An ondel-ondel-inspired evening dress and a modern kebaya kerancang are among Jakarta-themed designs featured at the recent Milan Design Week in Italy.

At the hands of Savira Lavinia, ondel-ondel don’t look intimidating at all. The traditional effigies — believed to be protectors of the Betawi people — are her source of inspiration for creating a graceful night gown and tiara.

In a departure from the typically colorful ondel-ondel, Savira chose a dark tone for the dress to represent Jakarta as the capital that never sleeps.

The dress was one of dozens of Jakarta-inspired pieces showcased in the Indonesian Pavilion at Superdesign Show of the Milan Design Week, running from April 8 to 14 at Superstudio Più in the Italy’s fashion and design capital of Milan.

The prestigious event served as a great opportunity to showcase the best of Indonesian design, as the exhibition venue, Superstudio, welcomed around 100,000 designers and artists, and some 2,000 journalists from all over the world in the course of the week.

Diana Nazir of the Indonesian Contemporary Art and Design (ICAD) exhibition carefully picked works of Indonesian designers that are in line with this year’s theme: Innovations and Traditions.

“It’s not easy to choose suitable designs, because — apart from meeting [the exhibition’s] criteria — we also wish to highlight Indonesian icons, especially those of Jakarta,” she said prior to the opening of the Indonesian Pavilion.

Sleepless city: Savira Lavinia’s evening dress takes inspiration from ondel-ondel effigies and the bright nights of Jakarta.

Under the theme Essential Jakarta, Diana and fellow curator Itjuk chose fashion, furniture and visual designs that highlight eight elements of Betawi tradition. The exhibition also served some Betawi culinary favorites, such as gado-gado (salad in peanut sauce) and bir pletok, a herbs and spices-infused beverage.

The Essential Jakarta exhibition was a collaborative effort of ICAD and the Jakarta administration.

Art director Andika Frestian devided the 175-square-meter exhibition space into a number of petal-shaped rooms, each representing one design branch — ranging from fashion and ornaments to technology and photography.

Savira’s ondel-ondel dress shared the fashion section with creations by Felicia Budi and Toni Ambiyo. Felicia modernized the Betawi sadariah (long-sleeved white shirt) and kebaya kerancang (traditional blouse) to meet the needs of urbanites.

“I realize that, in order to encourage people to wear traditional attire again, the dress must be comfortable and practical, so I used a lightweight fabric, especially for the kebaya kerancang and sadariah,” she said.

Tommy, meanwhile, incorporated futuristic and geometric designs in his 2019 fall/winter collection called Fragments.

The ondel-ondel theme also appeared in the ornament section, where designer Danton Sihombing reimagined the colorful effigy in his Bondel Mondel ornament.

Bits and pieces: Fashion designer Tomy Ambiyo envisions the future of Jakarta in his piece titled Fragments.

Ciliwung River, which runs through Jakarta, was embodied in Ciliwung Chair by Aloysius Baskoro Junianto. The wooden chair boasts curves that illustrate the flow of the River.

Festivity was palpable in the Dance and Video Mapping section, where dynamic video mapping created the backdrop for a series of Betawi dance performances.

In another petal, a series of photographs depict the present-day life of the Betawi community. Photographer Ayang Kalake said he spent a lot of time roaming all parts of Jakarta to capture Jakartans and their activities in the busy metropolis.

An innovative arm watch also stole the limelight at the Indonesian Pavilion. Created by Pala Nusantara and Mylea, the wooden watch features straps made from organic waste and mushrooms.

Francesco Baragoila Mordini, project manager of international publications Mondadori, Electa and Rizzoli, applauded the Indonesian designers’ works.

“I notice that Indonesian designers can realize the concept of innovations and traditions using materials that respect the environment, with advanced creativity and good details, so that all products look modern,” he said.

“I’m especially impressed by the watches with organic waste and mushroom straps to replace leather, which I think is something new and interesting to innovate.”

Vegan timepiece: The Vegan Leather Pala X Mylea Watch features straps made from mushroom and organic waste.

— Photos by Rieska Wulandari