Millennial colors hit Indonesian fashion in l999

Millennial colors hit Indonesian fashion in l999

By Agni Amorita

JAKARTA (JP): The year 1999 was about gray, purple and silver
colors, according to Indonesia's fashion map.

From big cities to suburban areas, girls followed their
television and teen magazine idols, wearing gray or violet
dresses.

A sleeveless shirt or a tank top was the best-selling item of
clothing in 1999 together with kebaya modern, a modified
Javanese traditional blouse, or its western-style equivalent the
knitted cardigan.

The domination of gray and lavender also hit the heated
Indonesian political stage through Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri, who is a real purple devotee.

When Megawati was sworn in as Indonesian Vice President last
month, people were waiting to hear her inaugural speech and --
mostly by her female supporters -- to see her outfit. It was her
little brother Guruh Soekarnoputro who designed her baju kurung,
a traditional dress of the Minangkabau ethnic tribe of West
Sumatra, in violet for her first official appearance. She
continues wearing purple on many official trips or at ceremonies
in various forms of dress, from baju kurung, kebaya, suit-
dresses, shirts, skirts or a camisole for her gray office blazer.

Although Megawati has been replacing her favorite feminine
floral dresses with a more formal suit-dress, she still has a
tendency to wear baju kurung and kebaya. It is considered a
revival of local costumes.

Since Edward Hutabarat, popularly called Edo, launched his
kebaya in 1997, the public was mesmerized by its elegance and
romantic effect, which later transformed into kebaya mania among
young women.

Edo himself closed this year with meticulous research to
finish his book on kebaya and baju kurung. This trend has
produced a new term -- kebaya designer -- as a popular expression
in the local fashion industry.

Even the Indonesian Fashion Award, given by a society which
includes fashion photographers, fashion writers and editors and
choreographers, in cooperation with Fashion Cafe, decided to
maintain a ceremony of giving an annual trophy for the best
kebaya designer.

This year's award, held in mid-November, was given to kebaya
designer Edward Hutabarat.

Another trend that marked 1999 was a designer's bazaar. It was
embroidery-designer Ramli who lowered the standard by holding a
fashion bazaar comprising Indonesia's top designers in Hotel
Mulia Jakarta last year. Hit by the economic crisis, Indonesia's
affluent women downgraded their fashion tastes to cheaper bazaar
products.

Designer Itang Yunasz, who cut his prices more than 50
percent, earned more than Rp 17 million for a one-day bazaar.
This positive phenomenon made Ramli schedule the whole of 1999
with five similar occasions at various five star hotel in
Jakarta. Ramli was not the only one.

Other fashion people have run similar events, including The
Paga, a group of Indonesian former models, who launched a
traditional wedding bazaar in October.

While some designers were taking money, others contributed
their talents. There was a trend that many local designers in
1999 raced to join as costume designers in a number of local
plays.

It was Stephanus Hamy who took the job in July when he created
costumes for a week of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named
Desire performances in Gedung Kesenian Jakarta.

Other designers, Sebastian Gunawan and M Richard, were costume
designers for August Strindberg's Miss Julie in October. Younger
designers worked together in plays of smaller theatrical
performances like in the Bulungan Youth Center in South Jakarta,
last month.

Such promotional tricks work well to strengthen their national
credit. Another promotional activity was introduced by the Citra
Panasonic Award, Indonesia's version of the Emmy Awards, held in
November.

For the first time, at an annual event, Indonesian artists
wore gowns borrowed from local designers, a trend set by French,
Italian, British and U.S. designers in persuading Hollywood stars
to wear their works at the prestigious Academy Awards. Desy
Ratnasari, winner of the most popular TV star, wore a dress by
batik designer Naniek Rachmat.

It's a win-win business. Both artists and designers gain
profits. The artists looked gorgeous in designer clothing and the
designers got free promotion.

Although the economic crisis is not yet over, international
branded boutiques look optimistic in facing 2000. Many of them,
temporarily closed during the crisis, plan to resume their
businesses in Indonesia.

Local boutique frequenters flocked again to foreign fashion
houses' outlets in Jakarta's shopping malls, especially the weeks
preceding Christmas, New Year and Idul Fitri.

The Singapore-based Glamourette Group which runs and
represents several fashion houses, held again its annual trunk
show, which was halted in l997.

Fashion companies like Esprit, Guess, Levi's, etc., focused on
the local youth as their target group. They advertised their
products in teen and music magazines to pursue young clients.

They also aggressively penetrate the youth world by organizing
events involving young people, high school students in
particular.

Levi's Indonesia, for instance, held and sponsored a music
contest for high school students in Greater Jakarta.

Young people have also started played significant roles in
Indonesia's fashion world in the past few years.

The year 1999 welcomed incredible young and talented designers
like Oscar Lawalata, Kanaya Tabitha and Urban Crew's Ichwan Thoha
and Era M Soekamto.

They really set Indonesia's fashion world on fire with their
innovative and sometimes naughty collections.

They began carving their names in various Indonesian catwalks
and fashion outlets. Ichwan and Era, with their label Urban Crew,
signed a contract with Lycra International to explore their
creations in that special fabric. Oscar Lawalata won an
international award at the Asian Young Designer Contest and
Kanaya obtained a scholarship from an Italian fashion school.

Their success has inspired other young designers, including
Aranxa Adi, Carend Roland Delano and Rere to follow in their
steps.

Even musician-choreographer Guruh Soekarnoputra, plunged into
the fashion world when he introduced his batik designs recently.

These young designers and newcomers actively promoted and
staged their works on unusual catwalks at cafes and hotel
lobbies, and attracted large crowds.

Senior designers like Chosy Latu, Samuel Watimena, Biyan, Ghea
Panggabean and many others will certainly have to work hard to
maintain their seats. Their junior counterparts are fresher and
more innovative. With such designs, they will likely become big
names on local and maybe regional fashion runways.

It is also interesting to note that Jakarta is no longer
dominant in the fashion scene. Denpasar, the provincial capital
of the tourist island of Bali plans to attract fashion lovers to
numerous boutiques owned by Bali-based designers like Irsan,
Elice Seymour, Hadi Vertigo and many others.

The designers, many of whom have an international reputation,
will hold a year-end show called Trend 2000 to showcase their
talents and unique designs.

Two Indonesian designer associations -- APPMI, chaired by
Poppy Dharsono, and IPMI, chaired by Samsidar Isa -- are setting
trends for 2000.

APPMI's designers, including Etty Bacheta, Raizal Raiz and
Naniek Rachmat, displayed futuristic collections at the recent
Fashion Tendance. Naniek appeared with funky batik designs. Her
colors are bright and provocative. Futuristic elements like
chrome, silvery metallic outfits will mark fashion styles for
2000.

Not all designers were hit by millennium fever. IPMI's
designers like Ghea Panggabean and the others prefer to preserve
their basic roots by modifying ethnic and traditional elements of
batik, ikat single or double woven textiles into contemporary
creations.

With the new millennium moving ever closer, Indonesian fashion
lovers will have a wide choice of fashion styles -- traditional
or futuristic.