Fashion 2003: An elegant show of force from local designers

Fashion 2003: An elegant show of force from local designers

Muara Bagdja, Contributor, Jakarta

The past year gave reason for optimism in the fashion community.
No fewer than 10 designers showed annual collections, a
remarkable development since the monetary crisis hit the country
in mid-1997.

Each of the designers had their own particular market, and
they put together innovative, quality shows, more evidence that
the Indonesian fashion world has its dedicated followers.

Creativity-wise, there has been an increase in quality with
the emergence of collections that are beautiful in terms of ideas
and execution. The designers have improved in terms of technical
exploration, designs of the dresses and rich details. It comes as
no surprise, therefore, that many of this year's collections
conform to global standards.

Members of the Indonesian Fashion Designers Association
(APPMI) also displayed works that demonstrate greater maturity
and neatness in terms of concept, design variation and technique
than previous years.

Their collections may have been a show of force of sorts, a
reaction to the preference for local consumers to buy foreign
brands, prodded by the media's espousal of a global community and
that the way we dress is all part of belonging.

Garments produced by Indonesian designers get little attention
from middle-class consumers, the real target market for ready-to-
wear. This group instead shows an increasing penchant for low-
priced, fashionable garments from China, Korea, Hong Kong and
Thailand.

Designers have raised the stakes, looking now to upper-income
consumers who can afford to pay at least Rp 1.5 million for an
outfit.

Understandably, fashion trends cannot reach all sections of
the community. But the hands-down winner in popularity is the
evening gown, with many designers now focusing on this as their
money-spinner. Want a stylish suit? A fashionable but casual
dress? You will find yourself empty-handed if you search the
racks of Indonesian designers.

Fashion is a reflection of an era. In the last decade, when
the economic conditions were good and the middle class had much
disposable income, demand for the garment products of Indonesian
designers flourished and became the backbone of the country's
fashion world.

Today, as with the lackluster fortunes of garment producers,
our designers generally cannot compete with similar mainstream
fashion products from abroad, and exclusive evening gowns have
become their forte.

Luckily, this has been coupled with greater creativity and
better quality. Upper-income consumers now have an attractive
range of choices other than the branded collections from
internationally renowned designers.

Women are proud to say that they have Sebastian's evening
gown, Eddy Betty's bustier or Edward "Edo" Hutabarat's kebaya
(traditional blouse) in their closet.

This reality may encourage many consumers to say: Forget
Paris, Milan, London and New York, Jakarta is where it's at for
me.

Those showing their collections this year ranged in age from
young designers at the peak of their creativity to elder ones yet
to make a name for themselves.

The beginning of this year saw the debut of the luxurious
Bohemian-style collection of Didi Budiardjo. The young design duo
of Urban Crew drew from the 1980s' "shabby chic" phenomenon with
faded batik products for the young.

A new name was Rika Sulaiman, showing her richly embroidered
gowns in her debut fashion show. After an absence of six years in
which he did not show a new collection, Edo returned to promote
the beauty of the kebaya, taking his show on tour to cities
around the country.

In the second half of the year, Sebastian presented a magical
show, titled Glitz & Glam, while Eddy came out with a Moulin
Rouge-inspired collection of luxurious kebaya and Latin-style
corset gowns. Sally Kuswanto also made a splash with her daring
designs.

Adjie Notonegoro displayed his collection of kebaya designs
and hedonistic '80s inspired fashion styles. Then there was
designer Aranxta Adi with his collection of chiffon gowns in rich
macrame string interplay. Local fabrics were given new
exploration in the hands of fabric designer Obin, who continues
on her quest for Indonesians to take pride in their homespun
riches.

At its annual show, APPMI looked to the East for oriental
influences while rival organization IPMI, in celebrating its 18th
anniversary, invited almost all its members to show about two or
three dresses, a move that could be construed as more of a show
of numbers -- "take notice, we're here, too" -- than a fashion
statement.

There were also comebacks. Unexpectedly, in the first week of
December, Robby Tumewu showed a collection in his home. Famous in
the 1980s, Robby then moved into acting, particularly with the
Lenong Rumpi comedy show, and had not shown his designs for about
six years. Chossy Latu, of the same generation as Robby, also
held a show featuring a small collection.

Although women remain the main market for designers, the
staging of Male Fashion Trends 2004 showed that sartorial style
for the other half is also starting to get some attention.

From Didi's opulent designs opening the year to Robby's red-
carpet style at the close, elegance and femininity reigned.
Rigid, dramatic effects were abandoned; there was a lighter touch
with the introduction of thin, flowing chiffon, the fabric of
choice for gowns, blouses and pants.

Embroidered and beaded ornaments are still popular. However,
the use of rich details has now become a new attraction: creases,
dangling strings, macrame string twists and even the cutting of
the train of a gown into a jagged handkerchief style.

A fashion show is no longer a venue where designers merely
convey their fashion statements. It is not a place for promotion,
either -- for some designers, the catwalk has become an arena for
performances, replete with captivating stage, lights, music,
choreography and visual effects.

To support his theme of Glitz & Glam, Sebastian presented his
models on an imposing stage with acrylic floor. The rear wall
opened to display two sets of windows. When the models appeared
in the windows in their luxurious gowns, bathed in light, the
spellbound audience was presented with a festive and artistic
spectacle,

Meanwhile, Arantxa Adi has become the talk of the town among
fashion enthusiasts for an innovative fashion show. The stage was
designed in an X-shape, all black, with a huge screen on the rear
wall. The screen showed a video clip of actress Sophia Latjuba's
curvaceous body, in a gown of Adi's design and shot by video clip
director, Taba Sancabahtiar.

Amid blaring DJ-guided live house music, the show, the
artistic decoration of which was entrusted to noted artistic
director Jay Subiyakto, was an enchanting and highly modern
display of dresses.

The above shows will go down in the history of the country's
fashion world as the most spectacular of 2003.

Eddy Betty called his collection "In the Name of Love." In his
show, he presented gowns in a dynamic, sexy and glamorous Latin
spirit in colors ranging from black to glittering gold.

Best known as a specialist in designing bustiers, this time he
introduced a transparent corset with a mixed variety of skirts in
sophisticated patterns and rich details, ranging from the
combination of ruffles, frills and pleats to a display of
handicrafts.

One standout was a skirt with an unusual fringe.

"The skirt is made of satin ribbons that I cut and put
together piece by piece. For this skirt, I needed 2,500 meters of
ribbon," he said.

It was a stunning collection, with prominence given to the
sophistication of the handiwork. Many Jakarta fashion editors
heaped praise on him and buyers admired his designs.

"He designed the gowns with all his heart, with no care as to
whether there would be a buyer or not. He is really after great
beauty in his designs," said former model Okky Asokawati.

For his singular, unforgettable collection, Eddy deserves the
title of the fashion star of 2003.