It's in the bag for style and practicality

It's in the bag for style and practicality

By Danielle Bray

JAKARTA (JP): The choice of accessories to complete an outfit
demonstrates a lot about individual style and taste. In a woman's
world, it can make or break an outfit.

Purses and handbags of all types have become essential in the
daily lives of working women across the world. It is important
for designers to create quality craftsmanship that withstands the
rigors of natural wear. Fashion in the new millennium has risen
to new heights, and functional has also become fashionable.

Using a purse has been a part of feminine identity for
decades, but the functional handbag has only been developed
recently. The working woman, who seeks to maintain her
femininity, graciously applauds the bold approach of the fashion
industry and its attempt to mesh practicality with style.

Indonesia is rapidly becoming a member of the trendsetting
elite. Although there is no temperature difference for changes
in season, the local scene is aware of fashion culture. Yet at a
recent show for the Fall/Winter show of Italian handbag maker
Furla, one male observer jokingly quipped: "If this is an
autumn/winter show, why are the models dressed in sleeveless
dresses?"

In the West, winter not only brings snowflakes, it also finds
the trendy donning different color schemes and must-have seasonal
accessories. It appears Indonesians are also eager to tote
pumpkin and gray handbags, and become victims to seasonal change.

Jakarta may not have snow, but the winter season in the
tropics is surely beginning to be observed by the fashion
conscious.

The show, held in the Fountain Lounge of the Grand Hyatt on
Aug. 9, displayed a variety of purses by the design house, which
is known for its leather handbags. The purses, in an array of
shapes and sizes, accompanied the models as they weaved their way
through the crowd. Leather, wool, faux fur and elegant beading
captured the attention of the predominantly female clientele as
they oohed and ahhed from behind the straws of their freshly
squeezed orange juice.

The handbags are designed in Italy, and arrived on the local
scene in December 1999. The family-owned company has been in
business for over three generations. There are two boutiques in
Jakarta, located in Plaza Senayan and Plaza Indonesia.

"The handbags are basic yet trendy ... we have had a very
positive response from consumers in Jakarta," said the company's
franchise holder for Indonesia, Sylvia Haliman. They are not
cheap -- Rp 595,000 to Rp 3 million -- and the prices have
fluctuated along with the unstable rupiah.

"The diversity in price allows the consumer to perhaps buy a
few pieces instead of just one!" Sylvia joked.

Models strutted through the audience displaying handbags over
their shoulders, under their arms or elegantly dangling from
their wrists. They worked the product, and demonstrated their
functional abilities through zippers, snaps and pockets. The
company also included its signature belts and sunglasses into the
sequences.

The collection featured a variety of different looks. Purses
ranged from the small and elegant, large and practical, to the
vivid and trendy. All styles retained a sense of classic
femininity, and simplicity. "This year the trend is to maintain
the bright colors of summer, and not focus so much on the usual
dark hues of the winter season," Sylvia said. Bright green,
orange and red tones complimented the nude and grays of the
traditional look of fall.

The handbags designed in quirky colors would only suit a
select audience, minimalizing their practicality to a large
market. However, there was an abundance of the essential neutral
tones that luckily accompanies a wide variety of outfits.