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Widhi Budhimulia's 'wearable photographs' on silk struts IPMI runway
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This ready to wear 2017 resort collection experiments with digital printing on silk, as Widi’s elegant cocktail dresses, jumpsuits and cropped blouses became the frame and definitive media of Jean’s digital photography. (JP/Mayzura Munaf)
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ashion and photography clashed in harmony in the “Potret” (Photograph) collection, a clever collaboration between local designer Widhi Budimulia and French photographer Jean Michel, which strode down the runway of the Indonesian Designers Association (IPMI)'s annual fashion trend show in Senayan City shopping mall in Central Jakarta, Wednesday.
This ready to wear 2017 resort collection experiments with digital printing on silk, as Widi’s elegant cocktail dresses, jumpsuits and cropped blouses became the frame and definitive media of Jean’s digital photography. Through a mutual friend, these two creative minds only met each other for the first time in 2015 and have been eager to work together ever since.
As stated in a press release, “elements in nature and fascinating architecture in all parts of the world” taken from Michel's lenses were recaptured through Widhi’s “detailed draping, ruffles and woven silhouette.” Each and every motif tells its own story of origin based on Michel's experience in photographing them.
Having already held 20 exhibitions in five different countries, Michel felt the urge to go beyond modern art photography by giving “legs” to such an art form. “I wanted to collaborate with a fashion designer who would be interested in my patterns, who would be interested to play with colors; I don’t want to live in black and white,” he told The Jakarta Post.
(Read also: IPMI's annual fashion show still going strong after 30 years)
Semarang-born Widhi, who has been in the fashion industry for over 30 years, gives this collection a breath of the 80s, with high-waisted crop pencil pants and palazzos that still manage to look fashion-forward in a relaxed style.
The wearable collection swept through an orderly, glowing spectrum of warm-toned shades, as seen through the delicate color transition between one series of outfits to another: orange and beige came out first, then slowly into sea green, later olive yellows gradually appeared, blues turned up next, and finally, brave shades of purple and red strode in to sum up the show.
The Potret collection was a chromatically-pleasant experience as the course of the show focused on settling in one color at a time, a stopping power that naturally leads viewers to eye and discern the details between outfits of the same shade, as well as speculate what kind of image is being portrayed on the clothes. (mra/kes)
