City boutiques offer more choice of designer clothes

Rikza Abdullah, Contributor, Jakarta

As the Idul Fitri, Christmas and New Year holidays draw closer, Jakartans are preparing by visiting boutiques and other stores to find casual dresses that will be suitable for different occasions during the holidays.

Their search from one boutique to the next indicates that finding suitable outfits is not easy, considering that clothing, besides its basic function of making sure we're not naked, is also a status symbol.

However, it is worth considering Italian designer Franco Moschino's warning that would-be buyers should not become victims of fashion, not forego their individuality, not let themselves be manipulated by what he called the evil media, and above all, not forget the really important issues in life.

Knowing what boutiques or shops provide what products, therefore, is important in finding appropriate outfits at reasonable prices.

Those looking for clothes from international designers can visit boutiques in luxury shopping centers like Plaza Indonesia and Gajah Mada Plaza in Central Jakarta; Plaza Senayan, Ratu Plaza, Seibu Department Store and Mal Pondok Indah in South Jakarta; as well as Mal Taman Anggrek and Pluit Megamall in West Jakarta. And those looking for dresses from domestic designers can visit boutiques across the city, or they can go to Pasaraya Grande in South Jakarta.

At Plaza Indonesia, for example, there are boutiques selling clothes from such fashion houses as Apriori, Benetton, Charles & Keith, Esprit, Florsheim, G2000, GG-5, Gucci, Gianfranco Ferre Jeans, Giordano, Lee Cooper, Jack Nicklaus, Laurel, Levi's, M)phosis, Mango, Marks & Spencer, projectshop BLOODbros, Nautica, Ojerom, Rococo, U2 and Versus.

Also at Plaza Indonesia is Rumours, which offers clothes from various fashion houses.

"We adopt a multibrand concept," Rumours owner Preethy Melawani told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. "As an authorized dealer, we offer clothing, shoes and accessories bearing the trademark of French fashion house Thierry Mugler and the Italian trademarks Brioni, Etro, Gianfranco Ferre Studio, Moschino Jeans, Trussardi Jeans, MCM, M-Missoni, Leonard and D&G," she said.

Rumours operates a boutique for men's wear on the first floor of Plaza Indonesia and another one for ladies' wear on the second floor. It also has an outlet in Sogo Department Store in the same plaza and another boutique at Plaza Senayan.

Preethy said because she targeted middle and upper-income consumers, she offered personal services such as providing free drinks at her boutiques.

Helen, the store manager at Plaza Indonesia, said the price (including tax) of men's shirts at Rumours ranged from Rp 1 million (about US$1,100) to Rp 3.9 million, trousers from Rp 1 million to Rp 3 million, T-shirts from Rp 1 million to Rp 2.5 million and suits from Rp 14 million to Rp 17 million.

In comparison, the price of men's shirts at the nearby Mango boutique ranges from Rp 450,000 to Rp 1.7 million, trousers from Rp 200,000 to Rp 500,000 and jackets from Rp 600,000 to Rp 1.9 million.

On the same floor is the U2 boutique from Hong Kong, which is geared more toward young people. Prices here range from Rp 100,000 to Rp 275,000 for shirts, Rp 100,000 to Rp 400,000 for trousers and Rp 100,000 to Rp 350,000 for T-shirts.

Clothes for slim young ladies are abundant at the G2000 store on the same floor, at prices of about Rp 180,000 to Rp 300,000 for blouses, Rp 370,000 to Rp 800,000 for pants and around Rp 200,000 for T-shirts.

Dresses and party gowns for larger women are provided by celebrity Dewi Hughes at her Big Boutique on Jl. Kemang Utara in South Jakarta.

Women can also go to Fitting Room on Jl. Cikajang, South Jakarta, which offers garments, bags, shoes, sandals and accessories bearing Prada, Chanel, Christian Dior and Louis Vuitton trademarks.

"We procure our products directly from Paris," said store accountant Meidi. "Our prices, therefore, can be about Rp 100,000 to Rp 200,000 lower than those at other stores."

Fitting Room offers pants for between Rp 300,000 and Rp 2.5 million, blouses for between Rp 300,000 and Rp 650,000, shoes for between Rp 700,000 and Rp 4 million and bags for between Rp 200,000 and Rp 20 million.

Young males and females with a yen for Japanese style can visit De But Pret-a-Porter boutique on Jl. Panglima Polim IX in South Jakarta, where they will find shirts/blouses for between Rp 70,000 and Rp 600,000, pants between Rp 150,000 and 300,000, shoes between Rp 200,000 and Rp 700,000 and bags between Rp 165,000 and Rp 300,000.

"We procure some of our goods from South Korea and Hong Kong and produce some others based on our own designs," said Novita, one of the boutique's owners.

Besides Novita, a model, De But Pret-a-Porter is also owned by Natali, a designer, and Vivi Asmoro, a fashion analyst.

Youth can also find the garments of their choice, created by local designers, at Back Door Boutique, formerly known as NY Clothing Fashion Boutique, on Jl. Ciniru VI in South Jakarta.

The Kanaya boutique on Jl. Patra Kuningan XV, South Jakarta, specializes in providing sexy, super-feminine and glamorous party gowns at prices ranging from Rp 4.5 million to Rp 89 million. Meanwhile, singer-turned designer Ida Royani focuses her business on the creation of Muslim-style dresses, offered at Rp 695,000 to Rp 3.6 million each at her boutique on Jl. Cinere Raya in South Jakarta.

The Cantik Sekali boutique at the Pasaraya Grande department store in South Jakarta presents garments from local designers such as Ghea Panggabean, Carmanita, Widi Budimulia, Denny Wirawan, Susan Budiharjo and Stephanus Hamy. While the Lini Boutique on Jl. Kemang Raya, South Jakarta, with its one-stop- service concept, offers garments of various styles from various countries.