Edward Hutabarat: Keeping cultural riches at center stage
Edward Hutabarat: Keeping cultural riches at center stage
Murdani Usman, The Jakarta Post, Nusa Dua, Bali
Amid the flood of western styles into the local market, Edward
Hutabarat is a holdout who has refused to be swayed by the
fashion current.
Examples of his versions of kebaya (Javanese traditional
blouse), baju kurung (the two-piece attire originating from West
Sumatra) and baju bodo (colorful silk blouse combined with silk
sarong from South Sulawesi province) were beautifully presented
at Nusa Dua Beach Hotel's fashion show last weekend.
Glittering lace kebaya were teamed with elaborate Balinese
songket (woven cloth) or handpainted batik. Other models showed
up in a variety of Indonesian traditional costumes, adorned with
luxurious gold and silver jewelry produced by local goldsmiths.
"In the last six years, I have been exploring and studying the
richness of Indonesian traditional apparel and its social and
cultural backgrounds," said the designer, nicknamed Edo.
Long renowned as an exponent of the kebaya, with his designs
worn by Jakarta's leading women, Edo is intent on preserving the
fashion legacy of the country.
He explored new styles of the kebaya coupled with various
traditional woven textiles from East Nusa Tenggara, Palembang in
South Sumatra, Bali, Makassar and North Sumatra. For menswear, he
presented handpainted batik from Danar Hadi.
There was also a diverse array of accessories, including
intricately designed gold and silver necklaces, earrings and
pendants. One compelling accessory was a large ebony fan from
Kupang in East Nusa Tenggara, adorned with 22-carat gold and
genuine silver and decorated in the kamasan art style.
He is bucking the trend for traditional attire to be tucked
away in the closet and only brought out for special occasions,
such as weddings and family gatherings.
"For me, traditional costumes represent national dignity and
identity. In my fashion diction, they are not ceremonial attire
but a lifestyle," said Edo, who wrote a definitive book on
traditional costumes, Busana Nasional Indonesia (Indonesian
National Dress), in cooperation with the National Museum and the
Ministry of Education.
He reiterated that the majority of his creations do not stray
from traditional designs, but were meant to enhance their beauty.
"What am I doing is to recreate and to present them in
different styles like putting more embroidery to emphasize its
beauty," he said.
Part of his mission is to find out more about the techniques
employed in the different traditional styles.
"I have been traveling across the country to meet with local
craftsmen, young artists and many people just to gain from their
expertise and experience and to share with them," he said.
"I call my collaborations with these artists, craftsmen and
others a process of cultural dialog and interaction. I realized
that this process has had many benefits both for me and those
involved."
One of his obsessions is to expose the works of young artists
and craftspeople in international arenas.
"I want to invite them to some foreign countries like
Singapore, Thailand and even the United States," he said, adding
it was important to enrich their minds and perspectives.
Right now, however, he is keeping things closer to home.
"So far, I don't intend to promote Indonesian traditional
costumes internationally. My obsession is to inspire Indonesian
people to be proud of their own traditional attires," he ended.