PLAYING HIS TUNE: Harry Darsono with Pullman Jakarta Indonesia general manager Alexander Poindl (on his left) and friends.

Haute couture designer Harry Darsono loves the adventure of travel, and also the arts in its many diverse forms, whether it is music, paintings or other forms.

He will hold a special fashion show on Oct. 15 at Pullman Jakarta Indonesia that will bring together these two loves of his life, with his creativity in making costumes that he has done for various theater and other performances over the years. He began designing “art-to-wear” in 1971 in his early 20s.

The 90-minute “Carnivale of Colorful Couture — Costumes and Contemporary Choreography” show follows the designer’s journey from Shanghai to Beijing, Seoul to Kyoto, Japan, the locations for a series of sold-out fashion shows of his works that were personally handpainted on handspun, handwoven pure silk and featured 36 models from Shanghai and Milan. In one of the designer’s many connections with nobility, the Kyoto show was organized at the invitation of Crown Princess Masako Naruhito.

The show will be presented by philanthropists, donors, supporters and members of noble families as a tribute to Harry Darsono Foundation, which has assisted the disadvantaged, particularly young people with learning disabilities, since 1979. Eighty-five percent of the proceeds will be dedicated to the foundation.

“I spent much time creating and producing haute couture shows for an overseas audience spanning a few decades. I want to recreate my works for my Indonesian friends and valued partners here in Jakarta in a musical couture [event] I hope they will enjoy. It is my tribute to Indonesian design, art and high fashion,” he was quoted as saying in a release from the hotel, adding that he hoped the performance would attract those from the arts and those from outside its sphere.

There will also be special performances from the Dayak Prince of the Forest from Kalimantan and a troupe of ballerinas from Seoul, and an appearance by Miss Universe Indonesia. Also on the schedule is an exclusively choreographed Grand Royal Costumes Parade by the Maestra of West Sumatra.

Harry said separately that the event promised a different experience from a regular fashion show. There will be the stimulation of the visuals and the music, as well as the elements of colors.

He compared it to the first instrument he played, the harp, and how the different chords united harmoniously.

“There are the different elements that come together, and there is always that element of opposites attracting: male and female, black and white, etc.”

There are not only the expected bright colors of the parade of 40 dresses, including 27 art-to-wear pieces, but also earth tones in the clothes, he said.

“Haute couture is not about following trends, but it is contemporary and keeps changing, the technology of the clothes. But costumes have nothing to do with [changes in] fashion, they are what they are, whether they are from India or Aceh, with their meaning.”

The designer said he ultimately made two sets of clothes, one for collectors and one for the shows and their models. But a dress is only one part of making the woman, he said.

“Those who really know themselves know that they are a living piece of art […] My dress is just the frame. I have many dresses hanging up in my museum but it’s the woman who makes the dress by how she wears it.”

One of the nation’s most famous and longest surviving designers, Harry, 66, was raised partly in the UK, including in Oxford, where he gained his degrees in philosophy and psychology, and also France, where he studied fashion in Paris. Born into a wealthy family in Surabaya, he experienced developmental disorders that affected his speech.

He has come to appreciate how his succession of childhood adversities ultimately shaped his character and his will to succeed. He did not speak fluently until the age of 23 — it turned out he had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHC) — but he overcame the difficulties by becoming an educator and advocate today, and running his foundation for the past 37 years. He has designed for several of the world’s most famous women, including the late Princess Diana and Queen Rania of Jordan.

He is a man of many talents; he also designs millinery, jewelry, furniture, ceramics and porcelain, among other interests, and has written books in both English and French, including on philosophy. He recognizes his distinction as a long-time survivor in the fashion industry, noting that some of his peers are “already in heaven” and that today he is designing for the grandchildren of his first customers.

“I am thankful for the blessings I have received, but it is about balance, mentally, spiritually, socially, intellectually. You have to fight for it.”

He said he realized it was most important to avoid becoming stuck in a comfort zone as one got older.

“You have to activate your brain and muscles. Life means you have to fight yourself, because the biggest enemy is yourself.”

Harry said he always strove to learn more about life, including from the younger generation.

“Whenever I travel, I want to meet and talk to people, it doesn’t matter who they are, they can be the doorman or the taxi driver. I get input. And we need to learn from the young — they are fresher and with a different perspective on life.”

Harry has said previously that he always had dreams, but he said having them was not enough.

“Dreams are just a bridge; they are not enough in themselves. You have to make a plan. I believe in ‘A’ for action and for attitude, that’s very important. I don’t give a damn about success. And we all have to learn from mistakes; if we don’t learn from mistakes then we are insane.”

For those who cannot make the show (it is sold out, but standing only tickets will be sold on the day), his collection of dresses, accessories and other mementoes of his colorful life is housed at his Harry Darsono Museum in Cilandak, South Jakarta. Here, by appointment, visitors can take a tour to see several creations he made for distinguished clients.

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