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Indonesia's top five fashion designers
An increasing number of new designers have emerged in Indonesia. Five of them have enjoyed considerable media coverage this year.
Syahmedi Dean Contributor/Jakarta
Despite the rapid development of international fashion in Indonesia throughout 2005, five Indonesian designers have successfully displayed consistency and continuity in their creations. These designers have created a fashion look that is both clear and capable of interacting with international trends. The quality of their designs is improving while businesswise they continue to develop. Most important of all is the fact that their fantasies are allowed full rein while at the same time their personal style is retained. Throughout this year, they have appeared in national fashion and lifestyle magazines, and their works have been featured on many magazine covers and fashion pages. In short, they have become the darlings of fashion editors.
Biyan
His name is now an icon for Indonesian fashion. He is noted for his complicated but very neat creations. His designs are graceful and polite. His main advantage is that he can pile on the beads onto tissue-paper-thin chiffon. He is also fond of cutting velvet using a biased cut technique. Aside from using his own name as a brand, Biyan also has another line, XSML. Lately, the XSML brand has become a topic of discussion as it displays a more youthful character that is full of ardor. It seems Biyan is more interested in the XSML brand than the Biyan brand owing to the greater popularity of the former.
Deden Siswanto
Deden began his fashion career in Bandung and has been in the national fashion world less than five years. Within this brief period of time, however, he has become a topic of hot discussion among fashionistas. From the very beginning, his designs draw on folklore, which he has developed into many style directions, such as the urban, extra Bohemian, androgynous, and Victorian, or ladylike, styles, and only he knows what will be next. He is fond of manipulating ornamentation, which he places very tactically on his dresses. He is also bold enough to contrast motifs in an unexpected way, a symbol of his freedom of expression in fashion design.
Denny Wirawan
From the start of his career, Denny has shown a passion for processing and creating motifs to be printed on the fabric. Every time he launches his annual collection, he astounds us with his new motifs. This strategy has rendered his designs highly exclusive and gives the impression that no one else is capable of doing what he does. He applies these motifs to various fabrics: chiffon, denim, raw silk, cotton, leather and so forth. Denny has declared that starting this year, the print technique will be his signature. His boldness in manipulating motifs is balanced by designs that always lay the emphasis on a strong ready-to-wear element.
Didi Budiardjo
A highly conceptual designer, Didi is very fond of tinkering with volume in his creations. As a result, his designs always appear dramatic. He likes blending a rigid silhouette with subtle elements. His designs are super feminine and graceful. Every element and every detail of his designs carry their own weight and complement each other. Didi also designs for House of Prajudi and through this label he has amply demonstrated his own charm. He combines futuristic concepts with the demands made by House Prajudi that the designs display a strong Indonesian ethnic element.
Sebastian Gunawan
He is the real star of the Indonesian fashion world today. His designs are varied, ranging from simple decorative designs to the grand and dramatic. As he spent a long time studying at fashion school in Italy, Sebastian's works also display a sexiness reminiscent of Italian women. His evening wear is very popular. However, partnered by his wife, Christina, he also produces designs using the Votum label, through which he caters for the ready-to-wear market. Besides being a designer, Sebastian also often serves as a juror for prestigious fashion competitions in Indonesia.