House of Irsan steps into a brave new world

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, raw edges silk chiffon bias cut dress with
tuxedo punched leather sash, drapery silk jersey dress worn with
punched leather platform shoes or gabardine tuxedo bolero paired
with extra wide trousers -- hints 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 a 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 with the creativity of this talented
designer.