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.