Stephanus Hamy looks to the East for inspiration
Asniar Sahab, Contributor, Jakarta
In his 16 years in fashion, Stephanus Hamy has made consistency his tradmark, particularly pleats, which are lovingly incorporated into his designs.
Stephanus has spent over 13 years developing the pleat technique, the application of which came from observing other designers and then making it his own. He was still, however, second in the public's hearts, as other designers were superior to him in their creativity and also their financial capability.
He also never went solo in launching his designs, always choosing instead to be part of joint fashion trend exhibitions or, occasionally, designing for theater performances or magazine shoots. Like fellow designer Samuel Wattimena, Stephanus understands that promotion of his works does not have to be done through fashion shows alone.
Still, last week he gave in, sort of. He held his debut solo show, not to cause any ripples in the fashion community but to dedicate it to his loyal clients, buyers and the press. His show, presenting 70 designs for 2002, took a relatively short three months to prepare, from the design process to setting up the show at Hotel Sari Pan Pacific in Central Jakarta.
Based on the concept of freedom to express oneself, Stephanus tried to blend various cultural elements of different Asian lands, such as India, China, Korea, Japan and Indonesia. He combined them in a composition of world fashion trends, such as the kebaya (Indonesian traditional blouse), the Chinese cheongsam, and the sarong and tunic, which were all presented in modern styles.
Indeed, asymmetric and straight silhouettes have become the strength of Stephanus' designs over the years. Intentionally, he did not bundle the whole idea of the cultural elements into his designs, but accentuated their essence in every line of his creations.
His fashion show this time gave the impression of highlighting the kimono, the Japanese traditional dress, over the other pieces of clothing. He did however, seem more creative in applying the pleats for his designs, such as making them in soft fabrics like chiffon, silk and organdy. It did not mean that he applied pleats in all his design collections, as lace materials with checkered and polka-dot motifs were also used.
This time, Stephanus used minimalist materials but the pieces exuded a simple but feminine nuance. Sequins, beads, crystal and embroidery were found throughout his collection. The fashion trend in 2002, according to Stephanus, shows a growing tendency toward the eastern style, just like the theme of his designs this time.
The pleats, as Stephanus' specialty, were this time expressed in the embellishment of striking colors like red, green, orange, blue, black and white so that all his pieces looked cosmopolitan but slightly contemporary.
His pieces, in terms of wearability and selling value, will be accepted by the fashion public. Unfortunately, the models' heavy makeup and staid hairdos gave them a tired appearance in presenting the creations. The hairdos in particular, swept back and tied in buns, went against Stephanus' cosmopolitan designs, simply looking old-fashioned.
It would have worked better for the models to have worn light makeup and simple hairdos to really show off the beautiful clothes they were wearing. Something to think about for Stephanus' second show, perhaps.