A kaleidoscope of fashion in 2001

Muara Bagdja, Contributor, Jakarta

The journey of the Indonesian fashion industry, with Jakarta- based designers remaining the trendsetters, gives reason for optimism on the one hand but cause for concern on the other.

Competition between local and international fashion brands still color the business. Designers have the opportunity to survive by catering to the upper-class market with its many consumers who are willing to spend.

That was the defining picture of fashion through most of the year.

It was only after mid-year that there was a bit more optimism, with an increasing number of solo fashion shows, probably the most since the monetary crisis hit the country in 1998.

There was Sebastian Gunawan with his glamorous gowns, Didi Budiardjo with his collection inspired by the richness of Sumatra, Poppy Dharsono with her new, spirited designs, Stephanus Hamy delving into Eastern themes, Widhi Budimulia displaying his simple elegant style and talented Carmanita turning her hand and head to pieces cultivated from Papuan culture.

The young design team Urban Crew came out with their designs owing much to 1940s' pilot culture. Oscar Lawalata presented his couture collection while up-and-coming Andrea Sutisno silenced the cynics who criticized her as a rich kid dabbling in fashion by showing refreshing floral-inspired designs with a touch of 1920s' flapper style.

Several designers who have only taken private orders in the past made their debut collections, including Adrian Gan and Susi Lucon. Australian-trained Yunita Harun showed promise in her first collection, held in November.

The two Indonesian designers' associations, the Indonesian Fashion Designers Association (IPMI) and the Association of the Indonesian Fashion Designing Entrepreneurs (APPMI), still made "trend shows" part of their annual agenda as their responsibility for the development of fashion in the country.

After an absence of 16 years from the country's fashion world, pioneering designer Peter Sie made a triumphal return by showing a retrospective of his works in conjunction with the launch of his autobiography.

Clearly, fashion, still has its market despite the turmoil of recent years.

Today's fashion shows are neither merely about spending money to present the image of designers nor making a statement about the designers' fashion image and their profession. The fashion show is part of business to embrace buyers, and they have been adjusted to fit consumer tastes.

Since the monetary crisis, consumers, now more discriminating about how they spend their money, are no longer dictated to by the designers.

High-end consumers present the biggest potential as buyers, but even they, with the slump of the rupiah in value to the U.S. dollar, are looking to the more affordable clothes of local designers.

This is reflected in the many Indonesian fashion shows in 2002. Trend shows have converged to shape the style consumers will prefer next year, such as glamorous evening gowns showered in beads, sequins and embroidery, with such adornment being considered added value.

Unsurprisingly, younger contemporary designers like Oscar and Andrea, previously drawn to designing for the teen market, have now joined the ranks of innovators with gorgeous and sparkling attire, which is crafted exclusively rather than mass produced.

While complete collections from casual wear, work suits to gowns were the main highlights of fashion shows until recently, today's shows only feature cocktail and evening gown designs.

This situation is a return to fashion of the 1970s, when garments were not yet produced. A limited circle of women controlled the fashion trends at that time by ordering their apparel from designers instead of buying from department stores.

Most designers had to work hard to compete with foreign brand garments, which were of higher quality and offered more attractive styles. But the opportunities were there for exclusive items and made to order products.

On the down side, the fashion industry today is lacking in creativity. With most designers bowing to the market taste, their collections have not developed properly. Their designs present commercial goods with standard patterns, which are safe and salable. Emphasis is placed on sequins and beads rather than on significant changes in styles or in new and inspiring ways of processing materials.

A divide, therefore, is increasingly obvious between global and local trends, with the former leading to romantic gowns in relaxed, loose forms made of fine and thin material. Shiny elements are being abandoned and replaced by fabric and detailed arrangements like ruffles, cuffs and textures.

Amid the local comeback of elegant gowns, however, traditional clothes like kebaya (blouse) and sarong continue to hold their own as many women still choose them for special occasions. Wasta Prema, an association of traditional clothing buffs, has invited several designers to give a fresh look to traditional attire with new patterns, while processing textile of this type into modern wear.

A number of designers are attempting to put Indonesian nuances into modern products. IPMI's show this year was also dominated by sophisticated ethnic styles. Some APPMI members, too, utilized traditional textile potential to turn out exquisite works.

Obin, for instance, keeps experimenting to enrich batiks and cotton fabrics by presenting texturized textile, including designs with smocking in porcupine-like needles.

The fear of a loss of traditional features is thus unwarranted, because the strong tendency toward global styles is accompanied by an even greater desire to return to local characteristics to ward off monotony.

Designers' business and creative activities in 2002 are likely to follow the same path. Much will depend on whether domestic economic, political and security conditions return to normal.

Such developments should not be seen as a negative side of the industry. While garment products in the past became the favorite of consumers, many designers are now in the exclusive design line as a means of survival and to further boost this, basically, fad trade. The wheel of fashion will continue to turn.