Exquisite: Top Indonesian fashion model Dominique emerges from a lotus to cap the Puspa Nua show.

A design and fashion show themed '€œPuspa Nusa'€, denoting the variety of flowers and designs of the archipelago, was staged at the Diamond Convention Center in Surakarta (Solo), Central Java, on May 25.

The '€œSolo Batik Carnival'€ opened the event, marking the 93rd anniversary of traditional batik maker Batik Keris, with eight dancers appearing on stage in colorful and tasseled pageant outfits. Models flaunting clothes with flower motifs also strode along the catwalk, swaying to lively music featuring simple and modern designs that have made the designer a traditional favorite in Indonesia

The fashion show included a carnival to highlight art, culture and dance, accompanying pieces that were imbued with Javanese, Betawi, Balinese, Papuan, European and Eurasian influences. The natural and reddish brown colors typical of Batik Keris designs were retained thoughout.

'€œWe'€™re trying to offer something different. Through Puspa Nusa, we wish to present the art of batik combined with dance to symbolize the rich diversity of the country and nation,'€ Lina Tjokrosaputro, chairwoman of Batik Keris, said before the show.

Following the carnival, classic red-brown batik pieces were presented in a new dance performed by four men and one woman. The men, wearing headbands, were clad in traditional long-sleeved shirts and knee-length velvet pants, with batik hanging from their waists.

Casual: A group of models sport the teen collection of Batik Keris, featuring batik matched with jeans, shorts and sneakers.
Meanwhile, the lone woman dancer displayed a sleeveless velvet blouse and long dodot (uncut batik) in wiru (folded) form. The beauty of the wiru was accentuated by her proud stride, leaving her batik to wave in a way suggesting a peacock spreading its feathers.

The splendor of the designs were enhanced by the dancers'€™ movements, when their red-brown batik played out against yellow and orange drapes on the catwalk.

The Batavia Dance troupe performed a piece of contemporary choreography titled '€œIlir-ilir'€ (a traditional Javanese song), with a woman waving a 6-meter-long batik sheet while two men stretched another kain (fabric) that was eight meters long. The accompanying music then turned vigorous, followed by over a dozen dancers performing '€œPuspa Warni Indonesia'€ (Colorful Indonesia).

Traditional dancers from the Minang people of West Sumatra - and from Java, Bali and Papua '€” collaborated to present unique compositions, blending batik with Minang, Dayak and Papuan embroidery and freeing batik from its Javanese constraints.

'€œWe have to keep making innovations, tolerating elements from various regions and turning them into new designs. The philosophy of Batik Keris is to preserve the culture of Nusantara, the Indonesian archipelago as a whole,'€ Lina said.

Pieces from the professional collection on display included formal attire for office use featuring modest designs, colors and cuts.

Also on offer were mini-dresses with straight cuts and print dresses in greens, browns and hues of soil red.

Diverse: The Solo Batik Carnival featurd a series of dances and local costumes to highlight the diversity of the archipelago'€™s many cultures.
Despite their classic motifs, the professional batik dresses at the show used dark colors, such as greens, purples and dark blues. The material was produced by batik printing and handmade methods.

The collection also boasted a limited run of silk dresses, each taking up to two months to make. The mullet blouses with truntum motifs, asymmetric dresses and close-fitting dresses on parade looked even more luxurious with sequin highlights. According to Lina, pieces from the silk collection could cost up to Rp 5 million (US$510.10).

'€œApart from those pieces in this show, we still have a collection of whole silk without cuts and drapery in Javanese, Eurasian and European styles. The clothes on the catwalk are just samples,'€ added Lina.

Casual batik came out in the teenager collection, which was dominated by bright colors and contrasts. Blouses featuring simple cuts and modern motifs were matched with jeans and hot pants. Pinks, turquoises, oranges, yellows and reds were the main colors. The display of the pieces using bicycles was meant to impress that batik can also be casual wear.

The family collection generally featured soil-color hues and floral patterns. The clothes pieces on offer were not uniform in motif or color, although dark yellows, oranges and pastel oranges did make a bow.

Children then came down the catwalk in bright batik patterns featuring Disney figures and floral pictures. In 2012, these motifs won the Asian Licensing Award for the collaboration of Batik Keris and Disney International.

Inclusive: The dancers and models performed in batik with influences from the Minang, Papuan and Dayak peoples of Indonesia, among other cultures.
As the children left the stage, a woman dancer came into view in Balinese costume along with four men in embroidered shirts, plain blue pants and Minang batik belts. The woman wore tight long-sleeved blouses with a golden batik bell-shaped red skirts and golden white tassels.

The next session featured seven women in the same outfit, albeit in dark greens, yellows and gold. Their vibrant motions revealed captivating batik patterns in the folds of their blouses, while their golden batik fans increased the elegance of the choreography.

Approaching the peak of the show, a collection of glamorous attire took its turn on stage, featuring beads, stones, crystals and impressive head ornaments. The climax was marked by a large lotus flower slowly opening its petals behind the catwalk. After a moment, Indonesia'€™s beautiful top model, Dominique, emerged in a luxurious blue evening gown with floral arrangemens, looking grand and glamorous.

The Puspa Nusa show in Solo followed performances in Jakarta and Surabaya. '€œFor a company, nine decades means something remarkable. This celebration is a means of expressing our gratitude to Indonesia. Batik Keris products combine the diverse elements of the art and culture of Nusantara,'€ Lina said.

'€” Photos by Ganug Nugroho Adi