Ichwan Thoha: Seeking the Genuine Article

Ichwan Thoha started out as one half of the young and trendy design duo Urban Crew. He is now doing fine on his own, writes Titania Veda.

In the spacious pristine white showroom area of the Fashion First boutique at Senayan City, music throbs. Sexy skinny male models mill about, chased by a stylist prepping them for the Ichwan Thoha fashion show in the evening.

Slight of frame, sweet of smile, the designer himself is surprisingly calm amid the bustle, chatting on the phone and greeting friends. Clad head to toe in denim, Ichwan sports his signature vest with a charming polka-dot bowtie and a gingham hat.

A man who juggles many hats, as fashion stylist to the stars, wardrobe designer for television programs and films, writer for magazines and consultant at beauty seminars, Ichwan delights in them all. He speaks animatedly about his new collection for 25 to 35 year olds, which is inspired by city life, by “the people, how they work, interact and communicate in this buzzing city, living and working in skyscrapers applying fashion and technology to their lifestyle”.

Inspiration comes in many forms, including his own personal style, but he insists the end product must maintain a sprightly spirit and a youthful edge.

“The point is to be comfortable yet dress to impress. When I was in school, no one wanted to wear a tie except for me,” the 37-year-old says.

The youngest of 10 children, he fell in love with fashion due to the women in his life, watching his mother and five sisters turn into glorious peacocks each time they walked out of the house. There was also his aunt, a former flight attendant.

“Every day she would put on her make-up, tease her hair into a big bouffant and wear these wonderful clothes of the ‘70s,” he says. “So that is why I always want to look good as well.”

One of five designers chosen to exhibit their creations at Fashion First, Ichwan is no stranger to catering to the youth market. With Era Sukamto, he was formerly part of the dynamic duo behind Urban Crew, a funky and sporty brand aimed at urban youth. The union lasted for seven fruitful years until the partners parted ways in 2005.
“I did experience a bit of a dilemma about where to go next in my career,” he says. He focused his energy on expanding his talent agency, Platinvm Management, which launched the careers of Vino G. Bastian, Yogi Finanda and Christian Sugiono, before the encouragement of family and friends convinced him to start his own line.

Being a solo designer is a whole different ballgame for Ichwan, as his responsibilities grow and he has to absorb the criticism alone.

“The upside is that I have more freedom to express myself and not rely on anyone. I have to be responsible for everything but I enjoy every minute,” he laughs. Currently, the challenge is to integrate his colorful and lofty ideals into his clothes to create sellable pieces.

“In the end, the clothes need to sell,” acknowledges the La Salle fashion school graduate. “Sometimes a piece is too glitzy, the motif too flowery or cut too structured to start with. In order to make it prêt-a-porter, I would simplify it. In my mind, it remains striking and elaborate but the finished piece has to be wearable.”

In a world that seems to have no limits, Ichwan admits to maintaining personal ones. “I love to make designs that are sexy but not vulgar.” He advises men to tread the line between flamboyance and femininity carefully, and for women to take into consideration what to flaunt and what to conceal in their attempts to appear edgy or unique.

Like painting and music, fashion is an art form. Each artist aims to distinguish themselves from the crowd, to create something recognized as inimitably theirs. The Ichwan Thoha line can be described in four words: Edgy, constructive, urban and tailored. The city serves as his muse in creating clothing that is flexible and youthful in design. Ichwan is a designer with a firm belief that in order to be a great designer one must fight for authenticity. “The hardest thing is to find your own character, your own personality and embed that into your clothing line so people can see a piece and know immediately that it is created by you. I choose to be consistent with my own style,” he says.

In the midst of rivalries in an industry where young designers are rising in numbers, Ichwan maintains a positive outlook and concludes that young designers are reaping the benefits of a more tolerant public.

“We are able to express our individuality through our creativity. We can access and be inspired by each other. Maybe that is what has become more acceptable to the public and made the attitude toward people who are different more tolerant.”

It is this very mind-set that has helped him rise above the fierce competition within the fashion industry. Yet it is still apparent that others might not share the same attitude. Fashion First, sensitive to artistic temperament, allocates a particular area for each designer within the showroom and there are clearly defined boundaries. For our photo shoot, Ichwan was not permitted to be photographed in a corner that was not his own.

Over the years, Indonesians have come to embrace their own. Local designers are now invited to showcase their work in places like Alun Alun, Fashion First and d’Designers in Pasaraya. Ichwan believes that the increasing support for local fashion stems from Indonesian designers being incessant learners. “We are creating designs that suit the personality, the coloring and complexion of the Indonesian people. We keep learning and increasing the quality of the clothes.”

Although Ichwan has a batik line exhibited at Alun Alun, called Paradox, he gathers references for his main lines mostly from Europe due to the difficulty in accessing fashion and historical references in Indonesia.

“The biggest test for a designer is finding ideas in Indonesia. People cannot blame local designers for looking outside of the archipelago for inspiration, that our clothes have a lot of foreign influence. We want to develop ideas locally but it is so incredibly hard to find local resources,” he exclaims. “The culture here veers more toward pop than tradition.”

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