Till tiaras do us part: Kim Thong's bridal gowns don't die

By Dini S. Djalal

JAKARTA (JP): Three things happened at the Kim Thong Exclusive Bridal House Bridal show last weekend: a lot of wedding gowns were modeled by pretty girls on the arms of even prettier boys, a lot of salespeople tried to sell their wedding organization services to prospective brides and grooms, and a lot of people just wandered around looking for free food and entertainment.

At this three-day bridal extravaganza, it was the food, not the fashion, which created pandemonium. When I arrived, all seemed calm until "coffee break" was announced. Then the crowd descended upon unsuspecting me, who was standing by the pastry table, like a pack of hungry lions seeing a lone gazelle. This was an event, alright, though of what kind will never be known.

Three words about designer Kim Thong: tinsel, tiaras, and trains -- as in dress trains. Kim Thong is one of Indonesia's most prolific designers. This is his Exclusive Bridal House's 19th year, and his 27th year in fashion design. He has beautified the faces and bodies of Miss Universes and Miss Worlds, including Miss Universe 1993 Sushmita Sen. Kim Thong's latest triumph was to design the bridal gowns, and oversee the reception, of the wedding of the year, that between Olympic gold medal badminton champions Susi Susanti and Alan Budikusuma.

The morning after, Susanti's gown -- an off-the-shoulder, bead-encrusted satin spectacle -- was splashed on front pages across the country, and even made it onto CNN. Kim Thong had scored a publicity coup equal to Oscar de la Renta's inauguration ball creation for Hillary Clinton. Few, including this unnerved reporter, now dared to dispute Kim Thong's talent for glitter.

For glitter it was, and is. Ostentatious and overindulgent, Kim Thong designs are not for the shy-at-heart. In the flashy world of Kim Thong Exclusive Bridal House, it seems the only luxury is understatement.

Gold, glitz, glaring

The opening music of Sunday night's finale show embodied Kim Thong's theatrics. The drum blare from the 2001 soundtrack boomed loudly out from the speakers (on top of which was a video scroll running the sponsors' names over and over again), preparing the anxious audience for the drama to come.

Actually, the dance. Although expecting the show to begin with bridal beauties, four dancers in bright pink leotards, gold tassels, and feather masks, bounded on, seemingly engaged in balletic movements. Okay, okay, chorus lines and cabarets are a Jakarta fashion show tradition, but all habits, as dinosaurs and Neanderthals would surely testify, evolve, or else threaten the survival of its propagators.

Finally the show began. Again, three words: gold, glitz, glaring. Bridalwear in gold mesh and gold bows were paired with gold hats and gold masks. Very Venetian, I thought, and looked around for a gondola to whisk me away, far away. But all I found was worried Kim Thong watching reporters writing their notes.

Eventually the designer left to fuss over something else, notably the show's guest star Cornelia Agatha, actress on the Si Doel TV series. Or rather, not Cornelia Agatha, as the applauding audience discovered when another model strolled onstage. The MC had got it wrong, and Cornelia walked limpidly onstage minutes later. Her face was as pale as her ivory gown.

But the show went on, and on. Some gowns came in mint, others in icy blue (worn with matching wigs, a clever idea), all of them more opulent than the last. But the opulence, apparently, is necessary in order to meet the demands of the huge market. The Kim Thong catalog, for example, offers four different kinds of veils, eight different kinds of bodices and necklines, eight different kinds of headdresses, five different kinds of skirts and waists, and no less than nine different kinds of sleeves -- including one intriguingly called Leg of Mutton.

Look at the prices, though, and the joke's on you. As every couturier knows, bridalwear is a lucrative business -- her wedding is the one time a woman is likely to indulge in couture. A bride wants to look like a queen on her wedding day, and will probably pay royal prices for the privilege.

Kim Thong knows well the lure of the altar. An elegantly dressed woman sidled up next to me and asked a salesperson how much for just makeup and hair arrangement. "Rp 1.5 million," the salesperson deadpanned. That's pocket money compared to the gowns and wedding packages. A "standard" white gown made from "local fabric" costs Rp 3 million; strangely enough, a non-traditional cream gown costs Rp 1 million more. An "exclusive" white gown starts from Rp 5 million.

But, as the Kim Thong people insist, it's better to take the package. The "Star" package, which includes a second-hand gown, a new tuxedo for the groom, a wedding cake, a photo spread (for which you can even superimpose your face over a garden of butterflies), a VHS video taping, and even a rented Mercedes for eight hours, runs at under Rp 5 million -- just a little over with Kim Thong makeup.

The prices, and services, then start hiking up (although the Mercedes always stays for only eight hours), culminating in the staggering Rp 31 million "Maximillium" package. Apparently, for this grand sum, you get not only the full Kim Thong design experience, but also 10 bridesmaids and 500 wedding invitations (although by logic, a wedding this expensive requires more than 500 guests to show off to). You also get to trade the Mercedes for a Volvo, apparently more prestigious here.

At these prices, you can probably even get the Kim Thong Exclusive Bridal House underwear, available in cream, white or black, and in boxes of three, for free. One question: when will the Kim Thong G-string be launched?