe general public, we may be thin. But for models, the standards
\nare different," says wafer-thin Luna. "I usually gain weight when
\nI travel overseas, then diet when I return," she says. Luna
\nexplains that for catwalk models, their bodies are their most
\nimportant assets. "Even if you don't have a pretty face, you can
\nmake yourself look better with nice hair and better clothes. But
\na good body is essential," she says.<\/p>\n
Luna says the pressure to stay thin is worse for new models.
\nShe herself admits she was much thinner when she first started
\nmodeling. "The new girls are really thin because not only are
\nthey young, but they also try hard to look thinner so they can
\nget in the shows. Once the designers like them, they can relax.
\nBut a lot of them are scared they won't be used," she says.<\/p>\n
Reminders that a few extra pounds mean fewer jobs are ever
\npresent, from designers, show coordinators, and fellow models.
\n"We say to each other sometimes, 'Hey, you're getting fat,'" says
\nLuna. Santi, a 22-year-old veteran of the catwalk, confirms that,
\n"Designers often say, don't get fat." A favorite of designers,
\nSanti doesn't worry about jobs or her weight. "The constant shows
\nkeep off the weight," she says.<\/p>\n
Yet the standard for thinness is less strict for those who
\nhave Caucasian faces. "It's easier for Indo (half-Indonesian,
\nhalf-Caucasian). They don't have to make an effort to get jobs.
\nEven if they have fat legs, they get catwalk jobs, because they
\ncan wear evening dresses that hide their legs," says Luna.<\/p>\n
Veteran model Okky Asokawati, who now heads a modeling school
\nand agency, agrees that Eurasian models now dominate the
\nindustry. "Look at all the ads. The models are all white and
\ntall, with sharp noses. In my day, darker faces were more
\npopular," she says.<\/p>\n
It's these "Indonesian look" models who are struggling to
\ncompete. "Modeling is hard work. If you don't look good,
\ndesigners won't use you anymore. There are always others," admits
\ndesigner Ghea Panggabean.<\/p>\n
Ghea says her criticism is strictly business. "Models sell
\nproducts. They should have good bodies, good skin and nice hair
\nbecause they sell our clothes," says Ghea.<\/p>\n
It's all about the market, agrees batik designer Iwan Tirta.
\nDesigners with a younger market target prefer thinner models, but
\nIwan himself needs fuller-figure models. "My clients can't
\nidentify with these thin girls," he says. Iwan adds that when the
\nmodels are too thin, "their thinness creeps onto their faces so
\nthey look old. They may think they look good, but I don't."<\/p>\n
The problem in Indonesia, says Ghea, is not thin models, but
\nunprofessional models. "Thin doesn't have to look unhealthy. In
\nAmerica and Europe, models really take care of themselves. They
\ndon't snack, they don't eat bad foods. Here the models are pretty
\nand thin, but flabby," says Ghea. Ghea differentiates between the
\nprofessional models and those who aren't so disciplined. "Look at
\nOkky, Vera, and Wiwid. When they're working, they don't go out
\nlate at night, so they don't look tired. They take care of
\nthemselves," she says.<\/p>\n
Okky Asokawati agrees that the problem with Indonesian models
\nis lack of professionalism. They're thin, she says, but
\nshapelessly thin. "When I see foreign models, they're thin, but
\nwith muscle. Our models should improve their professionalism,
\notherwise they can't compete with foreign models," she says. Okky
\nnotes that the peak of her modeling years coincided with the
\nheyday of Indonesian designers. Now that international-name
\nboutiques have flooded the market, Indonesian designers, and
\nconsequently Indonesian models, are stepping down.<\/p>\n
This second-class slot won't improve unless the slack
\nattitude, of both models and the industry in general, improves,
\nsays Ghea Panggabean. "Indonesian culture is quite understanding.
\nIn Europe, the agencies would scream at the girls if they start
\nlooking terrible. Maybe we need the same thing here in
\nIndonesia," she says. Ghea apologizes if her comments may be too
\nharsh, but continues her deadpan advice, "It's a tough world, but
\nit's the truth."<\/p>",
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