If you’re still with us after six days of Jakarta Fashion Week, then congratulations! You’ve made it (virtually) to the last leg of the event! Obviously, they planned to save the best for the last and end it with a bang. The last show of the event was a gathering of the big names in the industry and famous celebrities. If you’re lucky enough, you get to rub shoulders with Nicholas Saputra or have your face brushed by Raline Shah’s hair.
Dewi Fashion Knight was what brought all these people under one tent. The show also brought together five of the high-regarded Indonesian fashion designers to show exclusive couture collections based on a theme. This year, it is “Journey To The World”. It didn’t matter if some of these designers have never studied couture, trained under a couture house or recognised by Chambre syndicale de la haute couture. When you’re on top of the fashion chain in your own turf and you contend that it is couture, then it is.
Guests were also encouraged to snap pictures off the runway and support their favourite designers with the hashtag #team(insert your favourite designer here).
The show commenced with Priyo Oktaviano, where his inspiration seemed to be drawn from warrior princess. Above the waist, the tops were sturdy and stiff like armour. Below the waist, the skirt trailed with as-fine-as-tissue fabric and there were plenty of leg room for the women to run about. Lurik also made appearance in his collection where it was applied onto suit jacket and turtleneck sweater beside quilted fabric. In addition, Priyo also used Lurik on trousers to give the impression of cool motorcycle pants.
In Vinora, designer Vinora Ng questioned how basic can you go with a couture collection? Models strode out with white powder across their face, hair and parts of their body looking like dishevelled Miss Havisham. Instead of elaborate gowns, the models wore basic suit jackets, shirts and nighties, all in white and all above the knees, as if stolen from their ex-boyfriends (except for the nighties, of course). Inspiration from artist Lucio Fontana (the famous founder of spatialism) can also be detected on a dress with a diagonal slit across the chest. These ladies seemed content to just lounge in their room on a comfy king-sized bed, living on a diet of filtered cigarettes and champagne from last New Year.
There are a lot of things a Muslim woman can’t do. But she sure can travel around the world and wear expensive beautiful clothes while doing so. Windri Widiesta Dhari, designer of Nur Zahra, knows a thing or to on how to build a muslim label based on modern sophistication without neglecting traditions. The collection featured plenty of roomy silhouettes for a trip to the safari. There are belted tunics, flared pants and oversized cape with generous fringe at the hem. Windri also cleverly managed to execute hijab in a way that they looked like oversized bandana instead.
Auguste Soesastro studied in Ecole de la chambre syndicale de la couture and worked for the esteemed Ralph Rucci before. So for his label, Kraton, it is interesting to see how he managed to elevate the collection simply with his ability to make the perfect fit. All the hemlines dropped perfectly as if it has been calculated right to the nanometer. These women obviously value comfort above everything else and you would to if you were to jet set around the world for important meetings and events.
Sapto Djojokartiko closed the show with a collection that showcased his ability to understand the relationship between fabric and embellishment. There were plenty of beadings in his show but none of them looked overworked. They were applied delicately and sparingly onto equally delicate lightweight fabric. In addition, they also swirled and curved to form beautiful patterns that remind one of sea corals.
The five designers definitely have their own way of interpreting the theme but they were fixed onto one important aspect: the women have to be able to move freely in the clothes. Thus, there is only one more important question left to ask. Which team are you on?