Fashion tell-all is 'chic' lit, but way too lite

Fashion tell-all is 'chic' lit, but way too lite

Agatha Belinda
Contributor
Jakarta

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L.S.D.L.F (Lontong Sayur Dalam Lembaran Fashion)
Syahmedi Dean, Gramedia Pustaka Utama, 2004
280 pp
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Since the dazzling phenomenon of novel-cum-TV-series Sex and the
City, the world's attention has been fixated on chick lit, a
genre exploring cosmopolitan issues in a sassy, tongue-'n'-cheek
style, often involving fashion-loving characters.

Now that the beloved HBO show has ended, women (of all kinds)
and men (of certain kinds) are beginning to go through
withdrawal.

While we may have said ciao to the four sexy girls holding on
to their Cosmopolitans (the drink) and dishing the dirt on sex,
publishers and authors have been rushing out tell-all books
combining the titillating combination of behind-the-scenes looks
at fashion media and tales of the city of rich young urbanites on
the prowl.

These include The Devil Wears Prada (with juicy insights by an
ex-personal assistant of U.S. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour,
Lauren Weisberger), Fashionistas by Lynn Messina, Trading Up
(also by Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell), and Bergdorf
Blondes, a love story sets among uber-hip Park Avenue princesses
(can anybody say Paris?) by U.S. Vogue contributing editor Plum
Sykes.

First-time author Syahmedi Dean's L.S.D.L.F./Lontong Sayur
Dalam Lembaran Fashion (Vegetables and Rice Cakes Inside the
Layers of Fashion) is in the same vein of this "chic", not chick,
lit. Dean, a respected fashion and beauty journalist who was
formerly executive editor at Dewi magazine, offers his vast
experience with the promise of a "look into his profession from
an insider's point of view".

Indeed, the book proves to be just that: a mosaic portrait of
Alif, a lifestyle executive editor at a top women's magazine
called File in Jakarta. A sharp, beloved editor, Alif seems to
know exactly what to say in every situation, even when dealing
with ambitious modeling agencies intent on orbiting their charges
into stardom.

But it's not all hunky-dory: Alif is having an office affair
as an escape from his sour marriage, as well as dealing with a
mysterious admirer who seems to be increasingly personal in her
(or is it his?) missives.

Yet, even with a friendship borrowed straight from Sex in The
City, L.S.D.L.F. feels as flat as a two-hour-old Cosmopolitan.

Dean does deserve praise for his attempt to engage readers by
holding up the dirty laundry of the fashion/media industry for
inspection. It's a brave effort in the tight-knit local fashion
community, and his intimate knowledge, involvement and influence
in the industry add substance to this book. Yet, these factors
alone are hardly enough reason to justify L.S.D.L.F's raison
d'etre.

Though seemingly interesting, most characters in the book --
including Alif -- are flat, undeveloped and simply forgettable.
The tragically similar, one dimensional personalities and points
of view between each character fail to establish any charismatic
or sympathetic figures, but the most damage comes at the
narrator's expense.

Alif seems almost too content with himself, without
motivation, emotion or determination, leading to the lack of
character struggles and real conflicts. Even the revelation of
the unusual ending and a fact about Alif's past cannot rescue the
story. By then, it is difficult to have empathy for the
protagonist.

The thing about tell-all books and chick lit is that it is
crucial that the telling is done with enough wit and sarcasm to
generate much needed weight. Underneath all the brand names must-
haves and, yes, beneath all the shallowness, usually lies some
character development, connections between characters and the
reader, objectives, conflicts, and finally some conviction -- not
just a spinning of plot after plot.

As the first installment of a four-series collection,
L.S.D.L.F. is a light introduction for those who want to know
about the big bad buzz of the media/fashion business in
Indonesia. It does contain nods to real fashion figures and
institutions in cities like Jakarta, Paris and Milan, as well as
detailed descriptions on the editorial process and
responsibilities.

And it certainly leaves us curious about the next novel (a
love story set during the fashion weeks in Europe) to learn more
about Alif, beyond his Louis Vuitton bag and Panarei watch.