Who's who in the past, present and future<\/p>\n
Muara Bagdja, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Since the country proclaimed its independence 58 years ago, every
\nensuing decade has seen the emergence of new fashion designers.
\nWhile some have disappeared as quickly as last's season's
\ndesigns, others have left a lasting impression on the development
\nof the fashion sector.<\/p>\n
Here we select the legends, and the legends in the making, of
\nIndonesian fashion, from the two sectors of ethnic and nonethnic
\ndesigns.<\/p>\n
Legend (nonethnic)<\/p>\n
Peter Sie: The first Indonesian to formally study fashion
\ndesign and decide to make it his career. The latter choice
\ninspired many budding young designers at a time when fashion was
\nstill looked down upon as a career, especially for men. With his
\nfashion training obtained in the Netherlands, his designs are
\ndistinctly western in style. In a career spanning from the 1950s
\nto the present, he continues to exclusively make designs to
\norder.<\/p>\n
Legend (ethnic)<\/p>\n
Iwan Tirta: No other designer has explored batik better and
\nmore profoundly than Iwan Tirta.<\/p>\n
From a background in law, he began his career as a designer in
\nthe 1970s and can rightfully be called the pioneer in changing
\nthe image of batik. With his efforts and guidance, it has gone
\nfrom the cloth used as a sling to carry a baby was carried to the
\nmaterial for glittering evening gowns and gentlemen's formal
\nattire.<\/p>\n
Iwan also took sacred palace batik motifs and gave them a
\nbroader reach on modern gowns. He is also the first designer to
\nuse batik on silk and chiffon. Prada (gold embroidered) batik is
\nalso considered his creation. But he is changing with the times
\nand tastes, using batik on lycra and cooperating with Royal
\nDoulton to produce plates with batik motifs. "I've done all this
\nto ensure that batik will survive," the 68-year-old designer
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The Present (nonethnic)<\/p>\n
Adrian Gan: He began designing in early 1990 and gained a
\nbroad circle of customers, but it was only in early 2000 that he
\npresented his debut collection. He has been quickly accepted in
\nthe local fashion community because his elegant, glamorous
\ndesigns fit in with the current trends. His patterns are
\nintricate, with many oriental designs included.<\/p>\n
Denny Wirawan: As his designs go along with the major current
\nin local fashion trends, he has gained increasing recognition,
\nespecially because his designs suit women and their bodies.
\nIntrinsically feminine but contoured to the way that most women
\nlook, they are made on soft fabric.<\/p>\n
He graduated from Susan Budiardjo fashion design school and
\ngained experience at Prajudi's fashion house. His trademark is
\nready to wear dresses that are light and suitable for any
\noccasion.<\/p>\n
Didi Budiardjo: Known as an evening dress designer who
\nemphasizes the lines of his dresses and sophisticated patterns.
\nHis designs are unique in that, while remaining strongly modern
\nin style, they are influenced by traditional designs found in
\nsuch areas as Sumatra or Bali. His statement is that evening
\ngowns are suitable wear for Indonesian women and cannot be
\ndismissed as "western" fashion anymore.<\/p>\n
Eddy Betty: Upon his return to Jakarta after studying fashion
\ndesign in Paris, he began his own fashion business. He brought
\nalong with him the bustier, which has since become a favorite
\namong Indonesian women for evening gowns. With its figure-hugging
\ndesigns emphasizing the female form, it resembles the form-
\nfitting kebaya (traditional Javanese blouse), which has also
\nemerged as his design specialty.<\/p>\n
Sebastian Gunawan: When he introduced his ballgown designs at
\nhis debut fashion show in mid-1990, many scoffed that the fashion
\nwould never catch on in the country. However, the Italian fashion
\nschool graduate persisted -- and has been successful in carving
\nout his own niche in the market.<\/p>\n
His designs, created along with his wife, Cristina Panarese,
\nhave emerged as their own fashion phenomenon and inspired many
\nother designers. Titi DJ and Krisdayanti are among the
\nentertainers who have popularized his designs.<\/p>\n
The Present (ethnic)<\/p>\n
Baron Manangsang: He is one of the new generation of pioneers
\nin batik design, which he makes on textured woven fabric with the
\nplay of soft color gradation. With highly refined craftsmanship,
\nhis woven batik cloth is given a touch of beautiful embroidery to
\nmake it not only a functional piece of clothing but also a
\ncollector's item. His collaboration with a number of other
\nIndonesian fashion designers has produced a greater variety of
\nbatik cloth for women to choose from.<\/p>\n
Biyan: Amid increasingly strong influences of globalization in
\nthe local fashion world, he has introduced a new approach to a
\ndress for Indonesian women, marrying oriental elements with
\ninternational-style fashion design. This "East Meet West" finds
\nexpression in gowns marked by touches of craftsmanship, long
\nknown as the trademark of Asian fashion. The ultrafemininity of
\nchiffon dresses with tiny embroidered ornaments and beads have
\nmade them popular among women in Jakarta and Singapore, one of
\nthe places where he markets his works.<\/p>\n
Edward Hutabarat: While many other designers turned to the
\nwest for their influences, Edward stayed true to the kebaya, but
\nrevived for modern times. His success is attributable to the
\nglamorous presentation of the blouse: Laced and brocaded with
\ntiny ornamental roses it is feminine and beautiful, and its
\nsuccess among consumers has led to it being copied by others. His
\npresence is important in Indonesian fashion because he continues
\nto prod Indonesian women to wear the traditional blouse and
\nhairbun despite the overwhelming saturation of evening gowns in
\nthe market.<\/p>\n
Ghea S. Panggabean: All credit must go to her for keeping
\nethnic-style designs at the forefront of local fashion, even with
\nthe swing to ostentatious evening wear. Since early in her career
\nin the 1980s, she has consistently explored designs based on
\nvarious traditional elements. But her strength lies in her
\ntransfer of traditional motifs to printed motifs on modern,
\ncasual designs. A recent honor was an assignment to design a
\nkebaya for Datin Seri Endon Mahmood Badawi, wife of Malaysia's
\ndeputy prime minister.<\/p>\n
Obin: As a cloth designer, she is part of the new generation
\nof batik designers using its motifs in soft colors on textured
\nwoven cloth. Her works are popular among women not only because
\nof their novelty value but because they have liberated them from
\nthe conventional dictates about wearing batik cloth. Thanks to
\nher designs, women are free to wear batik by simply tying it
\naround the body, leaving their hair flowing freely (no more
\nhairbuns!) and giving a more relaxed impression to the fabric.<\/p>\n
The Future (nonethnic)<\/p>\n
Sally Koeswanto: She studied fashion in Australia, but
\nreturned to her birthplace of Surabaya in 1994 and began a made-
\nto-order dress business. In 1998 she moved to Jakarta and opened
\na boutique the next year. To gain greater public exposure, she
\nheld her first fashion show in 2001. Her designs have elegant
\nlines and show a strong contrast of materials, for example, the
\ncombination of leather and lace. She is known as an up-and-coming
\ndesigner of glamorous, elegant clothes. Not surprisingly, singer
\nKrisdayanti is one of her customers.<\/p>\n
The Future (ethnic)<\/p>\n
Oscar Lawalata: He began to attract the attention of the local
\nfashion community in the late 1990s, a timely appearance as some
\nnew faces were sorely needed in the local fashion community. He
\nwas also the second prize winner in the 1999 ASEAN Young
\nDesigners Contest in Singapore. A celebrity in his own right for
\nhis androgynous appearance and interesting personality, his works
\nare defined by uniquely loose and symmetrical patterns. It is
\ninteresting to note his wish to explore Indonesian materials for
\nhis designs, using Makassar woven fabric from early in his career
\nuntil today.<\/p>",
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