Sun, 16 Sep 2001

Glittering Sumatran texture in Didi Budihardjo design

Text by Asniar Sahab photo by Seno Achmad

JAKARTA (JP): A parking lot was turned into a catwalk for the latest designs of Indonesian Didi Budihardjo that drew inspiration from the glittering embroidery of the traditional songket fabric of Suvarnadvipa (the former name of Sumatra, meaning Island of Gold).

In a bid to give a classy, but earthy impression to the public, Didi set up a roofless swanky stage in the center of the vast parking lot of the Bung Karno sports stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta, which looked like a mini amphitheater.

The stage was splashed with a silver background framed with gold and rows of seats were formed into U-shaped terraces in his hope of giving something different to his solo performance.

The open air was the main theme of his show. He invited his guests to come early so they would not get disoriented because he knew precisely that the parking ground was an unusual place for a fashion show. But he wanted to make a usual thing out of an unusual one.

When the evening skies darkened, the lights on the stage were switched on and the scene turned into a sparkling spot that was reminiscent of the way Italian designers present their designs for a fashion show on the street.

A model in a purple gown stepped out of the frame followed by a second who wore a red night gown and the next in warm-colored apparel.

Didi displayed his own definition of Padang embroidery and Aceh songket cloth, with exclusive designs in silk, lace, organdy, taffeta and duchesse satin.

He did not stick to single traditional lines and he gave priority to the sexy silhouette details. He apparently wanted to present an interaction between arts, instinct and fashion.

Some gowns and dresses also adopted the mix of Gothic and Baroque nuances to yield an eclectic appearance. They were manifest in hybrid figures like heroines in an epic, as Didi is famous for the colonial influences in his creative design.

Didi remained consistent with his commitment to explore Indonesian culture. In a solo fashion show last year, he focused on Balinese culture but this year he exposed Sumatran culture.

But he frankly admitted that he was not well versed with Sumatran culture. The dresses and gowns displayed did not reflect the philosophy of the culture but more his freedom to express what he has observed during his trip to Sumatra.

"I am inspired by the culture and I have adjusted it to my own aspirations. For example, I combine the mysterious and wild auras of the island in my creation. I see that many people are not familiar with Sumatran culture, whereas there are a lot of interesting things to be shown. Therefore, I want to include cultural development into my designs," Didi told The Jakarta Post about his concept.

He said he observed the strong influences of Buddhism, Hinduism and Indian touches in the songket motifs. Moreover, he also noticed the Chinese marks in Padang songket motifs and the influence of animism in the texture of Sumatran textiles.

So how did he translate all of this?

He used two clever tactics: First he used songket for some of his designs and second he transformed the motifs into crystal shapes. Didi then mixed songket, flowers and tendril-shaped patterns together. At a glance, his designs did not reveal a real Sumatra.

He said he had been preparing the 60 items of apparel since March due to the complex production work. He said that he had to use usus traditional needlework from Lampung to produce the gown and trousers, which were made of silk in the form of array straps. He recalled that he spent four days cutting the fabric, plus another four days in ironing, fitting and braiding.

Through the design, Didi said that he wanted to offer choices to fashion buffs. But he realized that introducing a new thing was not an easy task. He added that he wanted the public to understand the traditional fads from islands other than Java.