Farah Angsana has experience on her side in organizing fashion shows. The Indonesian-born, Zurich-based designer debuted her haute couture collection in Paris back in 2002, and since then has shown couture and bridal collections in Los Angeles and New York fashion weeks.
courtesy of Johan Bohlin
Although experience in getting things right on the night helps, every show has its own quirks, challenges and satisfactions, she said after unveiling her Spring/Summer collection “Ethno Glam” on Sept. 9 during New York Fashion Week.
“It’s a different story for each collection. But it is easier for me due to my knowledge and experiences in the industry,” the 39-year-old said from Paris on Friday.
For her fourth time at New York Fashion Week, the theme was a journey home. Taking inspiration from the birthplace she left as a child, she used motifs such as ikat, batik and a show-stopping kebaya-inspired cocktail dress.
“My most memorable shows were my first couture show and my men’s show in Paris [also in 2002], and this latest one, because all three used my country as inspiration,” she said.
While the fashion show itself lasts all of 10 minutes, it is the culmination of many months of hard work. That entails the choice of theme, making the designs in her Zurich studio, choosing fabrics and then getting down to the nitty-gritty of the show’s production.
“For the collection it is usually a 3-month process,” Farah said. “As for the show process, it takes about 2 to 3 months. That includes the production team, make-up artists, models, casting crew, show producer, hair and music.”
She attributes a show’s success to teamwork, that all-important experience and spending money wisely.
Although she demurs on revealing the cost of her shows, fashion media report couture shows in New York and Paris usually cost several hundred thousand dollars.
“You need to have the right people with you,” she said. “Each of them must bring their individual experience and knowledge to understanding the brand.”
She works with her New York casting team to pick the models, a diverse cast of ethnicities in contrast to the pale blond look that dominates the world’s catwalks.
“It’s so the general public knows that my collection is for every race,” Farah said. “Unfortunately, these days we can’t get really good runway models for cocktail and evening wear. Most models have a too bouncy walk, with their shoulders moving too much. In Asia, models tend to walk better.”
courtesy of Johan Bohlin
Her muse is Grecia Palomares, a New York-based Venezuelan who modeled for such designers as Valentino and Yves Saint Laurent in the 1990s. She wore the kebaya dress for the show’s finale.
“She has always helped me with my showroom presentations,” Farah said.
“She knows how to walk and feel the dresses she is wearing and always know how to manipulate the garment to make it look its best. That’s what a great model should do.”
The big day of the show is a whirl of activity as makeup artists, hairdressers and dressers get to work on the models. Things do go wrong sometimes before the show starts, but most can be fixed in time (for her first New York bridal show, Farah had to pull her team together at the 11th hour after the producer quit).
“From the minute I wake up to the few seconds before the show starts, I’m usually being bothered by my assistants. But I feel blessed because they are so lovely, helpful and thoughtful. They make me calm at the same time, and I try to keep them calm with smiles and thank-yous.”
During the show, Farah describes her feeling as, “numb with excitement, and the panic of fixing and checking the models before sending them out on the runway.”
The backstage feeling in New York was very positive, she adds. The models were thrilled by the Indonesian theme and attributes in the show, including a West Sumatran bridal headdress. “I think it really touched them because they learned something not just from walking for me, but also about my culture.”
At the end of the show, Farah checks with her PR people and assistants on their impressions of the event.
After congratulatory hugs for the team, it’s time to relax. A bottle of champagne awaits in her car before she is whisked off to a celebratory dinner party.
“And there is nothing but a feeling of contentment,” she said.
