Celebrity darling Arantxa Adi indulges fashionistas and loyal clientèle with his latest collection, marking his 12th year in fashion.  

A cool sea-breeze swept over the gardens of The Edge resort in Pecatu, Bali, on the southern tip of the island on a cloudy Friday night.

The wind, however, did not seem to bother the flock of beautiful women dressed in glamorous, sexy evening gowns, many of whom had skin exposed to the cool air.

Blown kisses were flying, wine glasses were clinking, laughs were singing out and the place was filled with the sounds of a party as fashion lovers gathered to see the latest collection from the popular local fashion designer Arantxa Adi.

The cocktail party was a kind of reunion for many celebrities, from actress Wulan Guritno and TV host Cut Tari, to choreographer Jay Subiakto and the beautiful chef Farah Quinn, since Arantxa, known as Acong among his friends, is a celebrity darling in his own right whose fashion collections have become favorites among A-listers.

The designer’s career started as an accident, when the young Arantxa, born in 1978, was struggling to find the perfect clothes for special occasions to fit his petite figure.

He decided to create his own outfits, leafing through countless fashion magazines for ideas.

His creations in turn were adored by his friends, inspiring him to start designing clothes for other people too.

Despite studying accounting, Arantxa realized his heart and soul were in the fashion business.

He left to study fashion at the Harry Dharsono Couture Fashion Institute for two years beforeestablishing his own boutique in Kemang, South Jakarta.

In 2003, he held his debut solo fashion show, titled X-Dimension, which developed into an annual showcase.

This year, Arantxa continued fulfilling his commitment to fashion, staging his annual show for the first time on the island of the gods, Bali.

“Why Bali? My previous annual shows were always held in hotel ballrooms, so I wanted something different. It’s not just a fashion show here because you can refresh yourself and take a vacation,” Arantxa said before the show.

Through this year’s showcase, he hopes to prove that Arantxa Adi is not just about evening dresses, but also ready-to-wear style.

“So far, many people think that Arantxa only designs made-to-order evening gowns. That’s not true. I’ve been doing ready-to-wear outfits too that can be worn up and down for casual occasions,” he said.

Even though the show was far from Jakarta, the center of Indonesia’s entertainment, fashion and business worlds, it did not lessen the attraction to his show.

By 8:30 p.m., the crowd was packed into the seats around the runway in the resort’s garden, eagerly awaiting Arantxa’s latest delivery. As TV personality Caroline Zachrie, the emcee for the event, left the stage, the real show began.

The show’s opening gave the audience a surprise with a stunning appearance by renowned Balinese dancer Nyoman Sura before the models strutted down the catwalk.

The first offerings were pieces in calming shades of white and off-white, and creamy, asymmetric dresses of taffeta and cotton silk paired with white stockings.

For those who need to show off their beautiful legs or sexy shoulders, there were a number of one-piece or two-piece mini-dresses, and wrap and tulip dresses were also on display, perfect with their tube or one-shoulder-cut tops.

The chiffon silk dresses flowed with the models’ every movement.

Besides pastel colors, the fashion parade displayed dresses in bright green and shocking pink, blue and violet.

He also created long, layered or draped evening gowns to appeal to more elegant sensibilities.

And just as in his previous shows, at the end of the fashion parade Arantxa presented a gown worn by his celebrity muse.

This time he bestowed the honor upon model-cum-actress Luna Maya, clad in a sweeping, off white, A-line, floor-length wedding gown.

By the show’s end, it was clear Arantxa still knew how to design exciting outfits appealing to his clientèle.

— Photos by JP/Zul Trio Anggono

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