A showing of Australian fashion

A showing of Australian fashion

By Veronica Soediro

JAKARTA (JP): It was a perfect setting. Beautiful paintings by
Donald Friend, an Australian artist spellbound by Balinese
culture, were displayed around the residence of the Australian
ambassador on Jl. Teuku Umar in Central Jakarta. The relaxed,
friendly ambiance united with beautiful people in beautiful
clothes made time fly by too swiftly. The Australian Fashion
Extravaganza successfully won the audiences' favor.

The fashion show on Wednesday was as a follow-up to the major
cultural and trade promotion late last year called Australia
Today Indonesia 94. The event promoted Australian fashion and
paintings and was followed by a chamber music concert at the
Australian embassy on Friday.

Entitled A Showing of Australian Fashion, the show was
embellished by designs from Carla Zampatti, Maggie Shepherd and
Teena Varigos, all of who are internationally recognized
Australian designers. The ambassador's wife hosted the event. The
most well known designer amongst the three, Carla Zampatti, was
absent.

Classy, sexy, cool

Carla Zampatti's Summer Story is a career woman's haven. It
ends the "what am I gonna wear" routine. The collection isn't
terribly original, but Zampatti has a unique touch in
effortlessly making women look classy, sexy and cool. Many
designers create elegant interchangeable pieces like hers, but
only a few do it well. Zampatti's mix and match outfits, as
described by her representative, can be worn to the office or
boardroom and then be made quickly suitable for an after-five
function with a scarf and some discreet jewelry.

Zampatti also produced a range of stunning evening wear while
maintaining simplicity and elegance. She designed the evening
wear to fit any body size -- thoughtfully including those of us
who do not look like coat hangers. Natural fibers like silk,
cotton, wool and linen created a smart and elegant look. The
price range of A$500 and upwards is affordable for the target
market of middle and upper class businesswomen.

Nonetheless, for those who are wild at heart, this collection
is dull. The clothes are alluring, but they wouldn't turn heads.
Some show enough flesh, but not enough for the exhibitionists,
and the natural colors are a torment for modernists. Wear
Zampatti's clothes and you play it safe. But then again, Carla
Zampatti clearly states that her designs are a reflection of
herself and she certainly isn't Ms. Let's-Shock-People Madonna.
Anybody can wear Zampatti.

As one of the most influential designer in Australia, the
Italian born designer has been awarded the Medal of Australia,
one of the country's top distinctions, for her contributions to
the fashion and business worlds.

The designer who has been to Bali twice is the most daring of
the three. Maggie Shepherd uses vibrant and strong colors in what
she describes as "my infamous patchwork design". She combines the
colors of red, gold and blue with other bright colors in making
big loose jackets and other loose clothes without sacrificing
glamor. With highly original designs, Shepherd promises to make
her creations different. Her patchwork designs, mostly in silk,
are off-limits for matching outfit lovers.

Her clothes are not only for the young, the combination of
seaweed green and gold with floral patterns would look stunning
on women of all ages. Not many clothes have the same impact on
different generations.

Asked about the competition in Australia, she answered, "Good,
there is a lot of it; it provides more variety." She also pointed
out that Zampatti's, Varigos' and her designs are of very
different.

The Canberra-based designer was awarded the Order of Australia
in 1991. It is now the highest award for public life in Australia
replacing the Commonwealth awards bestowed by the British
monarchy.

Teena's racewear

Clearly infatuated with hats, Teena Varigos designs flattering
hats that can make a simple black dress look three times more
extravagant. Strictly for special occasions like weddings and the
Melbourne Cup.

Varigos admits to a Chanelly influence and prefers to design
structured, fitted clothing which reveals body shape. Combined
with her hats, only a confident woman would be bold enough to go
out in public in the dreaded little black dress topped with the
race-day hat. Nevertheless, Varigos insists that one does not
have to be a size ten to look good in her low-cut above the knee
clothes. A larger size person would still look good in her
clothes and be courageous enough to walk out the door (Yes, the
jackets do cover a lot of sins).

Varigos believes that Australian designers are just as good as
Europeans. "You'll get the same line and quality clothes for a
bargain." She explains that her most expensive outfit cost
A$1,000 whilst similar European clothing would cost at least
US$2,000.

Varigos used to export her designs to an Indonesian boutique
in Jakarta six years ago. However, after the owner fell ill and
closed down the shop, she stopped exporting to Indonesia. "What
I'd like is ideally that we have an agent here (Jakarta) that we
could send our line to," she said.

She is also a winner. Varigos won the Designer of the Year
Viewers Choice Award in the 1995 Fashion Industries of Australia
Awards for her Ebony and Ivory Racewear Story. She also won the
Ladies Classic Racewear Category in the 1995 Melbourne Cup
Carnival Oaks Day Fashion Competition.

Special praise must be given to the volunteer models. The
models lead private lives in Jakarta at the moment, either as
wives of businessmen or as employees at several embassies. One of
the models is a diplomat herself. It was refreshing to see
ordinary people in normal clothes. Nervous smiles were far better
than the cute professional smiles seen too often on the catwalk.
We were spared from overdone hip swaying and the "I'm so cool"
attitude.

The three designers targeted their collection at career women,
with emphasis on practicality by dressing-up or down to suit
their lifestyles with accessories. They admitted using imported
fabrics apart from the Australian wool. All the designers also
expressed a desire to expand their market into Asia, especially
into Indonesia's fast growing economy. As Teena Verigos
explained, it is more convenient to trade with Australian
companies as they provide a much closer destination -- only four
hours to Perth -- providing a more practical way for Asian
importers to index their orders. However, there is still a long
way to go for Australian fashion in Indonesia.