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.