After more than 20 years, Marga Alam, best known for his masterful interpretations of traditional kebaya women'€™s blouses, recently held his first solo show at the Grand Ballroom in the Mulia Hotel in Jakarta.

'€œA fashion show, especially a debut, is actually a celebration of creation,'€ Marga told the media prior to the show when asked about the delay. '€œYou have to be mentally ready to have one.'€

Etiquette expert Mien R. Uno, who sat next to Marga during the press conference, said that Marga chose to settle his fashion business first before holding a solo fashion show. '€œFor [Marga], buying a place for his boutique and a house for his mother is a priority; a solo fashion show comes afterward.'€

Taking '€œButterfly'€ as title of the show, Marga said that he was inspired by the extraordinary insect.

'€œA butterfly is a truly astonishing creature of God. As you all can see, butterflies have a beautiful look, and its cycle of life is also amazing '€” from eggs to caterpillars before they eventually become gorgeous adults. It'€™s somehow reminding me of my own life,'€ said Marga, who established his own line in 1997 after a stint at Rudy Hadisuwarno Bridal, among other places.

Marga attributed divine inspiration in discovering the butterfly motif for the pieces for the show, which featured 70 looks for women '€” ranging from cocktail to kebaya couture dresses '€” and five suits for men.

'€œOne day, there was a butterfly landed on my hand '€” I took selfie photos, got into my car to go home and entered my room with it still on my hand and it wouldn'€™t go away. At that time I was seeking the perfect theme for my show. In an instance, I just knew that God was actually sending me a message,'€ he explained.

With a piece featuring all-white decorations with humble adornment resembling butterflies, Marga opened the show with 22 glaring and dynamic cocktail pieces using digital printing to fuse butterfly motifs on silk.

The butterfly motif was perfectly placed in various sizes. Some dresses combined plain chests with small butterfly motif, while several others were dominated by larger butterfly motifs in monochromatic colors.

Ranging from mini and long dresses to tent dresses for the cocktail set, Marga explored the fun side of design by using many colors such as greys, yellows, whites and even fuchsias.

A stunning colorful set of three dresses pleasantly suggested summer: a sweet low-cut dress, a lovely long dress with high collar and a trendy mini balloon dress.

A trio of blue dresses with pink accents, for example, would definitely be a worthy pick for holiday season. Marga also added a healthy dose of cute with a pink bowtie for a blue halter-neck dress.

Also charming were black-and-white cocktail outfits, featuring a laid-back asymmetrical dress, a masculine blazer plus a knee-length legging pants and a sleek sleeveless body-fit dress with a bowtie.

A yellow balloon dress with an orange butterfly motif and a ribbon belt also stole part of the limelight that night.

In a most elegant way, Marga brightened up the ballroom with well-groomed, modern and light piecess for the cocktail set, paired with complimentary flat footwear.

In the second segment, Marga presented 33 exquisite evening gowns that used silk, lace, chiffon and see-through fabrics.

Marga transformed the fabrics into pieces featuring deep décolleté '€” strapless or low-necked dresses, a la Valentino. He also explored other options, including bateau necks and asymmetrical and geometrical shapes.

Using pastel colors such as baby pink, yellow, white, peach and baby purple for the evening gowns, Marga charmed the crowd, as the collection was modestly embellished with French lace as well as tulle and faux-fur.

Bright colors like orange, blue, black and grey offered a twang for the soft-toned gowns.

A silver strapless gown, a pink lace dress with blue bowtie and waist belt as accent, a white sleeveless dress as well as a black-and-white ball gown with black bowtie were among hit items in the evening gown segment.

As a reminder to the audience about his specialty, Marga showcased five signature kebaya in cream, off-white, gray, baby pink and ivory colors that would be perfect compliments for weddings.

To match the formal kebaya collection, Marga presented five suits for men in grey, brown and maroon.

As an extravagant closure for the night, Marga revealed 10 masterpieces from his premium collection that ranged from balloon gowns to mermaid dresses to sleek dresses in colors such as terracotta, ivory, black and white.

A white-and-black balloon dress with three-dimensional butterfly adornment on its upper part, for example, accentuated Marga'€™s dramatic flair that night.

Finally, the last gown of the premium collection represented Marga'€™s ability to amaze, as it was adorned with more than 15,000 Swarovski crystals.

'€” Photos by JP/DON

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