Top designers to stage latest collections at Fashion Week
JAKARTA (JP): Some 50 top fashion designers will present their latest collections during Indonesian Fashion Week, which will be held in conjunction with a textile and apparel exhibition.
The event, which is organized by PT Rantai Expo International in cooperation with London-based International Trade and Exhibition Group plc (ITE), is billed as Indonesia's largest fashion event of the year.
The event will include catwalk shows featuring the latest ready-to-wear and haute couture collections of famous designers like Guruh Soekarnoputra, Poppy Dharsono, Musa Widyatmoldjo, Taruna K. Kusmayadi, Raizal Rais, Dina Midiani, Weeta Djemat, Oscar Lawalata, RM Prayudi, Yongki Budi Sutisna, Sthepanus Hami and Ara M. Soekanto.
The Indonesian designers will present their latest collections (amounting to over 1,200 outfits) at a specially designed catwalk area on the Mezzanine level of JCC Lobby Hall.
The show is the first such event to involve both designers and textile producers. Many years ago, an attempt was made to bring together fashion designers and textile companies but this endeavor did not materialize until this upcoming fashion show.
Eko Prabowo of Rantai said that as designers were heavily dependent on textiles, they were therefore inseparable from the textile industry, so the two of them had to form a harmonious partnership.
In advanced countries, he noted, fashion designers and the textile industry had always fostered good cooperation to ensure that the fashion industry developed.
The fashion week to be held from October 25 to 27, is also the result of cooperation with the Association of Fashion Designing Entrepreneurs (APPMI) and the Indonesian Association of Fashion Designers (IPMI).
Eko said that fashion designers not belonging to any fashion organization, like Ramli and Adjie Notonegoro, would also be involved in the exhibition. Rantai, he added, would like to establish a common vision in the face of a globalized market.
In the upcoming fashion week, APPMI, IPMI and individual fashion designers will present their work in a three-day fashion show. The first two days will be exclusively reserved for world- class buyers. The last day will be open to the public. Obviously, this fashion show will be a golden opportunity for local fashion designers.
"I'm personally pleased that APPMI is involved in this exhibition. This means that our own annual show on fashion trends will this year be part of this international exhibition," said Taruna K. Kusmayadi, a fashion designer of APPMI.
He said that APPMI was the first organization Rantai had contacted for the upcoming exhibition. "They presented to us the concept of this event three months ago. We were interested in participating because they showed serious interest in fashion development in Indonesia and also because they will invite world- class buyers like Top Shop from the United Kingdom and DKNY and GAP of the United States," he noted.
Taruna of APPMI said that as many as 32 APPMI members had registered to join the fashion show. They are, among others, Musa Widyatmodjo, Dina Midiani, Raizal Rais, Poppy Dharsono and Dimas Mahendra. Each designer will display 30 of their latest designs. These designers have been preparing for this show for the past three months now, Taruna said, adding that this time APPMI could feel slightly relieved and therefore focus better on the design work as they would not have to find sponsors for the show. The Indonesian Fashion Week had provided them with all the necessary facilities and APPMI members would be able to tap this golden opportunity as best they could, he said.
IPMI, however, is not as lucky as APPMI as the organizing committee did not contact IPMI designers until about two weeks ago. Although they have had to prepare for their participation rather hurriedly, Denny Wirawan of IPMI said, the invitation to join the Indonesian Fashion Week is warmly welcomed. Nine IPMI members, among whom are Stephanus Hammy and Era M. Soekamto, will display their designs in a special show designated to introduce favorite trends among IPMI members, he noted, adding that each designer would feature about 20 designs.
Meanwhile, Ghea Panggabean and Prajudi Fashion House will get an opportunity for a solo show, which will each feature 60 of their latest fashionable designs.
The question that remains is whether the mission of Indonesian Fashion Week 2001, a combination of fashion exhibition and conference, to bring together textile producers, fashion designers and garment exporters to face the globalized market together will ever be realized. This is something that only the players in the fashion industry can answer. As long as they work professionally and understand the rules of the game in international business transactions, it is likely that this great ambition may become a reality.
One thing that is worth admiring is the effort to bring together producers and buyers in the upcoming Indonesian Fashion Week. This will be the first exhibition in Indonesia's fashion history to substantially contribute to the promotion of the country's fashion industry.(Asniar Sahab)