“Business-wise, things are tough this year,” confided a well-known designer, who specialises in accessories, in a conversation weeks ago in mid-August. And a week later, angry crowds rallied outside parliament to protest against President Jokowi’s political scheme to change the regional elections rule. It casts a bleak outlook over the future where the country is heading towards and an overall sense of gloom that is underlined by the current weak global economy and high inflation.
Anyone who has dipped their toes in the fashion industry would know that it is not for the faint of heart. Behind the glamour of fashion lies the challenges of managing costs, marketing and supplier relationships. Fashion, after all, is all about business as much as it is about creativity. Add to that, the ever-growing need to adapt to a world that is constantly rocked by political turmoil and climate change.
It was interesting then, to see how designers and brands navigated the tricky business of fashion as shown at Plaza Indonesia Men’s Fashion Week, with an overall focus on creating clothes that are meant to be produced, sold and worn.
BIASA presented a collection of resort casual attire that easily evoked the vision of a family on a summer vacation. A European summer to be exact. Started in 1994 as an extension of BIASA Art Gallery by the Italian-born Susanna Perini, BIASA has long embraced slow fashion. The collaboration with Studio Sejauh of Sejauh Mata Memandang highlights this further through tapping into their artisans and their know-hows in traditional techniques.
The enjoyable part of the show is that it is uncomplicated. So straightforward, in fact, that it’s easy to forget the amount of effort and hours it took to create the garments—handwoven fabric, indigo dye, screen printed and batik cap motifs. It does speak to the level of experience and taste needed to deliver such a deceptively simple collection.
The absence of a convoluted concept also made it easy to focus on the clothes. One can easily pull pieces from each look and assimilate them into their current wardrobe, like the relaxed blazer with nitik motif as well as the matching gradient indigo oversized shirt and pants. This collaboration with Sejauh also, in a way, helps to reintroduce BIASA to the younger audience.
Sean Sheila delivered a menswear collection for the multi-label boutique Pillar that is available for direct purchase at the store. This marks the second time the designers Sean Loh and Sheila Agatha Wijaya collaborated with Pillar, building on their first capsule collection last year. Earlier this year, Sean and Agatha were also the appointed designers for local e-commerce platform Sonderlab’s in-house product line that focuses on versatile essentials that consist of tailored jackets, shirts and denim pants designed to transition from work to leisure.
These commercial collaborations have certainly demanded Sean and Sheila to adopt a client-first approach, resulting in straightforward yet purposeful garments that retain their vitality and appeal. A contrast to the usual Sean Sheila shows, which often carry a heavy, sombre mood with concepts that, at times, feel overly contrived.
Despite the shift toward more commercially focused designs, Sean Sheila’s signature elements remain intact—the liberal use of running stitches, raw unfinished hems and deconstructed jackets, all styled to evoke the dishevelled look of an off-duty model. As dress codes have relaxed over the past decade, their collection reflects the growing demand for pieces that can navigate the spectrum of smart casual daywear while still being playful enough for an evening out.
It also doesn’t take a stretch of imagination to see these garments becoming the go-to ‘uniforms’ of South Jakartans, where the line of work and play tends to blur. Amongst them, white open-necked shirt, blazer with scrunched-up lapel and tapered cropped trousers, as well as a denim jacket with diagonal seams paired with matching pants in light pistachio. Though it’s hard to see anyone pulling off the bloomer denim shorts that are shaped like an oversized diaper.
Where other designers and labels switch things up through collaboration and commercial capsule collections, Auguste Soesastro of KRATON sticks to what he does best: delivering hyper-elegant clothes with a distinct purpose that resists the waves of trends.
As the name KRATON suggests, the label takes its cue from Indonesian nobility. The collection is effectively a contemplative proposal of smart clothes that easily identify one as an Indonesian who is proud of the country’s heritage across the room. It’s the kind of aspirational ‘uniform’ that aims to set a standard. It’s the kind of clothes that affords its wearer an aura of sophistication but still requires one’s intellect to pull it off completely.
But Auguste is not one to stick to the charms of traditions simply for its sake. He also has his focus firmly planted in the present. Case in point, formal beskap in light olive is balanced with relaxed armholes and worn with full-cut trousers that pool at the ankle. And the allure of a beautifully cut tunic top in lurik with high mandarin collar, worn simply with dark pants. These clothes naturally beckon the wearers to stand tall and move with grace.
Still, KRATON’s proclivity for nobility easily comes across as Java-centric. And while the collection is built on the sense of national pride, it unfortunately offers a monolithic view in contrast to a country that is diverse in cultures. Given time, perhaps this sensibility is something that Auguste will be able to smooth out. A few years ago, Auguste was hand-picked by then-head regent Umar Ahmad and head architect Andra Matin to design the traditional garbs of Tubaba, pulling in the various cultures and traditions of the region to create a regional outfit that reflects the city’s population of diverse residents, playing a role in the shaping of its cultural identity.
The feeling of the superiority of Javanese culture is also reinforced by the presence of Solo’s royal Kanjeng Gusti Mangkunegara X, a controversial figure as of late given his close relationship with the family of President Jokowi, who was seen attending the show at the front row. Whether it was intentional or not, the actor Reza Rahardian, who is known for his vocal stance against the regime, closed the show. It was the loudest statement made that evening.
