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.