Competition help local designers gain name
Competition help local designers gain name
By Dini S. Djalal
JAKARTA (JP): A satellite dish, a rattan mat and a plastic web: household appliances or the latest fashions?
Both, according to the finalists of the Concours International de Jeunes Createurs de Mode, to be held in Paris in December. Sponsored annually by the Femina Group, the qualifying competition held at the Hilton hotel last Thursday produced ten contestants for the Paris finals.
This year's winners have fierce competition, particularly among each other. This contest is unique because it sends more than one participant to the final stage. Financial constraints on the part of participants have limited the contest to ten participating countries, compared to 24 countries in past years. Each country is allowed up to ten contestants. One winner is then selected from the ten and competes with nine other finalists for the Grand Prix Prize, whose jury will include Parisian designers Sonia Rykiel, Kenzo, and Bernard Perris. The Grand Prix prize is worth 20,000 francs.
Which of this year's ten winners will make it to the Grand finals? Will it be Arifin Mas' "Dayak Iban" creation, a slender column of black mesh, painted chiffon and gold neck brace? What about "the Art of Wayang", by Jennij Tedjasukmana, a luminously- painted gown shaped like a bell, with orange feathers for a bodice and collar? Or perhaps something more obviously "ethnic", like Venny Mulyani's "Barong", a feminine translation of Bali's ornate gold barong costume? Tame fare compared to Sumaryati Djaprie's "Intelligent Network Systems", composed of a map of Indonesia as a mini-skirt and a silver satellite dish as a top.
How does Sumaryati's design meet thee competition's criteria of showcasing Indonesia's culture?
"Indonesia is not only Bali, but from Sabang to Merauke. I wanted to show how the provinces communicate with each other," Sumaryati answered.
Considering the outfit wouldn't fit in your average suitcase, how does it fulfill the other criteria of "wearability"?
"If you take off the satellite, it's a very wearable dress," said Pia Alisjahbana, director of the Femina group.
Margaret Dickenson, one of the 11 juries and wife of Canada's ambassador, added, "You need something that is not just traditional Indonesian," referring to the numerous ethnic- flavored designs on the runway, for example winning designs like Monica Puspitasari's miniskirted "Legong Dancer", or Zainal Muttaqin's Cleopatra-inspired "Rona Kalimantan".
Yet less visibly-traditional designs were also recognized, such as Daniel Hidayat's chic "Borneo": a black swimsuit under a web of black tassels alluding to the rain forest's tangled roots. Yuna Ernanita's "Bunga" perhaps won for its intricate assemblage of gold flowers and grass attached to the lightest, most transparent gauze.
Some wonderful designs that lacked ethnic flavor did not win. Titi Santoso's "Garden Ball" was a gorgeous concoction of crushed flowers atop a grass skirt shaped like a hut, yet you could not pinpoint the inspiration to one ethnic group. "Jakarta Fair" by Jap Denny was a hyperactive science experimentation, with molecule-like billiard balls as headdress and gown decorations. Achmad Taruko's "Transparan Plastik", a ball gown made of colorful plastic folders, was a witty take-off of a space-age Cinderella. They were all great designs, yet fell short of representing Indonesia's culture -- which in this case meant "traditional" culture.
"Traditional" culture, however, was interpreted in distinctly non-traditional ways. Catcalls were heard throughout the show as models sashayed in ever more revealing clothes. Some outfits barely covered breasts, and backs were heavily on display. The body seemed to be the biggest inspiration and a foundation for innovative sculpture.
At least the designers knew what they were sculpting. Another distinction of this competition is its requirement that the designers make the clothes themselves, without tailors or assistants.
"It will be embarrassing if they win in Paris and don't know how to sew," said Pia Alisjahbana.
Another requirement is cash. It will cost each contestant 3,000 francs to enter the competition, and airfare and accommodation is not provided. The Rp 1 million each designer has won so far only covers the cost of their winning designs. The money involved can scare away poor but talented young designers.
That's the nature of the business, says Pia Alisjahbana.
"To go into fashion, you have to be ready to spend some money," she said.
The role of the Femina Group, she adds, is to provide the network for young designers, not to financially support them.
"We contact all the fashion people, the fashion schools. Look at Itang Yunasz or Taruna Kusmayadi, they've won our competitions and now they have a name," Pia said.
Winners of fashion competitions may have gained prestige, but they have not made much money. Unlike the corporate-empires of America's Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren, Indonesia's fashion industry is still made up of small businesses.
"Japan's Issey Miyake became well-known because he had big investors. But here, even Ghea Sukarya (one of Indonesia's most successful designers) is still a small entrepreneur," said Pia.
She concluded that Indonesian designers need one thing to make it to the big league: "We need investors."