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.