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'Kebaya' fashion heads for new frontier
In a show celebrating 25 years of making kebaya, Anne showcased 125 new designs she had prepared over the past two years
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In a show celebrating 25 years of making kebaya, Anne showcased 125 new designs she had prepared over the past two years.
The fabrics, colors and motifs once again brought her unmatched skills to the fore.
'Don't ask me what fabrics I used because I don't know their names. I just know what I can do with them,' the self-taught designer told a media conference preceding Wednesday's special show titled '25 Tahun Anne Avantie Berkarya: Merenda Kasih' (Anne Avantie 25 Years of Creation: Lacing up Love).
For the event, which she dedicated to her family, friends and fans, she brought in celebrity couples that used her designs for their weddings, senior runway models and stage actresses for the catwalk.
Anne also invited the 'Anne Avantie Heart', her fans, from across the nation, including Rian Sishermawan from Bandung, West Java, who visited Jakarta for the first time for the celebration.
The 23-year-old brought along 25 dolls, each donning Anne's miniature designs with precise imitations of hairdos and accessories like the original human models.
'I started making the hand-sewn doll outfit in 2011 in my dedication to Bunda Anne's works. I'm impressed by how she interprets the kebaya,' said Rian, the owner of Instagram account @barbie_jawa, where he showcased his creations.
Anne may not have realized that she was adopting open-source methods by inviting hundreds of seamstresses, owners of small boutiques and amateur designers ' who often copy her work ' to the event.
'If they make good copies, they will probably be rich soon, but if they make bad copies, they might contribute more to the development of kebaya fashion,' she said.
She likely expected that most of the 2,000 invitees would snap pictures using phone cameras pointed toward the catwalk at all times.
The show, which lasted over an hour, presented more sides of the kebaya ' the sexy, fun and playful sides of the formal outfit.
It was divided into eight sessions; each was presented in intimate fashion in the company of a live band and award-winning singers.
Anne, who resides in the heavily Chinese-influenced city of Semarang, Central Java, presented the hustle and bustle of a traditional market as the backdrop for a series of predominantly red and gold cheongsam dresses, combined with kebaya, at the onset of the show.
Next was her bridal collection of gold-colored or white kebaya, matched with batik or ruffle skirts and painted silk for a beautiful wrap.
In the third part of the session, Anne presented her collection fit for a palace ball, with kebaya and long-tailed gowns as well as formal but colorful kebaya and kain meticulously embroidered with beads.
The celebrity couples took to the runway in the fourth part of the show, walking in their wedding reception suits, although those who were pregnant had them modified.
At the end, the models approached the side of the stage where senior singer and songwriter Titiek Puspa sang a love song for them from her seat.
The stage was soon filled with a 1920s atmosphere as senior runway models including Dhani Dahlan, Nana Krit and Sarita, introduced Anne's latest invention: the combination of brocade, lace and the classic black and white polka dots and stripes. Her creations came both in wide skirts and kain.
Kebaya is ageless. Anne designed a simple but serene cut of kebaya matched with a large, floral print kain for golden girls including Dewi Motik, Rima Melati, Widyawati Sophiaan, Ninik L. Karim, Farida Pasha, Ratna Riantiarno and Henny Purwonegoro.
The 1920s feel was soon replaced by Anne's extravagant take on Balinese cloth that was followed by her extensive exploration of batik, combined with brocade, lace and the lavish black velvet in the final part of the show.
While she has been successful in giving kebaya a new lease of life, Anne still has more steps to go through.
'She is more of an artist than an industry player. The next thing for her is to create ready-to-wear,' said Indonesian Designer Association chairman Musa Widyatmodjo.
' Photos by JP/Awo
