Feminine, simple -- 2000-2001 trend in footwear

By Asniar Sahab

JAKARTA (JP): Footwear - be it a pair of slippers or shoes - complements the dress. A person is satisfactorily dressed only when accompanied by slippers or shoes complete the outfit.

Trends in footwear follow the development of circumstances. Today, world-class designers no longer consider footwear simply a complement to the dress but an article of apparel designed within the context of a single message.

Therefore, the trend is to design footwear in tune with that of the dress. Certain brand names, like Prada, Manolo Blahnik, Gucci, Linea and Charles Jourdan, seem to be vying with one another to introduce new footwear trends every year.

What about in Indonesia? How are footwear designers faring? What are their plans for next year in the domestic fashion scene.

Footwear trends at present still follow trends prevailing in Italy, France or Germany. The best and most prestigious footwear comes from these countries. In terms of design and quality, these three countries enjoy an excellent image in the fashion world.

In the past decade in Indonesia there have been only two designers seriously designing footwear. They are former models Yongky and Auk Murat. Encouragingly, in the last two years, a new name, Rynaldi, has also entered the footwear designing arena.

A brand name, famous in 1970s was Wimo. Footwear products under this name were quite good in terms of style and quality. Then in the mid-1970s there was another brand name, Grupie, which make a name and survived quite well. Later there were other durable names such as Apple Green, Pretty and Bata. Products with these brandnames were of medium quality, but were nice to wear.

Grupie, however, was not comfortable. Although designs were attractive, the shoes were made from hides that were not soft enough.

Wimo has lately introduced a large-scale evolution in terms of typography of letters for the logo, the management as well as the models were well-received by the community.

Bata, not wanting to be left behind, also works hard to provide products satisfying prevailing trends in the community. Another brand, Pianella, has also entered the footwear business.

Designer.

So how were our two successful footwear designers - Auk Murat and Yongki - able to survive, running competitive businesses as well as designing the footwear. Both have extensive fashion backgrounds and they were looking ahead to the future.

"Once, I thought hard about my future, thinking what I would do once I quit the catwalk. I tried to make 50 pairs of shoes for Idul Fitri. With attractive models and low prices, I was able to sell all 50 pairs. Then my friends helped to promote my shoes and afterwards everything ran smoothly. I made more shoes and they were all sold, too," Yongki explained.

"This success prompted me to be serious about the business, especially since the number of orders kept increasing," he said. This year marks his 11th year in the footwear business and products with his design can be found in a number of department stores and malls in Jakarta.

Yongki receives orders from individuals and from fashion designers. He said that when it was time for a change in the trend, he would be busy helping the dress designers. Through this cooperation, he has forged good relationships with them. Sometimes, when a dress designer travels to Europe, he requests the associate bring him brochures, catalogs or a fashion magazine on footwear. These materials are a good source of ideas.

For the year 2000, he has introduced a sharp-pointed trend, more feminine but simpler. As for colors, his choice will be the colors of the computer: dark green, maroon, dark violet and gold. There is influence from abroad but adapted for domestic taste.

As a designer, he prefers to prioritize the public interest. Next year, despite the dominance of simple models, he will introduce designs using laces/clamps with varying heel shapes. Some of the heels are small, flat and sharp-pointed with a wider part in the back.

As for Auk Murat, she began in the footwear business while still a famous model. Originally she made footwear to meet individual orders but later her fellow fashion models liked her designs. When the most prestigious woman's magazine in the country published photographs of her footwear designs, Auk Murat's reputation as a footwear designer shot up. Later she issued her trademark with a motif of colorful polka dots.

"I keep up with trend changes and I translate them in my designs seriously. While a long time ago I began to see that an interest in footwear would go together with the interest in the dress and until now the condition has always been this way. Shoes no longer complete the dress but they are a necessity," she said.

She admitted that although she had been in the footwear business for five years, she could hardly bring herself to like the model of shoes like slippers with closed toes or the model like a pair of wooden clogs. She has a strong penchant for the classical, sexy and feminine style. Her imagination can be easily fired by the feminine style because she likes to watch the different shapes of the people's legs. She believes that it is suitable for feminine footwear to be supplemented with ornaments like flowers.

In the coming year she will continue to introduce a feminine and classical trend. She will also make use of the snake skin motif but only to go together with casual dress. Auk introduces quite a few minimalist models with laces. Her slippers will have the front closed and the rear open. The colors she chooses lean more heavily to violet, light pink, green, black, silver and gold. The materials are generally dominated by satin and thick silk with soft textures.

Anyway, both fashion designers and footwear designers are now concerned with footwear trends. Despite the economic crisis, there is an increasing demand in Indonesia for slippers and shoes. Business is flourishing and fashion buffs need not lose heart if they cannot afford to buy world-class brandnames they can always purchase local products with similar styles to Gucci, Prada or Manolo Blahnik.