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'Lurik' and life philosophies: Lulu Lutfi Labibi celebrates eight years in fashion
The year 2019 marks the eighth anniversary of the label Lulu Lutfi Labibi, celebrated with the presentation of a Spring/Summer 2020 collection titled Sewindu Bercerita (Eight Years of Stories) and an exhibition of the brand’s previous collections in the Jogja National Museum (JNM).
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A visitor looks at a world map with marks on the countries visited by fashion designer Lulu Lutfi Labibi. The world map was showcased in an exhibition that depicts Lulu's eight-year journey in the fashion industry. (Lulu Lutfi Labibi/File)
T
he Indonesian fashion scene knows Lulu Lutfi Labibi as a designer who embraces wabi-sabi, an ancient Japanese philosophy of finding beauty in imperfection. More importantly, every piece created by Lulu is said to “mark” his thoughts on the life problems he encounters.
“In the creation of a piece, I only need to be honest with myself, what I am really feeling,” Lulu told The Jakarta Post in Yogyakarta, where he is based, in mid-October.
Lulu’s contemplations inspire him to draw patterns on paper, creating blueprints of a fashion style in which motifs and stripes are juxtaposed and asymmetry is celebrated. Such collections as Jantung Hati (Heart), Gedangsari Berlari (Gedangsari Runs), Perjalanan (Journey), Tirakat (a soul-searching ritual) and Tepian (Aside) have received wide acclaim.
The Tirakat collection, launched in 2017, was inspired by a soul-searching ritual Javanese people do on the eve of Indonesia’s Independence Day. Lulu thinks that people need to do the ritual, walk slowly and practice self-control to enable an inner dialogue in the hustle and bustle of an exploitative modern world.
“When we walk slowly, there is a power that comes to existence,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Tepian collection, launched in 2018, features lurik (striped woven material) in a motif that Lulu created himself called kunir asem (turmeric and tamarind).
Lulu said the idea for kunir asem — a contrast of yellow on black — came to his mind after he was overwhelmed by many activities in 2017. He was so busy that he had no time to enjoy such “luxuries” as going to Pleret village in Bantul regency on a bike and buy vegetable fritters in late afternoons.
