Adrian Gan comes into his own

Text by Asniar Sahab

JAKARTA (JP): From a start as a dressmaker, Adrian Gan is now drawing the attention of the country's fashion world. His designs, reflecting his fine, innovative techniques of crooked patterns and cutting, were displayed at the Regent Hotel in South Jakarta earlier this month.

He may not be a top name among the public, but his regular customers know him as quiet and hard-working, with a meticulous attention to detail on his evening gowns.

In 1982 he moved from Sukabumi, West Java, to Jakarta, where he studied at Susan Budhiarjo fashion school. He took part in a design sketch competition and won first prize.

Relying on his talent, the formal education he got from Susan's school, several years' experience in the fashion world and his limited capital, Adrian opened his dress-making business in Sunter, North Jakarta, in 1986.

Adrian has pursued his career as a quality dressmaker, especially for exclusive evening gowns. As the years have gone by, more and more women came to him to have their dresses made (his regular clientele includes members of several prominent business families in the country).

After 15 years in the business, Adrian, despite his ability to make his own designs, has never claimed to be a fashion designer. Instead, he always identified himself as a dressmaker. However, a meeting with fashion designer Eddy Betty encouraged him to hold a solo fashion show. It took him six months to prepare the show.

"I have a good collection of cloth as I usually buy it when I go to the States and Australia. Then I will usually go to Paris to buy better quality cloth. I took it all upon myself, from creating the concept of the design up to detailed finishing of the gowns," he said after his solo show.

The show was evidence that the local fashion community needs to recognize the presence of Adrian, who displayed 62 haute couture designs. These designs presented themselves as fine alternatives to the luxurious gowns now the objects of competition among fashion designers.

While the style of the lines he made in his designs showed the influence of Sebastian, Didi Budhiarjo and Eddy Bety, the way the designs were created, his pecah pola and cutting techniques, including his excellent knowledge of the materials and the accessories he chose, demonstrated Adrian's class and high taste.

His creativity in combining the feminine style of the 1920s with the boisterous look of the 1980s distinguishes his designs from his counterparts. His collection is interesting because the gowns are made with materials which are processed with a special technique in contemporary coloring. He also uses fine silk, chiffon, lace, taffeta and genuine leather to ensure that the gowns give an impression of glamor, femininity and modernity.

Adrian said he titled the show "Unfinished" because in the process of creating his works he was haunted by restlessness and dissatisfaction. These two feelings, fortunately, inspired him when creating his designs. Elegant gowns with feminine cuts and tight silhouettes revealing the shape of the body were exhibited, along with unfinished gowns showing other parts of the body.

"What I meant to say is that we should not be overly concerned with perfect finishing. I, for example, have introduced a sewing technique usually used for materials with a crooked pattern in the form of a handkerchief. In some cases, I have gone as far as to damage the materials to get an aesthetic and unique effect," he said.

His gowns have a different look from haute couture pieces in various colors. His strength, persistence and seriousness in processing all his designs give enough room for him to show his excellence in the highly challenging fashion world.

His solo show brought him good fortune, with about 40 percent of the dresses sold after the show. With a boost to his confidence in his designs, Adrian is resolved to put the management of his business in better order. He has vowed to attend fashion shows organized by fellow fashion designers and promised to stage an annual show. He has now made his appearance and proclaimed himself a fashion designer. His designs show he fully deserves the title.