Designers a match for wedding gowns

Designers a match for wedding gowns

Muara Bagdja, Contributor, Jakarta

It wasn't until the end of the 1980s that it became easier to
get Western-style wedding gowns of a good design and quality in
this country. Until then, a bride-to-be had to settle for the
gowns stocked with bridal houses or beauty parlors, most of which
resembled costumes from children's fairy tales.

The dawn of the 1990s saw the debut of several domestic
fashion designers specializing in wedding dresses, such as
Sebastian Gunawan, Didi Budiardjo, the late Kim Thong, and Susan
Budihardjo (who continues to run her own bridal boutique
featuring her designs in a Jakarta shopping mall).

Thanks to the presence of these fashion designers, Western-
style wedding gowns have begun to assume a more sophisticated
look. Their more focused design, techniques and details
influenced the style of wedding dresses in the market, and helped
shape more discerning consumer tastes.

So it is that the wedding dress business is flourishing these
days, while fashion designers are also enjoying this renaissance
at the same time. Didi Budiardjo believes that there is a good
opportunity for the wedding dress business to develop in the
country.

"Every year, buyers can double in number ... for the time
being, I haven't started a special line for wedding dresses; but
the long-term business prospects are quite bright," said the
designer, who first started designing wedding gowns eight years
ago.

Sebastian said that he entered the wedding gown business while
continuing his career as a fashion designer in 1993 after
returning from Italy, where he studied fashion design.

He said that prospects in the bridal dress business were
bright because, throughout 2001, he received orders for some 30
wedding dresses -- quite a good business considering that, as
DIdi Budiardjo noted, the price of a wedding gown may run three
to five times that of a gown for a party.

Several factors lead some of us to prefer to have our wedding
dresses made by a fashion designer, instead of being bought off
the rack.

First, the bride-to-be wants a wedding dress that really fits
her figure, and is made by an expert.

Another factor is improved public appreciation for wedding
dresses.

There is now a better understanding of the role of the
designer: the fashion designer does not merely make a dress to
order, but plays an important role in fielding ideas and
providing input.

The practice of throwing grand wedding parties at hotel
ballrooms with guests numbering in the hundreds or thousands is
one important reason why brides want to stand out on their
wedding days.

One factor adversely affecting the business is that women are
now choosing to get married at a later age, especially in urban
areas.

"At present, women prefer to complete their studies first,
pursue a career, and then get married later. The result is that
the number of wedding gown consumers has gone down slightly,"
said Sebastian.

When they finally do make it to the altar, what style do they
like? "Indonesians prefer classic-style wedding dresses. The safe
one remains their main option. It means a wedding gown with a
wide skirt," said Didi.

As for the upper-body part of the dress, a bustier look is now
very much in vogue. Of course, the gown should look radiant with
beads, crystal or flowers as added accessories. A three-meter-
long veil with a simple touch of beads is also deemed
fashionable.

Like an evening dress or a ballgown, special meticulousness is
needed when making a wedding dress.

"We assume a big responsibility to make a perfect wedding
gown. So all elements -- starting from the style to the material
and ending with the execution -- must be flawless," Didi said.

A good knowledge of character as well as the figure of a
bride-to-be will determine the perfection of a wedding dress, and
ensure that she will look herself while wearing it.

The making of a wedding dress must also be technically
perfect. A wedding dress with a wide skirt should be fully blown
and, at the same time, light as possible so that the bride will
not feel heavy in it.

"Model used to wearing wedding gowns on a catwalk sometimes
find it hard to wear their own wedding gown during their weddings
unless -- the gown is perfectly made," said Didi.

He said that it took him three to four years to be able to
perfect wedding gowns to his own design.

Although this business is promising, it is not constraint-
free. The most frequent problem is how to marry the wishes of a
client with those of a designer. Generally, when a bride-to-be
comes to a designer, she already has her own design in mind.

"Once, a young girl came to me and asked me to make her a
wedding gown based on Vera Wang's design, as she wanted the gown
to look international," Sebastian said.

"Unfortunately, people usually forget that, in the U.S., a
wedding party is usually held in a garden or limited space for
about 300 guests," he added. "Here in Indonesia, it is held in a
spacious hotel ballroom and, for this reason, the wedding gown
must be made so the bride will not be dwarfed by the spaciousness
of the setting."

It also takes time to complete a dress.

"For me, a wedding gown is like a flower. It must blossom at
the right time. In Indonesia, the humidity level is high, so
materials such as duchess satin do not stand up well," Didi said.

"Besides, the dusty air will leave a spotlessly white fabric
easily soiled. It means that wedding preparation must be made as
quickly as possible -- while the making of the gown takes a long
time," she added.

Still, despite the constraints, fashion designers get their
greatest satisfaction when the bride-to-be also feels content
with the gowns they have designed.

"I was happiest when I made a red Western-style wedding gown.
At that time, the main theme was Chinese, so all the decorations
were red, with a touch of gold," Sebastian said.

Didi Budiardjo and Sebastian Gunawan do not really feel
worried about the current competition among wedding dress
designers and makers. Each of them has their own market.

"Those with limited resources can rent wedding dresses, while
well-off prospective brides can choose their own fashion
designer," Didi said.