RI designers face greater retail competition

RI designers face greater retail competition

By Dini S. Djalal

JAKARTA (JP): It's a good thing that copyrights remain an alien concept in the fashion world, or else many designers would be out of business.

Including Indonesian designers. At the 1996 Wajah Mode (Face of Fashion) show held throughout this week at Mega Pasaraya Department store in South Jakarta, the globalization theory manifested in full force. Dozens of similarly-inspired collections paraded down the runways as mirror images not only of each other's works but also of European and American designers'.

No longer are Asian designers the backward cousins of their First World counterparts. The information superhighway -- satellite television, print media, the Internet -- has quickened the replication of faraway fashions.

For the time being, this benefits consumers. Pining for that mint Versace suit but can't bear to pawn your wedding ring? Check out Chossy Latu's delicious mint ensembles lined with matching satin. Want to look like an Armani vamp in beige pantsuit and matching bra? Valentino Napitupulu has it for a fraction of the price. Imitation is not only the best flattery, but also the cheapest.

"Indonesian fashion does turn to the West, but it also includes traditional aspects," explained Chossy Latu. But inclusion of local traditions may have to wait until next season, should the "ethnic" look come into vogue again.

At the moment, it is the secretarial style that is all the rage. And thankfully so, because without the current trend towards conservative fashions, imitation would be a handicap. Who needs another well-fitting suit or a simple shift-dress? Answer: Almost every working woman. European and American designers claim that their infatuation with matronly style is based on revolt, a revolt against the trendy miniskirts of youth. Calvin Klein proclaimed to Vogue magazine, "The knee-length look just looks fresh."

Klein forgot to add that it's also safe. Female executives too busy to retain a teenage body prefer clothes that hide their wobbly parts, not lycra hot pants. With the exception of Beverly Hills teenagers and their Pondok Indah wannabes, mature women comprise the bulk of the fashion market. Ultimately, conservative fashions are about safe business.

Big business is in fact starting to support the local fashion industry. The newly-opened Mega Pasaraya, for example, will house the collections of many local designers and is sponsoring this week-long fashion extravaganza.

Yet the support remains half-hearted, as imported fashions, particularly luxury goods, take center stage. Indonesian fashion is relegated to the first floor of Mega Pasaraya, while the ground floor is the domain of foreign boutiques. The recently- opened Plaza Senayan and Galeri Grand Hyatt boasts even more foreign designers, such as Thierry Mugler and Calvin Klein. With such big names heating up competition, struggling local designers face tougher times capturing a market.

Rae Sita Supit, vice-president of PT Pasaraya Nusantara, is optimistic about the retail market.

"Jakarta is fast becoming a shoppers' city, as Singapore steps down. Shopping tourism in Jakarta has considerably increased," said Rae Sita.

But will tourists buy locally-made collections? Local designers must ultimately expand their production in order to properly compete with foreign producers, and this requires the aid of textile producers. Indonesia's textile industry is the nation's largest non-oil export sector, yet their success has little affected Indonesian designers. The backing of the country's textile giants could lower production costs and help local designers achieve economies of scale.

Chossy Latu says progress is being made, however slowly.

"Yes, there is a gap between textile producers and local designers," said Chossy. "But a dialog is ongoing," he said.

Hopefully, the dialog will conclude while the fashions are still hot. The quality of locally-made collections remain hindered by inferior fabrics and sloppy finishing, but in recent years the overall vision has vastly matured.

At least for most. Some designers still cannot transcend the "designer" stereotype and over-design rather than streamline. Products of the excessive Eighties, these designers have not accepted that minimalism is no longer a fleeting trend, but the aesthetic of the new millennium. More and more women are wearing less accessories, prints and make-up.

Yet loud designers were a minority, and much of the 1996 Wajah Mode show highlighted a minimalist aesthetic. What save some, not all, the designs from being repetitive was their ingenious use of fabrics.

For example, Alex AB's silhouettes may come from your mother's closet -- knee-length suits, capri pants, boxy jackets -- but his color scheme spun a modernist tale. Cool turquoise was played upon metallic blue, all sassily strutting in confident taffeta.

Alex AB's suited sirens had many sisters. Chossy Latu, Valentino Napitupulu, Samuel Wattimena, Biyan and Dipa, all designed under the same paradigm and sent out this season's ubiquitous sleeveless shift with matching jacket. Color variation was the only thing that set them apart. Latu chose mint, Wattimena opted for beige and pink. Napitupulu's collection was a pastel fiesta, offering suits in lilac, pink, mint and camel.

Men's attire also did not differ from collection to collection. Crepe or satin shirts with flyaway collars appeared again and again. Will Indonesian men want to look like 1970s TV icons Starsky and Hutch? Designers hope so.

Biyan's show, however, transcended fashion. When the models appeared solemn-faced and walked very slowly, the audience realized this would be different from the rest. This season's clothes are in fact subtle updates of last year's collection rather than the 180 degree transformation committed by other designers. Organza tunics with tiny flower embroideries were layered over crepe slips. Cropped jackets were also finely embroidered and paired with the slimmest trousers. The knee- length look may not flatter many figures, but with his masterful cut, Biyan is able to transform the most awkward silhouette into beautiful statements.

Thomas Sigar also has a deft hand. His pink and mint A-line mini-dresses may be too cute outside of sunny Miami, but, thanks to a great cut, they retain a sleek and modern sensibility. Ghea Sukarya's white and black shifts were also ultra-modern, worn with low-slung belts and shell chokers. While her short dresses are quietly sensual, her long skirts and sarongs are sexier still. Again belted at the hip, these modest ensembles were fired up by the accent of leopard prints.

Animal prints make up the bulk of Raizal Rais' designs. His show started with a Vespa roaring onto the stage. Original? New York designer Anna Sui did it for last season's show. Animal prints have also made their way into every teenagers' wardrobe, so the collection was a meow rather than a growl.

But it will sell. People who want their clothes to give them personality will stock up on Rais' trendy satins and prints. Ultimately, sales are what really counts.