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Didiet weaves Indian 'ikat' with an Indonesian flair
Weave of friendship: Top model Izabel Jahja stands between Indian ambassador to Indonesia Gurjit Singh (third right) and local designer Didiet Maulana (center) after the fashion show on Monday
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Weave of friendship: Top model Izabel Jahja stands between Indian ambassador to Indonesia Gurjit Singh (third right) and local designer Didiet Maulana (center) after the fashion show on Monday. (Courtesy of the Indian Embassy) (third right) and local designer Didiet Maulana (center) after the fashion show on Monday. (Courtesy of the Indian Embassy)
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span class="caption" style="width: 508px;">Weave of friendship: Top model Izabel Jahja stands between Indian ambassador to Indonesia Gurjit Singh (third right) and local designer Didiet Maulana (center) after the fashion show on Monday. (Courtesy of the Indian Embassy)
The Purnama (Fall-Winter) collection of Ikat Indonesia, launched in the ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel in South Jakarta on Monday, featured a different twist.
The designer, Didiet Maulana, used ikat imported from India ' not Indonesian ikat, as is usual ' as part of a tribute to the centenary celebration of Indian cinema.
Sixty designs were showcased in the 'Weave of Friendship' fashion show under a theme of 'Exotic Romanticism', inspired by the lavishness of Bollywood cinema.
The show began with a screening of snippets from Raja Harishchandra (1913), the first film ever made in India.
A touch of fashion then filled the ballroom as Izabel Jahja, one of the nation's leading models, appeared on the runway.
All eyes were fixed on Izabel, who was clad in red-and-gray Indian ikat with chiffon drapery that swept the floor.
'Drapery is very common to find in Indian fashion,' Didiet said. 'There will be a lot of drapery techniques that are combined with tenun material from India.'
The chiffon drapery was twisted around Izabel's waist and continued to her shoulder, giving an Indian touch to the gold-and-black top and off-white pants.
Tunics and Indian-style cropped tops combined with silk tenun from Makassar and Bali were also displayed on the runway, while the bridal accessories used to adorn the hair of the models also highlighted their femininity.
When Didiet did not play with the drapery, he turned ikat into blazers and long sheath dresses.
'There's always a romantic feeling in the designs, just like the fashion we've often seen in many Bollywood movies,' Didiet said.
While for men's wear, the 32-year-old designer used tenun accents for the collars, cuffs and elbows for simple shirts.
Didiet said that most of the textiles used in the show came from India.
While at first glimpse it may be hard to differentiate Indonesian and Indian ikat, Didiet said that the Indian version typically featured larger motifs and brighter colors.
The textures of Indian ikat were denser and softer, as well, giving the impression of precise, machine production, Didiet said. 'I like it [Indian ikat] very much. They [Indian weavers] have made textiles that look as if they were made by a machine, but are actually hand woven. We should learn from them.'
Nevertheless, Didiet said he had little trouble in working with the Indian ikat. He was specially chosen by the Indian embassy in Indonesia to bring the fabric to life for the show.
Gurjit Singh, India's Ambassador to Indonesia, said that Didiet was famous for his consistency in developing traditional products.
'I asked him to be part of this celebration,' Singh said. 'I would really love to see our traditional textile developed by the mind of an Indonesian to further strengthen our friendship.'
According to Jasleen Dhamija in her book Woven Magic ' The Affinity Between India and Indonesian Textiles, the nations share a tradition of making single and double ikat.
In Indonesia, the single-weave technique is practiced across the archipelago, while the double-weave technique was developed in Tenganan in Karangasem, Bali. Ikat made using the elaborate double-weave technique is used for only special occasions, such as wedding and ceremonies.
While in India, the most prized versions are from the double-ikat woven silk known as patola, which is typically made in Gujarat, on that nation's northwest coast.
Traditional textiles from the two nation also share motifs.
As Jasleen mentioned in her book, Indonesia's tumpal motif, which takes the form of a bamboo leaf, was initially created as a double-ikat patola for the Southeast Asian market. It then became a part of the Patan Patola sari for Indian clientele.
The fashion show was part of the embassy's Indian Film Festival, which concludes on Sept. 29 with a concert by Shankar.Ehsaan.Loy. For more information, visit @IndianEmbJkt on Twitter or theikatindonesia.com.
