What's up with lackluster ready-to-wear?

What's up with lackluster ready-to-wear?

Muara Bagdja, Contributor, Jakarta

The local ready-to-wear industry is best described as dormant.
While we think we have Indonesian fashion, in reality it is quite
difficult to find dresses bearing the brand names of our
designers in most places in this country.

It is true that almost every month there is at least one
fashion show featuring the work of a particular Indonesian
designer. Our women's magazines also carry frequent reports on
the progress in Indonesian fashion and do their best to introduce
local designers.

But you may find it hard going to find their creations in
department stores and other places. What we read about in the
mass media publications are usually exclusive works that are made
to order, which some observers consider a sign of progress.

In reality, ready-to-wear products have become increasingly
more difficult to obtain because many designers have only a few
places where they sell their products and therefore cut down on
their production level. Several designers have reportedly closed
down their outlets.

In a famous department store in Jakarta, for example, there
are only nine counters left for Indonesian designers.

Given the fact that fashion creations must be enjoyed by as
many people as possible, and not only by a particular group of
society, the progress in the fashion world in any country must
entail the development of the ready-to-wear garment industry.

Ironically, Indonesian consumers can easily find ready-to-wear
products from South Korea, Thailand and China.

A blouse in a trendy design is obtainable for a mere Rp
50,000, for example. As the quality is satisfactory, consumers
happily buy the products.

The influx of foreign garment products into the country is a
result of the introduction of the Asia-Pacific liberalized market
system in 2003. In such a market, the principle of "the survival
of the fittest" prevails. As a result, Indonesian ready-to-wear
producers can no longer compete with their foreign rivals in
terms of production capacity, quality, prices and even models.

Does this miserable condition mark the end of the local
designers' ready-to-wear industry? We hope not.

Of course, the country's ready-to-wear garment industry should
not be accorded protection against imported garment products
because it would not solve the fundamental problems.

Naturally, given the unfavorable condition of the ready-to-
wear industry, the players in the country's fashion industry want
to see the presence of a fashion distributor. Such a distributor
may act like a promoter for ready-to-wear designers.

He will take charge of matters related to the production
system, marketing and promotion, the three main weaknesses of
many Indonesian designers.

As a promoter, this distributor will also play his role as a
link connecting capital holders, textile factories, garment
manufacturers and sales outlets (department stores, shops or
boutiques).

Then, what role will the designers play?

They can tap into their creativeness in their designs. They
still have their reputation among middle-class consumers in major
cities or in the regions. What's more, these designers are
strongly motivated to promote Indonesian fashion.

Obviously, financial support is needed because production
costs and the prices of raw materials (from yarns to textiles)
continue to soar. These garment products must be mass produced to
cut costs. Manufacturing these products as a home industry
undertaking, as many designers continue to do, must no longer
continue as it only raises the cost of production.

Producing garment products on a large scale will lead to
regular garment collections, a practice that will lure buyers to
buy the products offered. If not, the impression is that the
products are unattractive and do not sell well.

Who will be ready to take up the position of distributor,
then? Indeed, we have quite a few big and successful
businesspeople, but how many of them are ready to take up fashion
as their business?

Distributors and players in the fashion world must come up
with a suitable system to promote the country's ready-to-wear
garment industry. If this happens, fashion designers will no
longer be viewed as people concerned with their idealism and
creativity but who stubbornly ignore the business side of their
job.