From Malang to victory
Syahmedi Dean, Contributor/Jakarta
The prestigious 2005 Fashion Designer Contest (LPM) held on Sept. 15 in the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Jakarta, was won by Amelia Kartikasari, whose designs were not only unique but also refreshing in that they reflected her endeavor not to fall into the stereotype of Indonesian design styles, which are almost always associated with a combination of bustier and long evening dress. Warmth emanates from her chosen colors: maroon, white, brown, beige and paper green, all easily distinguishable from the strong and primary colors now dominating the market.
"Her collection is highly convincing. Each design element is solid. They can stand alone but remain pretty," said Muara Bagdja, a fashion critic and one of the judges. "Compared with the works of the other finalists, Amelia's show had the greatest design consistency."
Another judge, film director Nia Dinata, also expressed her satisfaction with the choice of Amelia as the winner. "Her collection deserves the first prize. In fact, I previously championed a collection titled Lady Boxer by Tex Saverio but it was not quite satisfying during the presentation. Amelia's proved to be unique," she said.
Other than Muara Bagdja and Nia Dinata, the panel of judges was made up of Ninuk M. Pambudi (fashion journalist from Kompas daily), Sebastian Gunawan (designer), Musa Widyatmodjo (designer), Sally Koeswanto (designer) and Yoyok Budiman (fashion expert). Their assessment was made in several days, and covered an evaluation of the sketches and fabric samples, an assessment of presentation and a judgment of the shows on the catwalk, in which each finalist was required to put on show six designs.
It is interesting to see Amelia taking first prize as she comes from Malang, a city in East Java, while generally prize winners at national-level fashion design contests are resident in Jakarta. When asked whether she would move to Jakarta after taking the prize, Amelia only shook her head and, looking very happy, said, "... don't know, but I must return to Malang to continue my job as a local designer. It's nice to live in Malang. It is a small and peaceful town where you can easily let your imagination fly and get inspiration for your designs." As the winner, Amelia deserves her prize of US$10,000, a scholarship at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles, USA, plus return air tickets from Jakarta to Los Angeles.
Aside from featuring the works of 10 finalists, the top event in this year's LPM was also highlighted by a fashion show involving 13 Indonesian designers who had won the contest in previous years, such as Itang Yunasz, Chossy Latu, Denny Wirawan, Carmanita, Ferry Sunarto, Musa Widyatmodjo, Taruna Kusmayadi, Priyo Oktaviano, Anne Rufaidah, Widhi Budimulia, Tuty Cholid, Stephanus Hamy and Hanne Huang. First held in 1979, the contest, which is intended to help boost Indonesia's fashion industry, is organized by the Femina Group.