Young designers lighten up capital's fashion scene
By Agni Amorita
JAKARTA (JP): Two young and promising designers opted for other colors for St. Valentine Day's instead of conventional pink at their debut fashion show at Grand Mahakam Hotel.
Barli Perdana Asmara, 20, from Nuimasu Clothing and Ivan Gunawan, 18, of Studio 18 Boutique delighted the audience at the South Jakarta hotel last Friday with their innovative and impressive collections.
Barli started with silk and taffeta sleek evening dresses dominated by dark green, black, blue and ivory. He resorted to using pink for accentuation in only one of his outfits.
He also experimented with the Japanese-inspired art of tailoring.
"I have always been fascinated by the Japanese use of multipatterns in their fashion, sometimes they just layer one piece onto another in a very structured organization of sewing. It is only a simple thing but the result is very intense," said Barli, a second-year student at the Jakarta Marketing Institute (LIC).
"Nuimasu is a Japanese word for 'tailor'," he added.
For his Valentine's collection, he also derived ideas from costumes worn by stars of the movie Anna and the King, about the a legendary king of Siam and the English governess who teaches his children.
"As you can see, the kimono and Thailand's traditional sash are worn by the Japanese and Thais," Barli said.
"These belts have become the spirit of my collection."
Since his target market is the teen customer, Barli has added some fancy details to these lavish dresses, like glittering colors, sequins and daring cleavage, as well as sleeveless choices for all of his gowns.
His clothes are available at between Rp 65,000 (US$10) and Rp 700,000 ($100) a piece. Every month, Barli finishes around 24 pieces.
Ivan Gunawan preferred to maintain the Valentine's tradition by using pink and romantic pastels in his series of sequins.
But he also had other inspiring designs. He displayed his collections with maroon, red and silvery colors.
"These colors are my choice for my Valentine's outfits," said Ivan.
In his outfits made of Thai silk, Ivan mixed the sexiness of his mostly spaghetti-strap minigowns with a funky teen mood through the use of synthetic furs.
"I like classic and minimalist elements in my collections," he said, "But beyond that, it has to be sexy to be wearable."
A former model, Ivan decided to quit the catwalk to hone his career as a designer.
He worked as an assistant to his uncle, designer Adjie Notonegoro.
"He recognized my talent and trusted me to be his house designer for his second line, Studio 18."
Located on Jalan Dharmawangsa X No. 18 in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, Studio 18 Boutique is Ivan's office after his finishing classes at Perguruan Cikini High School. He is a senior.
"Every month I create more than 40 exclusive outfits, and among my clients are popular singer Reza," he said proudly.
Starting last year, almost all of outfits of Reza Arthamevia and her husband, actor Adjie Massaid, have been designed by Adjie Notonegoro's boutique. He sells his dresses from Rp 150,000 to Rp 900,000 each.
The two young designers are more than ready to knock on Jakarta's fashion doors. Welcome aboard, boys!