Talented fashion students strut their stuff

Elaine, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

It takes more than a little bravery to go public with dreams of becoming a young fashion designer, putting your name on the line and having to accept the criticism of others.

That was the case last Saturday when a group of young, promising fashion design students gathered at the International Garment Training Center (IGTC) campus in Sentul, West Java.

Two students representing the 12 schools invited to join the competition showed three outfits -- an evening, formal and casual wear -- of their design.

It was not only an opportunity to showcase their talent, but also a chance to learn the smarts of running their own business.

A jury of experts from the fashion world and garment industry selected three winners based on choice of material, finishing and ability and to selling the designs. The top three winners were awarded IGTC's study programs along with other prizes from sponsors.

IGTC director Markus Boehm said the purpose of the competition was to seek talented young people and provide them with the chance to exercise their creativity, as well as learn useful management skills that would assist them in their future careers.

"Many fashion design students are unemployed after graduation. IGTC would like to give them additional training of marketing and merchandising," he said.

"It is the combination of creative and business skills that will make these young people much more competitive and successful. It helps them to start a career in the garment industry, Indonesia's second biggest employer, or to open up their own business."

Despite the heat, parking difficulties and a huge crowd of onlookers, the event went off smoothly, with students from several of the design schools providing their own cheering sections.

First up was Nunu Aryanti Anwar from Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia in Bandung, whose blue-dominated collection wowed the audience.

As other designs came onto the catwalk, it became apparent that although each of the students had their own designs, the materials used were generally similar.

For the evening collection, the predominant materials were silk, chiffon, tulle and, most importantly, beads that were generously integrated into most of the designs, be it on the bottom fringe of the skirt, around the waistline or neckline.

While the young designers are undeniably talented, only a few of them managed to come up with a consistently interesting and innovative set of designs, which still means that each of the competitors presented the audience with at least one or two fascinating and memorable designs. Examples were Nining Suliana's glamorous oriental-inspired red dress and Iwan Amir's phenomenally constructed leaf-green dress.

The formal wear collection was quite monotonous with many of the competitors experimenting with colors and materials -- but not so much with style.

The standard blouse, skirt and blazer combination appeared over and over again on stage, although Zainab Kubro Al-Habsyi's finely tailored suit was a standout because of the unique masculine style.

The casual wear was definitely more varied than the formal wear but most of the designs were, well, casual. It could be said that they were a little too informal; cropped pants, sleeveless shirts and flat sandals being the standards.

The great thing about the casual wear category is that it gave more space for competitors with edgy themes to experiment. While it is certainly much easier to impress an audience with elegant evening wear, several of the competitors came up with creative yet wearable designs.

An example was Ely Marlina's clown-inspired casual wear, which consisted of a pair of funky red and brown cropped pants paired with a cute red halter top. Wiyanti Hartanto, on the theme of anak Jalanan (street kids), provided another interesting example. No one would wear her ripped dress to a party but youngsters would go crazy for her patched "street wear".

With each of the competitors showing a unique approach, with individual strengths and weaknesses, it was difficult to judge them against each other. But when the winners were announced, everyone had to agree the most important factor in the competition was choice of material, with each of the top three winners effectively utilizing unconventional materials.

The winner was Ni Nyoman Sari S. from SMK Negeri 3 vocational school in Bogor. Her stunning gray-dominated collection -- inspired by the monuments of Bali -- was perhaps the most consistent in sticking to a theme among the other designers.

Second place went to Zainab Kubro Al-Habsyi from InterStudi Jakarta, with a playful evening dress imaginatively lined with feathers. Teti Kanilah from SMK Negeri 3 Bogor took third with distinctive colorful threads inspired by local handicraft knits.

They are young, but the designers displayed enormous potential. It's not only about talent, however, because that can only take you so far. After the competition, they are also blessed with the opportunity to expand their creativity and devise a strategy for their future.

"I was very impressed about the presented outfits. I am sure that these young people will have a great future in the garment industry," said Anandita Bajaj, a member of the jury.

Let's hope the IGTC Fashion Competition will be a small but significant stepping stone for each of these students to begin their journey in the fashion world. Only time will tell if they will manage to take Indonesia to the forefront of the world fashion.