Fashion shows, American food and the 4th of July

Fashion shows, American food and the 4th of July

By Danielle Bray

JAKARTA (JP): The Star Spangled Banner it was not, however on
July 4th, the Hyatt Aryaduta in Central Jakarta hosted the "All
American Dream Party" to coincide with American Independence Day.

The marketing was a bit misleading, though, and the lack of
red, white and blue was conspicuous. It appeared that most
observers in the crowd had stumbled upon the event, forgetting
completely about the specified celebration.

Apart from the lack of decorations and American motifs, the
evening featured a buffet which served up some real American
classics; such as turkey, roast beef, baked beans, and apple pie.
Live entertainment and a fashion show featuring designs by three
local designers -- Erwan Hadi of Diva, Amin Brutus of Brutus, and
Hendra of Lt. 2 -- were also there. The final collection of the
evening featured Italian designs by Gianni Versace's Versus.

The first show by Diva and Brutus took place at the Lobby Bar
and JP Bistro. The models, elegantly clad in their gowns and
suits, whisked and twirled their way through the maze of chairs
and tables. Diva's designs featured an expressive mixture of
Indonesian culture and western ideals.

"I want to keep the Indonesian culture a part of my designs by
modifying the kebaya (traditional Indonesian dress) and adding
sequins, embroidery, and sheer flirtatious wraps," Diva said.

He managed to maintain the elegance of the artistic Indonesian
way of life while combining a sense of modernity. A true master
of expression.

Brutus designed a very western collection of dark evening wear
for gentlemen. He daringly extended the length of the traditional
suit jacket, to just above the knee, showcasing an array of
tailored, debonair male models. He included hints of silver on
the vests and scarf ties, producing a futuristic appeal.

"I want to adopt a smart, diverse look for the new
millennium," he said. He achieved this goal and his collection
was a superb and bold approach to evening wear for men.

The theme of American Independence Day, however, was sadly
lost amongst all the glitz and glamour of the show. There were
two American businessmen in the crowd, who stated they were
visiting Jakarta and were looking for an event to celebrate their
patriotic holiday.

"We expected more of a focus on Independence Day. We came from
another hotel thinking that this would be a better celebration,"
one of them said, expressing his disappointment at the lack of
attention to the special occasion.

The designers each had their own ideas as to why they decided
to host their shows on the 4th of July. Amin Brutus stated that
he "wanted to show his designs to the American people" -- perhaps
in the hope of introducing his line amongst American society.
Sadly, the only two Americans that were present weren't there to
buy.

Erwan Hadi hoped that "showing his collection on Independence
Day would promote Indonesian fashion to the American public". He
explained that his modified Indonesian dress would "thrust local
skill and art into the limelight, creating awareness of the
fashion industry".

After the first two shows, there was a break as the crowd
indulged in a piping hot buffet of American goodies.

While most of the patrons enjoyed the American classics, the
third designer, Hendra, took to the stage.

The Lt. 2 (Lantai Dua) designs featured the most "American"
influence of the three. There were animal prints, mirrored
fabric, backless tops and daring ensembles. There was an obvious
lack of local tradition here.

The men were clad in matching long shorts and tops in pastel
striped fabric, and open shirts that bared their chests. Black
and white eye material was sewn into dresses. There were tank
tops for men and barely-there shirts for women. It was a very
funky collection that offered a variation to the norm and
complimented the other designers nicely.

By 9:45 p.m. the announcer approached the stage. The last show
was ready to begin. One by one the models seductively glided
through the bar donned in the Versus summer collection. The
designs were colorful, bright, hyper and sexy. The models kept to
the theme of the collection, and worked the audience with their
heavily made-up eyes and their barely-there outfits. It was a
lively, impressive show of both glamour and fun.