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.