Biyan's young at heart collection no youth quake
Biyan's young at heart collection no youth quake
Hera Diani , The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The usual fashion queries about the latest collection from Biyan
Wanaatmadja's teenage line (X) S.M.L. can be answered in two
parts.
Yes, Biyan has yet to lose his knack in creating a line of
youth-oriented clothes that is trendy and modern, yet filled with
intricate details that remain very Asian -- the designer's major
strength.
There is barely another designer who can come up with a mass
market youth line that still remains distinctive and intricate.
However, Wednesday's show gave off the first warning flicker
that Biyan may be running out of gas, something the 48-year-old
designer needs to quickly acknowledge or else risk being trapped
in the stagnation of the same good-but-no-surprises creations.
In his 2004/2005 collection titled "Garage Vintage", he does
not stray far from the comfort zone of his previous collection,
continuing to draw inspiration from a wide range of eras, be it
the '60s or '80s, mixed with today's trends.
It is all about street style -- rough and rugged, shown in an
unfinished look and upside down stitches, as well as ripped jeans
and sewn-on pieces of materials.
The women's collection consisted of boleros, jackets,
miniskirts, mini slip dresses, tank tops and T shirts, as well as
trendy shoes with trendy round front edges. Layers were also a
common feature.
The men's wear offered T-shirts and polo shirts, shirts,
jackets, slim-cut pants and denims. The silhouettes were
slouching and layered.
Biyan still used paper/crispy cotton for fabrics, along with
knits, chiffon, recycled denim, corduroy, twill and linen.
Details are the same old floral embroidery, as well as hot
print, wrinkling, stitches, and drapes. Stripes and polka dots
also make an appearance.
A major difference with the previous collection, perhaps, is
the three dimensional brooches in cute forms of clover.
There were also girlish, childlike motifs of houses and
bearing slogans, such as the sweet "Hello Sunshine" to "Freedom
is a Luxury", or stronger ones like "Stupid People Shouldn't
Breed".
As usual, there were no bright hues in Biyan's collection,
which is something he has to start working on.
Signature color is one thing, but this is a line for young
people. The tag line of dynamic and vibrant do not speak enough
through subdued colors and faded hues.
Gray, brown, smoke pink and natural beige do not scream
energetic. Splashes of colors will not hurt, although jumping
onto the raging bright color bandwagon is not an option.
This was a respectable but unexciting new collection.
Hopefully, it is merely the transitional phase to more daring
creations for youthful consumers.