Fashion event fails to live up to the hype

Fashion event fails to live up to the hype

By Agni Amorita

JAKARTA (JP): "Watch out for your back!" is the latest fashion
statement from designer Itang Yunasz. Exposed backs are his
current preoccupation, evidenced in his latest collections staged
in a week-long fashion bazaar at the Borobudur Hotel, Central
Jakarta, which ended Saturday.

Itang has created somewhat complicated designs this time with
his diagonal cuts which expose bare body parts -- especially the
back -- in his mainly lavender and green dresses. He offers
various styles, from mini to maxi, from dresses to trousers,
priced from Rp 150,000 (US$21.5) to Rp 1,500,000.

The 1999 Fashion and Art Party, which was supported by the
Jakarta Tourist Agency, was the third organized by the Ram
Sarwigo Event Organizer -- owned by famous fashion designer
Ramli.

Ramli said the event aimed to encourage his fellow fashion
designers to create new designs and to display them to the
public. Ramli himself presented his famous embroidery collection
in the fashion shows.

"This event is expected to show Indonesian designers' most
competitive products in order to boost Jakarta as a fashion-
oriented city, like other glorious cities, such as Milan, New
York, and even Paris," said Parlindungan Hutabarat of the city
tourism agency.

However, turning Jakarta into one of Asia's fashion
destinations needs more than a slogan. The Jakarta Tourism Agency
included a cultural Miss and Mister Jakarta final contest in this
event; a strategy that contributed nothing to the big fashion
picture. The 1999 Fashion and Art Event, even though it was
supposed to be a big event, was prepared in haste. As a result,
its dream to turn Jakarta into a fashion city ended almost as
soon as the event ended. The international world of fashion
hardly flocked to its doors. Details for another important event
-- Jakarta Fashion Week -- which is supposed to take place
annually, are yet to be announced.

An overriding post-event impression was that Jakarta's fashion
claims were not serious. It was said that the 1999 Fashion and
Art Party was held in conjunction with the commemoration of the
city's 472nd anniversary and the country's 54th Independence Day.
Involving 34 fashion houses, six bridal designers, seven
furniture and interior designers and eight painters, the event
appeared to be little more than a fashion bazaar.

As a fashion bazaar, the event ran well. Local customers and
foreign hotel guests showed their high appreciation. The various
daily fashion shows were the magnet attracting customers. The
outfits were offered at a very reasonable price. Famous designer
Adjie Notonagoro's spaghetti strap gown, which looked very
expensive, was available at only Rp 250,000. The fashion bazaar
featured various kind of clothes from ready-to-wear, to bridal
wear and even to Muslim wear. But the kebaya look (women's blouse
the front of which is pinned together, usually worn with a
sarong) was still the favorite choice of local designers.

Ghea S. Panggabean echoed a Japanese style in her painted
kimono silk blouses. While the famous antique batik designer,
Obin, this time presented a bridal gown made from 100 percent
cotton. The younger generation, like Oscar Lawalata and Irsan,
who flew to Jakarta from Bali, appealed with their teen
collections. Irsan explored a country style in his futuristic
cube-shaped ornaments and denim collections.

Tuty Cholid retained her modern but handmade textile kebaya
designs, to be mixed with a T-shirt or a knitted dress. "I want
to create a casual look with the kebaya," she said about her
collection, selling for Rp 1 million a pair. Tuty avoided gray
and other muted colors, saying they mirrored too closely the
crisis atmosphere, preferring fresh pink and baby blue for her
elegant suits.

Corrie Kastubi continued with her line of futuristic creations
by choosing glittering materials. Her sexy theme is translated in
a minimalist design with wrinkled smocks, puffed sleeves in beige
and white. Corrie added cheap local materials for her dress'
details, such as transparent thread and fake feathers, in order
to maintain her average garment pricing range of Rp 250,000.

Susie Hedijanto also continued with her well-known wayang
designs on pure silk batik. This time she presented her old
kebaya collection with a long skirt, offered at between Rp 75,000
and Rp 2 million each. Susi is currently busy preparing her
second line collection called Suhe.

Another designer who is still working on his new creations is
Adjie Notonegoro. A showing of his latest garments will be held
at a gala dinner on Aug. 19. Adjie has been experimenting with
diagonal cutting for his newest collections. The
antiestablishment movement seems to be the third millennium
fashion statement of many fashion designers, including those from
Indonesia.