How designer Ramli copes with the devastating crisis

How designer Ramli copes with the devastating crisis

By Agni Amorita

JAKARTA (JP): Ramli is extremely worried about some of his
fellow fashion designers who are straining under the weight of
the crippling economic crisis.

The 48-year-old, who has been in the business for 23 years,
cannot stop wondering why many designers are helpless when a lot
of opportunities are there for the taking.

"Middle-class Indonesians can no longer afford to buy brand
names due to the rupiah's sharp depreciation against the U.S.
dollar. I want designers to survive the crisis by any means
possible, such as increasing the local material in their products
by up to 80 percent," he says.

Last week, Ramli invited 22 of his friends, fellow designers
and fashion workers, including bridal suite decorators, for a
joint five-day exhibition at Hotel Mulia, Jakarta. The event was
a success.

The number of co-organizers, 23, (22 invitees plus himself)
was a plaudit to the 23 years he has dedicated to the profession.

"I also meant the event to be a celebration of my 23-year
career in fashion design," he says.

Born on Nov. 1, 1950, Ramli started his career in 1974. With
the help of his mother, he started to experiment. One year later
Ramli, the youngest of a Betawi (indigenous Jakarta) family,
ventured out and held his first fashion show at a prestigious
venue, the Petroleum Club. The first presentation of his
collection, called "Embroidery Night", consisted of ready-to-wear
clothing that was exclusively embroidered. The positive response
to his work greatly encouraged him to specialize in embroidery up
to this day. His trademark has won him recognition as the
"Indonesian King of Embroidery".

His embroidery collection of dresses, shirts and coats are
popular among the upper echelon. The majority of his clients are
rich women, including the wives of high-ranking officials who
wish to appear stylish with typical and contemporary Indonesian
dresses abroad. He has not been affected by the constant changes
in the fashion world.

He has held annual fashion shows since his 1974 debut.

"This year's show will be around October," said the unmarried
man who can afford to hold extravagant exhibitions in star-rated
hotels even in this time of crisis.

His frequent overseas shows have become an effective marketing
strategy. He has almost always taken part in fashion shows in
major international cities both for exhibition or social evening
events to promote Indonesian culture and tourism.

He models his embroidery on the traditional embroidery still
practiced in Tasikmalaya in West Java, Kudus in Central Java,
Banda Aceh in Aceh, Padang in West Sumatra, Palembang in South
Sumatra, and Jambi.

The elegant characteristics of his embroidered outfits,
including first-class cutting and superior-quality textiles, have
made his products highly sought after for weddings, major
celebrations like Lebaran and state ceremonies.

When his work was copied by major businesses, Ramli was not
discouraged. He has been experimenting and seeking a
breakthrough. Recently he created new a motive, a combination of
batik and embroidery. He "modernizes" antique batik by adding
embroidery and produces trendy dresses. The technique makes the
dress fabric slightly thick but it gives a dramatic impression.

Ramli, winner of Indonesian fashion editors' award for the
1987 to 1988 best-selling ready-to-wear apparel, sells his
creations for hundreds of thousands of rupiah a piece.

A complete outfit could cost several million rupiah. Such
outfits are very much in demand. Last month, he appeared with 800
pieces of his 1998 collection called Pastel Inspiration in a
trade exhibition in Singapore.

"One local man came to the exhibition every day," said Ramli.

"On the last day he bought up all the clothes and asked if we
could possibly cooperate. He asked me to return to Singapore
because he felt he had found something in my creations that
suited the tastes of some of Singapore's adult community. He said
my creations were not the style that is in vogue, such as on
display in Singaporean shopping centers and wanted by the younger
generation."

Ramli sold more than 500 outfits at his Singapore exhibition.

Although Ramli has proven he can withstand the economic
crisis, he cannot hide his anxiety about the situation.

"We (designers) are not involved in politics but we are
worried about more riots, which are not only frightening but also
stall business. When we want to go out, we are worried something
bad might happen to our car, which we bought after years of toil.
Let alone making a business deal. If our business goes up in
flames, what would happen to our employees, workers in the
regions? They will fall victims."

While still hoping that the economic calamity will end soon,
Ramli has opened a street cafe in front of his large boutique on
Jl. Semarang in the posh Menteng area, Central Jakarta. Every
evening you can see him sitting on an antique carved chair at one
of the tables covered with a white cloth bearing his famous
embroidery.

People, mostly Jakarta's wealthy, go there after 8 p.m. to
enjoy typical Indonesian tidbits like kue serabi (rice-flour
pancake with coconut milk plus brown sugar sauce), banana
fritters, hot sekoteng (ginger-flavored drink). Prices average Rp
10,000 a dish, the average price at trendy celebrity street
cafes.