Fashion Parade 1997 passes by with barely a whimper

Fashion Parade 1997 passes by with barely a whimper

JAKARTA (JP): This week saw the city's second attempt at
launching itself as Asia's fashion capital. Unfortunately,
however, the two-day Jakarta Fashion Parade 1997 passed with
hardly a whimper.

Whereas last year's four-day program was a celebration,
attracting fashion journalists from as far away as South Africa
and featuring Indonesian fashion giants and budding stars, this
year's event failed to show the industry's favorites, notably
designers Biyan and Poppy Darsono. Even Ghea Panggabean,
originally listed on the program, pulled out at the last minute.

Why? Because the entire show was arranged at the last minute.
After participating in Fashion Week all year but rarely being
informed about developments by the Jakarta City Administration's
Tourist Board, Poppy Darsono was told one month before the show
that Fashion Week -- now called Fashion Parade, was indeed going
to take place again. But after staging 19 shows this year, her
resources were simply exhausted and prevented her from
participating.

Designer Musa was also pressed for time and energy, having
just returned from Europe and Japan arranging fashion shows, he
also declined to be in the show.

Industry insiders say that as a result of the late
organization, the shows fell short of expectations. They added
that since participation was free, unlike before when all the
designers were obligated to contribute to the budget, designers
neither felt the team spirit nor the need to shine.

That the shows passed without hype was a shame, for some of
the shows were excellent. Didi's Budiardjo's Priyayi Jawi
(Javanese Aristocrat) collection, showing debutantes in sumptuous
colonial mermaid gowns and eclectic kebayas complete with feather
parasols, was particularly inspiring. But considering the event's
organizer, Lisa Ayodhya, is his mother, Didi had more time to
prepare than his colleagues.

Also impressive were Dimas Mahendra's layers of crushed
pleats. No doubt his peers are accusing him of copying Miyake,
but Miyake's pleats are not such generic, industry staples that
they've become the Formica of Fashion. Besides, Dimas is
imaginative enough to paint his creations in bright, vivid
colors, so that the collection resembles a Kandisky collage --
seemingly random and unpolished but actually forming a brilliant,
purposeful whole.

Susan Budihardjo also put on a good show, albeit not that
different from her last collection. Pretty embroideries on
beatnik jackets and pedal-pushers, however, are off-beat enough
to last seasonal trends. Especially clever are her embroidered
denims.

Eddy Betty went flapper, sending out girls flapping the bugle
beads and tassels on their abbreviated dresses. Ardiano produced
another fine collection of his trademark earthen-hued batiks,
layered to evoke an organic, rustic feel.

But as usual, it's the dramatists who earn the most applause.
Young designer Irsan showed 19th-century coquettes in ornate
vivid fabrics -- the audience swooned, as did the models squeezed
into the tightest of corsets. Widhi Budhimulia had a similarly
fantastic imagination, albeit expressed in more somber hues like
gray, granite and charcoal. The crowds liked the models' mile-
high hairdos, but it was his unconventional mix of flannel with
satin that showed daring and innovation.

Great clothes on the catwalks, but will they make it to the
stores? Some designers are doubtful. Department stores, from
where most designers earn their income, often refuse the more
outlandish outfits in favor of staid, "normal" clothes. And
anything "ethnic" is often banished to the handicraft section.
Said Musa: "That's why you can't buy some of the clothes on the
catwalk. The stores won't accept just anything." (Dini S. Djalal)