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."