Young designers lighten up capital's fashion scene
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!