In glamou: A new breath into batik as designer Dewi Syifa transforms the traditional fabric into a glamorous gown.

If the collections paraded on the catwalk of the Yogyakarta Fashion Tendance event last Saturday are anything to go by, then Indonesia has a myriad of new fashion trends to look forward to in 2010.

Yogyakarta fashion designers, particularly those grouped in the Indonesian Fashion Designers’ Association (APPMI), took the challenge of setting fashion trends for 2010 very seriously indeed, incorporating batik in their garments in an array of creative ways.

For two years, 2007 and 2008, the annual show has been held in conjunction with Jogya Fashion Week (JFW), which is sponsored by the local government.

However, this year, local APPMI members chose to hold the show separately at the Phoenix Hotel, in order to encourage creativity among local APPMI members. The JFW is also open to showcasing designers from outside Yogyakarta as well.

Ninik Dharmawan, chairperson of APPMI Yogyakarta branch, said it was the responsibility of professional designers to set future fashion trends.

“Every APPMI member should have his or her own distinct design style. What is deemed trendy are the designs accepted by society. Trends reflect society’s way of thinking as well as different lifestyles,” she added.

Ninik also cited the four characteristics of the current trends in global fashion, which she said were in line with technological advancement. Current changes, she said, reflected the idea that glamour is not necessarily represented by expensive jewelry, while also highlighting the importance of comfort and an interest in cross-cultural styles.

The Yogyakarta Fashion Tendance 2010 adopted the theme “Beyond Time” to provide a loose framework for local designers to base their work on. The designs are also meant to be marketed internationally and help promote local materials, such as batik.

Since Yogyakarta is known as the center of batik, which is now included on Unesco’s intangible cultural heritage list, the designers felt compelled to use batik as their main material for the fashion show.

Fourteen designers, all local APPMI members, showcased eight different designs each, which included mostly wearable and simple designs and some cocktail dresses.

Designer Afif Syakur opened the show with his collection of batik cocktail dresses and light-long dresses in pale colors. He was describing an urban, fast-paced life and catered his designs to hard-working people.

His choice of pale colors on chiffon, cotton and silk were intended to represent his concerns about pollution in urban areas, causing people to look unhealthy and pale. His collection, however, is good for various occasions.

Designer Dewi Syifa experimented with batik with a nitik motif on traditional woven cotton. Using extra dyeing with indigo, Dewi created a darker base material to work with. She then combined it with brighter colors of yellow, blue and orange for cocktail dresses and semi-formal dresses. The ornaments she used were made of the same fabric and also incorporated some embroidery.

Dewi said she wanted to introduce nitik, a popular cloth used by Javanese ladies in the olden days. She also emphasized the diversity of batik motifs found in many parts of Indonesia. The use of darker colors, she said, was her response to the current “gloomy” situation marked by natural disasters in some parts of the country.

Dina Isfandiary, on the other hand, presented her black-and-white batik in a much different spirit, adopting the title “Belle Fille” or “Pretty Girl”, she was inspired by the natural beauty of village girls happily playing with their friends.

All her cocktail dresses were simple, but elegant, and made out of cotton. They matched the accessories made of stones and wood and were suitable for younger girls.

Michael’s collection shared some similarities with Dina’s more youthful pieces. He used batik from Yogyakarta and Pekalongan motifs with extra dyeing, resulting in darker and more natural colors. He also used minimal accessories, saying he though the batik motif was already colorful.

 “For me, batik has beautiful motifs, so I don’t have the heart to degrade the attractive colors of the textile by putting too many ornaments on the designs,” said Michael. The accessories he did include on the cocktail dresses were mostly made out of the same batik fabric.

He admitted that his designs were targeted to younger women in order to keep the appreciation of batik alive.

According to Michael, the use of darker colors, dominated by brown, was also meant to set next year’s trend in which the global world might still be marked by the economic recession.

He argued that bright colors belong to those who spend more money on clothes. Therefore, he said, his designs were not only in accordance with the current global economic condition, but were also suited to the demand for a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

Concerns over the quality of the environment were also shown in Ninik Dharmawan’s collection titled “My Green Dream”. She said her clothes reflected the eco-friendly fashion trend, and were a reaction to rampant environmental degradation and pollution.

Her concerns and strong intention to help safeguard the quality of the environment was expressed in the use of colors dominated by light and bright green. Her collection was marked by loose cocktail dresses and light dresses, to guarantee comfort.

She topped off the collection with green-colored handbags made from eco-friendly material.

The fabrics she used for both the clothes and the handbags were cotton and silk, mixed with lurik, or a striped motif that is a traditional woven textile made in Klaten, Central Java, which she includes in all her collections.

The main goal of the Fashion Tendance was to create a wider market for designers, and to encourage designers to create wearable and affordable clothing for the general public.

However, several designers featured evening gowns and long dresses that were only good for special occasions, like the work of Dandy T. Hidayat, Amin Hendra Wijaya, Kristina Noviantari and Nita Azhar.

Dandy created oriental-style dresses made out of a combination of cotton, silk and lace, while Nita Azhar presented combinations of different batik motifs on silk. Amin experimented with mixtures of bright colors, while Kristiana Noviantari included Middle Eastern symbols to represent the cross-cultural experience.

Two designers, Wiwin Fitria and Alma Riva expressed the energetic style of cosmopolitan girls in light and short cocktail dresses, while Alma Riva’s all-black collection was all class. Wiwin expressed the fun, fearless and dynamic style of cosmopolitan girls with his collection of mini dresses.

Lia Mustafa’s collection, on the other hand, was designed for hard-working women and included a mixture of fabrics including leather and patchwork cutting. The only Muslim collection was presented by Mia Ridwan.

Taruna K. Kusumayadi, chairman of the APPMI central board, said he appreciated Yogyakarta designers’ hard work. He lamented, however, that some designers were still experimenting rather than developing their own unique style.

“We are dealing with business. The key to success in the fashion business is to be professional and responsive to the market,” said Taruna.    

— Photos by Munarsih Sahana

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