Glittering Sumatran texture in Didi Budihardjo design

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.