Bali Fashion Week due to kick of for fifth time
Bali Fashion Week due to kick of for fifth time
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, The jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali
Indonesia has countless gifted fashion designers whose work compares favorably to many world-class designers. Yet, only a few local designers have successfully penetrated international fashion markets. Many of their creations are only displayed in local boutiques and department stores.
Mardiana Ika, founder of Moda Bali which organizes the annual Bali Fashion Week, is of the opinion that many Indonesian designers are reluctant to take part in international fashion events.
"It is important to promote your creations at world-class venues to attract the attention of buyers, fashion critics and the media," Ika explained.
Ika, whose labels include Hong Kong-based Buttoni, Linea Sanremo, Iccha, Ikabene, added that local designers must create their opportunity to grab a share of the international market.
"You cannot just sit and wait for foreign buyers to pick up your goods," she maintained.
There are a number of talented designers such as Stephanus Hamy from Jakarta. He was chosen as one of Fashion TV's (FTV) favorite designers. Anna Avantie from Semarang, Central Java, won an FTV award recently. Oka Diputra, a young designer from Bali, was also named one of the three promising designers by Dewi women's magazine.
"Our young designers still lack some kind of persistence in pursuing their goals to become world-class designers," Ika said.
The Fifth Bali Fashion Week (BFW) is held to encourage more young designers to take part in an international-scale fashion fiesta. The Fifth BFW, to be held between May 27 and May 29 at the Westin in Nusa Dua resort complex, will incorporate different programs including a fashion show, fashion trade expo, seminar, workshops, buyers' meeting and entertainment.
To exchange views and information on the current world fashion, Ika has invited a number of foreign designers from Russia, Rumania and other countries. Buyers, she said, will come from France, Italy, the Netherlands, England, the Middle East countries, South Africa, the United States, Japan and ASEAN member countries.
"I really expect that those taking part in BFW will gain multiple benefits from these arranged programs," maintained Ika, who is currently participating in Russian Fashion Week in Moscow.
Bearing the theme, One of a Kind, BFW will display Spring/Summer Collections 2005 created by Indonesian designers and garment manufacturers across Indonesia.
In the coming BFW, Ika will also invite local artisans including traditional weavers from all over Indonesia. "Our country has a rich textile tradition. We plan to include exhibitions of traditional textile-making to encourage young people to learn more about their ancient heritage," said Ika.
Held since 2000, BFW has now become a forum for designers, textile producers and local as well as international buyers.
"Foreign buyers already put BFW in their annual agenda. It also has become an activity that boosts the tourist industry in Bali and in Indonesia, in general," she added.
The annual fashion event, fully supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and The National Export Development Agency, is a combination of art, trade, education and entertainment.
Ika said a lot of designers took part in the last four BFW events, but she admitted that only a few of them attracted the fashion taste of international buyers.
"Most of them displayed outfits with heavy and complicated fashion flairs, which -- for the time being -- does not fit with the buyers' taste and international fashion market trend," Ika explained.
Domestic designers must learn the market demands, which change rapidly in accordance with seasons and trends. "Yes, we have to be creative and innovative, but we should also create marketable products, otherwise all of those clothes will end up in boutique's storage closets," said Ika, whose labels include Buttoni, Linea Sanremo, Iccha and Ikabene.
It is high time for Indonesian designers to improve their design skills and to widen their knowledge and information on "what's in vogue" in the international fashion scene.
"But, we have to work very hard to improve our products, including design, materials as well as management and marketing systems," Ika added.
Data shows that BFW III and BFW IV attracted a significant number of domestic and foreign buyers with total business deals amounting to Rp 8.5 billion (BFW III in 2002) and Rp 13.6 billion last year.