JP/9/dean

JP/9/dean

A short cut to Paris

Everyone making their career in the fashion world wants to carve
out a place for himself or herself in Paris, one of the world's
great fashion capitals. Unfortunately, the roads to Paris are few
and far between for young designers.

Syahmedi Dean
Contributor/Jakarta

Many people involved in the fashion business in Indonesia have
gone out of their way to secure a place in the international
fashion arena, such as taking part in international fashion week,
joining government-sponsored trade tours or even engaging in the
small-scale export trade. Although these efforts, as a whole,
rarely produce tangible results, some small endeavors, such as
sending fashion students to an international fashion competition
in Paris, have produced quite good results for the local fashion
industry, particularly with as regards beginners.

Called the Concours International des Jeunes Createurs de Mode
(CIDJCDM), this prestigious competition was held for the first
time in 1991. That year, only five fashion schools in Jakarta
sent students to participate. Fourteen years later, however, this
competition, which is specially designed for fashion school
students, was participated in by 16 fashion schools from Jakarta,
Bandung, Yogyakarta and Surabaya.

"In terms of quality, the creativity of the participants this
year was similar to last year. Interesting, however, is the fact
that our endeavor to stimulate youngsters to join the local
fashion industry has led to the emergence of many different
fashion schools. Many of these schools have taken part in this
particular competition," said M.N. Retno Murti, general chairman
of the organizing committee of the competition and editor-in-
chief of Dewi, a woman's magazine, who has been in charge of the
CIDJCDM organization in Indonesia from the very beginning. "One
fashion school has even informed me that they are planning to
open a new department to prepare students for this competition."

Nevertheless, this does not in any way mean that every
participant can win a prize by simply relying on his or her own
creativity. Abineri Ang, a designer and one of the judges, said,
"Many participants have fallen into the trap created by their own
creativity. Their creations look like carnival costumes and fails
to impress people as beautiful and well-constructed works.
However, I've confidence in Eva Puspitasari of Bandung's STISI
and Jeffrey of Jakarta's ESMOD." Abineri Ang took part in CIDJCDM
in 1996. He won the top prize, the Grand Prix, and a one-year
scholarship at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne.

The Indonesian round of CIDJCDM this year was held in the Sari
Pan Pacific Hotel in Jakarta in late September. The competition
produced 35 finalists in the fashion category and 15 finalists in
the accessories category. Each participant had to present a
creation they had designed that conformed to this year's theme of
"Art, Fashion & Industry". Aged under 25 on average, the
participants' youthfulness was reflected in their explosive
designs, which were clearly the fruit of limitless imaginations.
Why not! There was a skirt made of an umbrella and a dress
designed like the cocoon of a silkworm. There was also the hose
of a vacuum cleaner used as an element in a dress and a piece
made of hundreds of meters of computer cables.

Finally, the judges named 10 winners in the fashion category
and five winners in the accessories category. Aside from Abineri
Ang, the panel of judges this year was made up of Pia
Alisjahbana, Sebastian Gunawan, Carmanita, Taruna Kusmayadi,
Rolla Yogishwara, Rinaldy and Firman Ichsan. Selected works of
the participants will be sent to Paris in December this year to
take part in the international competition.