JP/14/Malang

JP/14/Malang

From Malang to victory

Syahmedi Dean
Contributor/Jakarta

The prestigious 2005 Fashion Designer Contest (LPM) held on
Sept. 15 in the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Jakarta,
was won by Amelia Kartikasari, whose designs were not only unique
but also refreshing in that they reflected her endeavor not to
fall into the stereotype of Indonesian design styles, which are
almost always associated with a combination of bustier and long
evening dress. Warmth emanates from her chosen colors: maroon,
white, brown, beige and paper green, all easily distinguishable
from the strong and primary colors now dominating the market.

"Her collection is highly convincing. Each design element is
solid. They can stand alone but remain pretty," said Muara
Bagdja, a fashion critic and one of the judges. "Compared with
the works of the other finalists, Amelia's show had the greatest
design consistency."

Another judge, film director Nia Dinata, also expressed her
satisfaction with the choice of Amelia as the winner. "Her
collection deserves the first prize. In fact, I previously
championed a collection titled Lady Boxer by Tex Saverio but it
was not quite satisfying during the presentation. Amelia's proved
to be unique," she said.

Other than Muara Bagdja and Nia Dinata, the panel of judges
was made up of Ninuk M. Pambudi (fashion journalist from Kompas
daily), Sebastian Gunawan (designer), Musa Widyatmodjo
(designer), Sally Koeswanto (designer) and Yoyok Budiman (fashion
expert). Their assessment was made in several days, and covered
an evaluation of the sketches and fabric samples, an assessment
of presentation and a judgment of the shows on the catwalk, in
which each finalist was required to put on show six designs.

It is interesting to see Amelia taking first prize as she
comes from Malang, a city in East Java, while generally prize
winners at national-level fashion design contests are resident
in Jakarta. When asked whether she would move to Jakarta after
taking the prize, Amelia only shook her head and, looking very
happy, said, "... don't know, but I must return to Malang to
continue my job as a local designer. It's nice to live in Malang.
It is a small and peaceful town where you can easily let your
imagination fly and get inspiration for your designs." As the
winner, Amelia deserves her prize of US$10,000, a scholarship at
the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Los Angeles,
USA, plus return air tickets from Jakarta to Los Angeles.

Aside from featuring the works of 10 finalists, the top event
in this year's LPM was also highlighted by a fashion show
involving 13 Indonesian designers who had won the contest in
previous years, such as Itang Yunasz, Chossy Latu, Denny Wirawan,
Carmanita, Ferry Sunarto, Musa Widyatmodjo, Taruna Kusmayadi,
Priyo Oktaviano, Anne Rufaidah, Widhi Budimulia, Tuty Cholid,
Stephanus Hamy and Hanne Huang. First held in 1979, the contest,
which is intended to help boost Indonesia's fashion industry, is
organized by the Femina Group.