House of Irsan steps into a brave new world

Agatha Belinda, Contributor, Nusa Dua, Bali

Ready or not, we are entering a whole new world of fashion in Indonesia, thanks to Bali-based fashion designer Irsan.

In his show titled "A man in a woman's body" for his House of Irsan label, the shy designer displayed 58 looks in a brave, avant-garde styled pret-a porter collection. The much anticipated show, held at the Convention Center in Nusa Dua last Saturday, was his first major solo fashion show.

Unfortunately, the behemoth space for the show turned out to be too aggressive an approach, mainly because of the noticeable lack of an audience. The low energy vibe was unsettling amid the high fantasy concept of the show.

Despite its poor attendance, the collection -- with its exquisite designs, technique, silhouette and styling -- proved to be a worth-seeing effort and is sure to shake up the country's fashion scene. While being based in an island internationally known for its endless sources of inspiration certainly has its advantages, it is no easy task to step away from the laid back, ethnic style that Bali tends to influence.

But the progressive Irsan, 32, showed his range and skills by mixing '20s and '50s silhouettes with the glamor feel of the '80s, all in an edgy, ultramodern contemporary look. With no sarongs or flower prints in sight, he looked to movies such as The Godfather, Gone with the Wind and Star Wars for inspiration, seen through his tuxedo-inspired series, high waist A-line skirts and the alien-like presentation of the models.

"This collection is about combining and perfecting all of my previous collections to form a stronger concept for the future. My goal is to keep exploring and perfecting my style until I find my own trademark," said the designer.

Paying homage to Marlene Dietrich, Joan of Arc and work by the late photographer Helmut Newton, Irsan has in mind a woman who is strong in character, with a self-possessed sensual masculinity and an innate elegance.

Essentially, this is the style that has become his trademark. Clever combinations -- such as a punched leather mini bolero with duchess satin gowns, a raw edge silk chiffon bias cut dress with tuxedo punched leather sash, a drapery silk jersey dress worn with punched leather platform shoes or gabardine tuxedo bolero paired with extra wide trousers -- hint up perfectly to a high dose of drama.

Although there were plenty of strong pieces, perhaps Irsan's real jewels emerged in the form of wonderful wool knitwear, abstract hand-painted silk satin bias cut beauties, as well as his drop dead gorgeous "mirror" bias cut sequined gowns that each took two months to make. With all of the resources and work done locally, the knitwear, leather, interlacing ribbons and beading add to the edgy, sleek, no-frills-kind of style -- creations utterly unseen before in Jakarta's high fashion.

Irsan admits that the local market may not be ready for his collection now, yet the designer -- who some call the Vivienne Westwood of Indonesia -- is optimistic that the finicky fashionista will eventually come around.

Over his 13-year journey in fashion, including starting the House of Irsan eight years ago (he previously worked as assistant for two major designers, Didi Budiardjo in 1991 and Adjie Notonegoro in 1993), Irsan has finally determined to follow his vision, despite the necessity of taking more financial risks.

"I have to do what my heart tells me to. How can I grow otherwise?" asked the humble designer, who learned the basics of tailoring through a three-month course at Susan Budiardjo fashion school.

Praise was forthcoming from his peers.

"Irsan has definitely matured in his approach to fashion through his used of fabrics, silhouette and details. Each sequence represents a clear idea that forms a strong collection and ultimately brings something different to the plate," observed leading designer Sebastian Gunawan, who flew in from Jakarta just to attend the show.

So, is being different or simply getting recognized enough for Irsan? No doubt after all that effort -- and what a tremendous effort it was -- one hopes for financial gain in sales. Although Irsan has been doing various projects for mega brands such as Dior, Ferre and Plein Sud through a French label he co-partners named Piece Unique, he is determined to succeed with his own label, domestically or internationally.

The biggest challenge for Indonesian designers to date, though, is still to move on from the vagueness of the made-to- order "tailor" mentality into ready to wear companies with good marketing plans (think Biyan and Sebastian Gunawan, respectively). With local department stores still imposing the consignment system, a designer like Irsan needs to find a business partner who believes in him and can turn him into a more serious commercial success.

Now that he has matured creatively, let's hope that the business side will catch up for this talented designer.