On Wednesday evening, Biyan Wanaatmaja—best known as Biyan—unveiled the collection for the namesake brand in the cavernous ballroom of the InterContinental Hotel. Before the throng of guests—celebrities (amongst them Maudy Ayunda and Marsha Timothy) and the loyal clientele of upper echelon ladies dressed to the nines in demure feminine floral frocks—could make their way to the seats, they are immediately greeted by a suspended sphere of green shrubbery, hovering above at the center of the circular runway like a manicured moon.
Biyan has long leaned into flora fully as a defining visual language. For him, they are a potent vessel through which femininity, tradition, and embellishment converge. While the previous collections appeared entrenched in the soft, frothy femininity, this season offers a more vigorous version of romance.
Over the course of 115 looks, Biyan turned up the tactility. Coats and jackets encrusted with embroideries of flowers in autumnal shades, worn casually over white blouses and silk scarves wrapped around the cropped pants; beaded looks were artfully coalesced with French lace and lamé jacquard, evoking the feel of textured collage. Equally arresting were pared-down looks, notably the lean beskap coat, clasped at the shoulder, leaving the rest to drape in relaxed ease, and worn with white shift tunic and velvet pants.
There were also a handful of menswear punctuating the lineup. Though it’s clear that Biyan is more lenient towards his male clientele. They are lighter in touch—the tops are breezy, sometimes left unbuttoned and occasionally paired with shorts. In contrast, the women are styled to precision: hair slicked back to a clean ponytail, skin modestly framed, every detail deliberate. They clearly mirrored the brand’s clientele—women who dress to be seen and are keenly aware that they are being observed. On the runway, it played out like an entourage of matriarchs and their wayward sons.
At a glance, the collection might feel familiar. Biyan’s enduring themes remain intact. But this time round, the emphasis on craftsmanship deepens as seen on the intricate hand-finishing and sharper control of volume. In many ways, the suspended green sphere above the runway mirrored Biyan’s enduring vision of the eternal garden, where femininity is continuously reimagined, blooming again and again across cycles and seasons.
