Spring fashions demonstrate unique handcraftmanship

By Dini S. Djalal

JAKARTA (JP): Living every moment like a Herb Ritts photograph, the style elite is a phenomenon often dissected but little understood. Media pundits are drawn not only by the truly trendy's dark sunglasses, but also by their equally opaque mantra of "fashion is easy when you know how."

From year to year, season to season, the perpetually hip -- one hand clutching the latest issue of The Face and the other juggling both a Marlboro Light and a bottle of Evian -- trade wardrobes to survive yet another fashion moment.

The unfolding years, however, are not kind and today it isn't enough to emulate the newest underfed supermodel. Retailers in the U.S. and Europe are suffering another lackluster year, forcing designers to constantly churn out fashion trends that may tug at customers' hearts and wallets. What results is a boomerang effect, as most shoppers refuse to keep up with the heightened pace of changing fashions.

So while the determinedly fashionable empty their pockets to stay on the cutting edge, mainstream consumers are piling up their pennies. But not indefinitely. An International Herald Tribune article reported recently that women are buying the same amount of clothes, they're just not buying the latest trends. The best-selling items are instead those that have shelf life -- casual classics or one-of-a-kind quality pieces.

In Jakarta, fashion is more sympathetic to fleeting trends. Rising consumer culture has taken effect, and many designers, local and foreign, cater to a market hungry for the latest styles.

Wearable art

It's encouraging to find some designers standing apart from the trendy pack, and simply producing beautiful clothes. Jakarta- based Ina Rachma, Bali-based Nadya, and Parisian Emanuel Ungaro recently presented their Spring/Summer collections in Jakarta, and all three exemplify the inspired individualism that the fashion world needs to revive.

"There isn't any one theme in this collection," explained Ina Rachma of her lush silk gowns embroidered with Chinese tapestry. "What I wanted to show was the art of painting but using thread," she said. Rachma showed her Ossi collection at the Canadian Women's Association fashion show last Tuesday at the Regent Hotel.

Rachma's designs are indeed wearable art. In vivid hues such as forest green and empire red, she sculpts simple silhouettes draped in satins and incomparable needlework. Just looking at the embroidery -- in swan, peacock, or jungle motif -- is exhausting. The work must have been time consuming.

"Some jackets take a month to complete, others take two months," Rachma admitted.

The attention splurged on one garment is not repeated. "Except for the shirts and blouses, my work is one-of-a-kind. I only make one of each design," said Rachma. So if it's a black linen robe you want embroidered with a near life-size peacock design, sign the waiting list.

Charm emanates not only in the dramatic pieces, but also in the quieter ensembles. A vivid blue sleeveless satin tunic worn with matching pajamas is as royal as the ornate off-shoulder petticoat in raw silk which left the audience agape.

Rachma's deft play of texture did not stop at embroidery. The petticoat was coupled with an organdy shawl and a black satin skirt grazing the floor, offering both the eyes and hands a sensory feast. When a brocade jacket came with voluptuous organdy sleeves atop an equally grand synthetic ball gown, Rachma's vision of modern romance resounded gloriously. The fashion world is full of unsung talents, and Rachma is high on the list.

Rachma herself acknowledges the difficulties of staying afloat in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

"With all these foreign designers opening boutiques here, it's not easy. You have to be mentally strong to survive," said Rachma.

As production is a continuing struggle, Rachma finds few opportunities to market her products. "I just rely on mouth-to- mouth publicity. Thankfully a lot of foreigners like my work and buy straight from my showroom," said Rachma.

American-born Nadya is another designer who sells out of her showrooms, located in Legian and Ubud, Bali. Nadya presented her latest collection at an American Women's Association fashion show at the Shangri-La Hotel last month. Again, Nadya's forte is not her silhouettes but the rich textures of her hand-painted and embroidered fabrics.

Yet her most naive designs are often her strongest. An exuberant ikat vest, for example, can be flung over the shoulder and double as a scarf. How? "When I first started, I didn't know how to make clothes. So I basically joined two squares together and pinned them together with lots of buttons," admitted Nadya with a laugh.

This continuing exploration of a garment's multiple purposes lifts Nadya's designs above other ethnic-inspired fashions. Granted, some of her garments are run-of-the-mill vacation wear, such as long skirts and frocks in basic black or happy pastels. One shopper commented, "I could make this at home".

What the shopper can't make at home is what transcends the other pieces into new heights of beauty. The floor-length robes in a cacophonous patchwork of Lampung lapis (gold-thread ikat) and painted silks, lined with sinewy satin, simply look and feel imperial.

Oriental mixing

To truly taste the life of an emperor, try Emanual Ungaro -- if your Visa bill can handle the extra zeros. Ungaro's skills as a master couturier was shown last week at his Spring/Summer 1996 Trunk Show at Plaza Senayan's Glamourette Boutique.

What was presented was not only couture but the pret-a-porter Parallele line. Here the ready-to-wear description is apt -- Ungaro's immaculately constructed suits spruce up any occasion, especially in notice-me colors such as canary yellow and fire- engine red. Only the timing seems askew. The tight miniskirts were reminiscent of the showy 1980s rather than the timid 1990s, especially when paired with opaque black tights.

But fashion is callous of time and what was hot last summer may be revived by next winter. True to form, Ungaro has lifted styles from various eras -- the 1980s for black patent corsets and dominatrix-style stilettos, the 1970s for suede hipsters, the 1960s for a houndstooth check coat and matching boots. A lean, navy knit suit-dress strides to a more modern tune, and shows that Ungaro does minimalism as well as any Zen-inspired designer.

For although Ungaro's talents lie in print mixing, this season's mixes were off-color. Where is Ungaro going with his palette? To the Orient, where he picked up Chinese quilted jackets and sweaters knitted in Middle-Eastern patterns. The sweeping floor-length coat or a delicate chiffon-and-velvet tunic looked out of place when hung against the power suits earlier in the show.

"There's long and short because today everybody wants all lengths," explained Theresa Lim, Ungaro's brand manager in Singapore. "And Ungaro likes knits because they're easier to travel in," she added.

Ungaro's beaded gowns may not travel as well, but they're prettier and among the best in the business. Ungaro's direction may be slightly unfocused this season, but not his eye. When a model appeared in a long-sleeved gown beaded in rose-motif, she resembled a radiant mermaid swimming in pearls. The same gown was done in sheer black or gold lace, the latter ensemble sizzled with a feather-trimmed chiffon stole. If dressing drama queens is Ungaro's pleasure, designing the wardrobe for Sunset Boulevard should be his next venture.

The modern woman may keep her purse shut for short-lived fashion trends, but for a glamorous evening in an unforgettable dress, the purse strings may just loosen.