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Indonesian fashion: How are we doing?
Jazz singer Andien (right) poses with designer Didiet Maulana
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Jazz singer Andien (right) poses with designer Didiet Maulana. Courtesy of Andien
Glam and glitter on the runway hardly reflect a country's fashion industry.
As the host of many fashion weeks as well as a strong lineup of other fashion events ' not to mention quality designs and renowned designers ' Indonesia should speak louder on the world's fashion scene.
But it's a work in a progress.
Home to more than 250 million people, Indonesia has more than enough ' not just in terms of quantity, but particularly natural resources and creativity ' to keep the fashion industry going.
But reality bites. It takes time and hard work to make it big in the fashion world.
Some fashion designers have complained about the lack of government support, especially in setting up regulations that make designers as well as manufacturers able to grow their businesses easily.
Pricey raw materials is another problem that Indonesian designers are facing. The situation occurs because local textile companies refuse to sell their products in small quantities ' forcing designers to buy the materials at retail prices, which has a direct impact on the end product's price.
Aware of the issues, prominent fashion designer Didiet Maulana said he would not play the blame game ' preferring to focus on growing his business while educating the public on the importance of supporting local products.
'The hard time was four years ago, the beginning of Ikat Indonesia. At that time, we had to create our own market by developing demand for wearing ikat [woven cloth] garments,' Didiet said during the recent launch of the Let's Wear Local campaign by 5aSec Indonesia in Jakarta.
The need, he said, was created through celebrities or young people with the power to influence others.
'[Through those celebrities and young trendsetters] we gave the public an example that wearing clothes made of ikat is cool, and that it would inspire others,' said the 33-year-old artisan.
In those early days, Didiet conducted a series of marketing campaigns by asking celebrities to wear his pieces and be photographed.
He later shared the photos with media outlets, which then published them, generating talk that later created trends. He continued to use social media to provide exposure for his creations.
'So far, the awareness has grown significantly ' not just for the Ikat Indonesia brand but also for ikat in general. People aren't just admiring the products, they have also shown a desire to own them,' Didiet said.
Apart from the Ikat Indonesia ready-to-wear line, Didiet also owns a couture line, Svarna, and the Sarupa uniform line.
He manages one main boutique and one store at the Central department store in Grand Indonesia shopping mall and is planning to open another store in West Jakarta.
Didiet, known for structural patterns in his drawings, said most of his customers were professionals who fell for his simple and classic yet flexible designs.
He also emphasized the need to get young people wearing local products as the most effective method of promotion.
'We're in a position where the media has done greatly in saying something like, 'If you're not wearing local products, you're not cool, man', to youngsters,' Didiet said.
'This is something that we have to follow up because it is a chance to run the economy of our fashion industry. Demand means I have a reason to order more fabric from craftsmen, having a good impact [on the craftsmen] financially, and so forth.'
With that concept in mind, Didiet works seriously on his ready-to-wear lines that offer affordable prices for young people. The prices of his Ikat Indonesia clothing products start at Rp 700,000 (US$56), while accessories start at Rp 400,000.
'What makes [shopping at Ikat Indonesia] memorable is that [the young ones] have to save money first before buying our products. This can make a story for them,' said Didiet.
Though some fashion labels overseas may have Indonesian traditional motifs printed on their products, they cannot beat having the original.
'Well, we have the handmade versions of those here. For me, that's a great thing,' Didiet says.
The Goods Dept, a Jakarta-based curated store that mostly sells local products, is also seeing its business grow, with a plan to reopen its store at Plaza Indonesia shopping mall in Central Jakarta this April.
'Challenges are always there for every business. But for us, the challenge is in how to keep ourselves constantly innovative ' because we don't have a model in developing such a business like The Goods Dept,' cofounder Cynthia Wirjono told The Jakarta Post.
Established in 2010 out of the Brightspot Market event, The Goods Dept offers a unique and multidimensional retail environment that quickly became a hub for alternative fashion and lifestyle products from young and independent Indonesian designers and a selection of international brands.
Currently, The Goods Dept has three stores ' in Pacific Place, Central Jakarta; Pondok Indah Mall 2 in South Jakarta; and Lotte Shopping Avenue in South Jakarta. Each store is accompanied by an outlet of The Goods Café. It also has The Goods Diner restaurant in the SCBD area of Central Jakarta.
Elda Wirjono, another of the store's cofounders, said it was in The Goods Dept's DNA to continuously support Indonesian designers and local products.
'We just need to give those talented designers, who have established brands, a place to settle in,' she said.
To maintain the store's credibility, The Goods Dept applies a curation process to each brand that is set to become a vendor for the company.
'The curation is like a sacred process for us because we gain popularity out of the goods that we're selling,' said Cynthia, adding that The Goods Dept always encouraged creativity.
Several discussions must be had before a brand officially gets into The Goods Dept. The store's team digs deeper from a future vendor in order to decide whether it can have the opportunity to be featured. It currently works with about 300 brands ' half of them are in the fashion category.
'Unlike other department stores, we don't set a minimum supply. We can start from a small collection, which later can be developed together,' Cynthia says. 'What we're looking for is a balance of creativity and business sense.'
For potential fashion designers who want to work with The Goods Dept, Elda suggested they give their full focus to quality.
'Brands without strong interest in quality will automatically lose against the prepared ones.'
Jazz singer and fashion icon Andien is among celebrities who prefer to wear local products. And she finds her size in local brands, instead of international ones.
'I've been this size since I was still in junior high school,' she said.
Andien said she was always amazed with Indonesian traditional fabrics ' such as those found in Ikat Indonesia, one of her favorite local brands ' as they are one of a kind.
'What I like in Didiet Maulana's creations is his ability to draw clothes that look classic from the ikat, but at the same time, from the same material, he can create an edgy look.'
