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Toton Januar: Fashion with Indonesia in mind
(JP/Nurhayati)He may have grown up on New Yorkâs fertile fashion soil, but designer Toton Januar will never put aside his Indonesian roots
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(JP/Nurhayati) (JP/Nurhayati)
(JP/Nurhayati)
He may have grown up on New York's fertile fashion soil, but designer Toton Januar will never put aside his Indonesian roots.
Under his own brand, TOTON, the Jakarta-based artisan creates fresh women's wear collections that offer Indonesia's traditional elements, including lurik woven fabrics and embroidery, within a modern construction.
In a warm conversation with The Jakarta Post at his workshop studio in South Jakarta recently, Toton revealed the story behind his debuting label.
Launched in Singapore last year, the designer describes TOTON as an exploration of an idea with Indonesia in mind, soul and heart.
'Looking at TOTON's collection is like having a trip around Indonesia. As a rich country, Indonesia has a lot of cultural gems to explore, which will take a very long time to do,' said the 35-year-old.
The idea of incorporating Indonesian elements in his modern clothing popped up when he lived in New York in 2008.
'We young Indonesians abroad always thought the centers of world fashion were New York, Paris, London and Tokyo. So, when we talked about Indonesia, we looked down, thinking that its fashion would be nothing but ethnic,' recalled Toton, who studied fashion at the Parsons New School of Design in New York from 2005 to 2008.
Toton's creations do certainly not offer a classic ethnic design. Instead, he incorporates the country's traditional gems into modern, sophisticated and wearable cutting, which makes TOTON's collections favorable for anyone looking to European, American and Asian styles.
With three collections during the beginning years of his label, Toton explored Yogyakarta's geometrical lurik woven fabrics as well as Tasikmalaya's signature embroidery.
'I chose lurik, well, because I'm Javanese. Besides, among other handmade fabrics, lurik craftsmen are more accountable for my ready-to-wear platform,' said Toton.
The lurik is neatly incorporated into vests, sleeveless tops, blouses and jackets, while some pencil trousers are fashionably made of the woven fabrics of Tasikmalaya's embroidery is pretty much a signature of TOTON's overall shirts collection.
'The optical illusion made of the 'lurik' stripes helps to fix the wearer's posture,' said Toton.
Born and raised in Makassar, South Sulawesi to a seamstress mother, Nunuk Jumila, fashion is certainly a natural thing for Toton.
He went to Parsons to show his commitment to fashion. Afterward, Toton decided to live in Singapore. He also had the chance to take care of his sick mum, before going back to New York.
He finally established the brand in 2012 with some partners after spending four years shaping up a concept for it.
'I was inspired by Dries Van Noten, Yohji Yamamoto and even Prada that aren't anti-culture. Instead, they integrate culture into their drawings and create great products that everybody wants,' he revealed.
Toton refuses to randomly bring cultural items into his designs. 'It has to come naturally in a sense that even if, one day, I don't use Indonesian traditional fabrics or techniques, people will still recognize the country's character within shapes or lines.'
