Rinaldy A. Yunardi

Celebrated jewelry and accessories designer Rinaldy A. Yunardi has gained a reputation as the sought-after “supporting player” to prominent fashion designers for their shows, with his bespoke tiaras, chokers and bracelets complementing their creations.

He is also the first name mentioned by many stylish brides-to-be when seeking stunning tiaras to be worn on their big day.

During his 20 years in the accessories business, he has only held two solo fashion shows, in 2000 and 2002. He was able to show once again the glamorous evolution of his works in a solo exhibition at Senayan City shopping mall, South Jakarta, over nine days in April.

“It is been a while since I held my last solo fashion show, I guess it is time to plan one,” said the soft-spoken Rinaldy.

“I never imagined that I could be an accessories designer. I was just a high school graduate. Luckily, I have friends, such as the late Kim Tong, who opened my eyes about this craftsmanship,” he said, referring to the bridal gown designer, when opening the exhibition.

Hailing from Medan, North Sumatra, his first job was at a tire manufacturer in Jakarta. He later worked with Kim Tong as a marketer for jewelry.

After a year, he left the job to help with his brother’s electrical company. But he continued to be inspired by his experience with Kim Tong’s jewelry. He used leftover materials at the company to make a silver bridal tiara (this life-changing tiara was among the 30 pieces displayed in the luminous exhibition room).

His designs can be flamboyant, on the cutting edge and possess a fantastic quality as though they were salvaged from an Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole.

Rinaldy, fondly called Yungyung by his friends, attributed his fashion acumen to notable designers, Didi Budiardjo and Sebastian Gunawan, with whom he has closely collaborated for years.

“They taught me a lot about good fashion taste,” said Rinaldy, the 2004 Best Accessories Designer in the Nokia Fashion Award.

Aida Nurmala, a longtime friend of the designer who also organized the exhibition, singled out Rinaldy’s talent for conceiving imaginative pieces.

“Yungyung goes beyond beauty. He always wants to experiment and to make something out of the box,” Aida said.

“I was blown away by his works showcased at Bazaar Fashion Concerto [in 2008]. His pieces transformed the models into something like spectacular table lamps.”

DARING INNOVATIONS

It was no understatement that the “20 Years Rinaldy A. Yunardi” exhibition on the ground floor of the mall, held in conjunction with the week-long Fashion Nation events, encapsulated Rinaldy’s creations, imagination and daring innovations during his career.

Fittingly, the opening ceremony of the exhibition — which featured 10 of Rinaldy’s works displayed on moving platforms in the mall’s hallway — drew a sizable turnout. Among the prominent figures from the fashion community who were in attendance were Musa Widyatmodjo and Tex Saverio, several celebrities who are admirers of Rinaldy’ creations also gave their support. Among them were singer-songwriter Melly Goeslaw and celebrity Syahrini, who presented two songs for those in attendance.

Walking through the exhibition room was truly an eclectic experience. The graceful crystal-studded tiaras were displayed side by side with Rinaldy’s edgy chopper-style designs and headpieces, made of fabrics, gemstones, raffias and feathers.

One mannequin showcased a headpiece composed of beautifully arranged brown and white feathers. There was also a large piece of golden neckwear with intricate details and meticulous craftsmanship that might have reminded some of Bali’s signature carvings.

The most eye-catching work was probably Rinaldy’s newly-made golden headpiece in the shape of a diorama of a tranquil Chinese garden. The diorama displays houses, trees, a river and a bridge in shades of gold and cyan. The lighting inside the diorama accentuated its sumptuous details and craftsmanship.

There was also a retrospective journey of his solo fashion shows. The “Heaven on Earth” in 2000 was one of his first experiments in combining a wide-range of materials, from furs and feathers to paper clay and palm fiber, locally known as ijuk.

In his “Sedimentation” fashion show in 2002, he paid tribute to Indonesia’s huge array of gemstones.

For those seeking something modern and interactive, the exhibition showcased two pairs of brown headpieces and armor from The Lady Warrior collection, based on his collaboration with technology company Intel.

First displayed as the spectacular finale for the 2015 Dewi Fashion Knights (DFK), the collection dazzled with its gladiator-like style and motoric and LED pattern lighting features that were powered by Intel chips.

“At DFK, we controlled the LED lamps and movements of the headpieces with a tablet,” said Rini F. Hasbi, the marketing director of Intel Indonesia. “For this occasion, we improved the pieces with movement sensors.”

As visitors approached the pieces, the LED lamps lit up, the headpiece’s visor opened and the parts on the side made circular movements.

Adding more digital experience to the exhibition, Rinaldy provided two screens in the mall’s hallway, allowing visitors to see themselves on the screen wearing his headpieces.

Looking at a plethora of styles showcased in the exhibition, it is clear that Rinaldy is a designer with a great imagination. For the time being, he is working to realize the figments of his imagination by creating more hi-tech, interactive accessories.

“I marvel at children’s toys because they are so creative. I also love to go to robotic and electronic exhibitions,” he said.

“[Through technology,] I want to realize many [parts] of my imagination!” 

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Photos Courtesy of Tim Muara Bagdja