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Jakarta Post

Of silhouettes & sand

Soft afternoon sunlight radiated throughout the hall of when a silhouette of a woman approached from the other end

Intan Tanjung (The Jakarta Post)
Bali
Sat, August 16, 2014

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Of silhouettes & sand

Soft afternoon sunlight radiated throughout the hall of when a silhouette of a woman approached from the other end.

She was wearing a short tube burgundy with a black graduation dress with amazing detail that reminded people of the contour of sand dunes.

It was a creation of renowned Bali designer Oka Diputra, who presented a trunk show showcasing the dramatic silhouettes of his summer collection in Nusa Dua, Bali.

That day, 20 evening dresses and two male pieces were presented in front of fashion lovers. During the trunk show, Oka did not only showcase his summer collection, but the designer also debuted his new resort line for the first time.

'€œThe theme is '€˜Dunes'€™,'€ said Oka prior to his trunk show, '€œI got the inspiration from the big sand dunes from the movie The English Patient'€.

Oka was amazed by the undulating silhouettes of the sand dunes, and so was his client who proposed the idea to him. He had been thinking to create a collection based on this idea for years, but was only able to make it happen in 2014.

'€œDunes'€ is Oka'€™s fashion project for 2014. Earlier this year in February, Oka introduced his winter collection under the same theme at Indonesia Fashion Week and following the series with his summer collection, which he divided into two lines: resort and urban.

Six of his signature lines opened the show. Attendees were spoiled with an amazing presentation of his work, showcasing a well-constructed sleek look adorned with exquisite twirls and drapes.

'€œI want to introduce my signature line so people can understand my fashion character before seeing my new line,'€ said Oka.  

Not long after, the models who presented Oka'€™s signature line disappeared at the end of hall and another model emerged wearing a piece that was fresher and lighter.

Beautiful, elegant, minimalist looks with loose-fittings emphasized the resort collection, which were mostly made of silk, crepe and chiffon. Black and powder blue with silvery accents nuanced the collection.

'€œBlack and blue is a classic combination and since my color staple is black, blue is the obvious choice of color for my resort collection.'€

According to Oka, the biggest challenge in creating this resort collection was to find the right fabric. He said the fabric should be light in weight.

'€œI choose to use silk, chiffon, and crepe '€” which is often known as orange skin here '€” because those fabrics are very light. Customers don'€™t want to bring a heavy dress home,'€ he said.

Not only perfect for luggage, silk chiffon also gave an eloquent, flowing look to the dresses, while the silk and crepe created bold, lavish dimensions.  

Fourteen evening resort dresses at a different length '€” along with six pieces from his signature line '€” were showcased throughout this 30-minute show. The models showed off pieces with asymmetric cuttings, varied with halter neck shapes, plaits and drapes.

'€œThe asymmetrical line has been my core silhouette. There'€™s symmetrical balance in my asymmetrical designs.'€

In this line, the designer'€™s signature Asian silhouette was exquisitely applied, giving the dresses a unique, distinctive accent. Oka is known for his work that cuts down the need of clothes sizing by playing with plaits and knots, creating a unique Asian silhouette for his designs.

Oka said this technique could be a good solution to fit all body sizes.

'€œTourists usually stay for three to four days in Bali, and it will be difficult for them to allow time for fitting. They can just buy and wear right away,'€ said Oka.

Other details such as obi, bows, silvery elements and embroidery accentuated the dark nuance, while the bottom part was heightened with cutting flair and a semi-harlem look.

For the male line, Oka perfected the look with drapes and silver embroidery on the neck side came as a perfect highlight to the black piece.

Oka hoped that by creating two fashion lines for the summer collection, he could satisfy two different retail markets.

'€œWith this [resort] collection, I would like to expand the demography of my client base.'€

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