Indonesia can be described in many ways. We can say it’s a country with thousands of islands, all scattered on both sides of the equator. There are around three hundred ethnic groups, with international influences enriching its culture.
It is among the most populous countries in the world, inhabited by the world’s largest Muslim-majority population. If there are any words to express Indonesia’s diversity, it is the nation’s motto, Unity in Diversity.
With the same spirit of diversity, a Fashion Fair Trunk Show was held at the Lamoda Cafe in Plaza Indonesia recently. Arabian music vibrated through the air and the holy month’s ambiance was all around.
Featuring 14 prominent Indonesian designers, the show gave a peek at the newest Muslim fashion collections. Well-known names such as Gaya, The Designer’s Corner, Agnes Budhisurya, Deden Siswanto and other designers from APPMI (Indonesian Fashion Designers Association) gave plenty of choices on what Muslims can wear.
The timing of the fashion could not be more perfect considering that Muslims will soon celebrate Idul Fitri.
For Muslims, Idul Fitri is the moment when they can return to purity after one month of fasting. Believing that now they are as pure as blank papers, Muslims have every right to celebrate and wearing your best attire for such a celebration is a must.
Among the designers was Herman Nuary with “beautiful” as his theme.
His designs were all in soft colors, blending pink and blue chiffon silk. Detailed with stones and ornaments, these items have certainly stolen the show.
Then there was also Irna Mutiara, the designer from Bandung known for making party dresses and elegant evening gowns for Muslim women. Her design, called “Fairy Paradise”, was one of the highlights in the fashion show.
With all the green-colored fabric, it certainly reminded fashion buffs about a color easily associated with Islam. For those who still memorized their Koranic lessons, it is mentioned in the holy book that in the Garden of Eden, good people will wear green robes of finest silk and gold embroidery. Irna may not use silk but her design was just as good.
Irna, used silk for her Ramadan collection last year. This time Irna stepped out of her safety zone and experimented with pure cotton. “It is a very simple fabric commonly used as a filter when making tofu,” said Irna after show.
With her design, she is determined to prove that the moment is right for cotton.
None of the clothes were body-hugging or transparent, consistent with the Muslim dress code. “Even in some international events, we show that Muslims cover their hair and neck and shun tight or transparent clothing,” she said.
The materials were floating thin, dipped in soft green and pink. Trees, leaves, water, and flowers were put on her designs.
If you’re looking for a touch of Indonesia, it’s best to have a look at Stephanus Hamy’s collection. He came up with the theme “Cinde”, referring to the motifs commonly used by dancers in the Mangkunegaran Palace in Surakarta, Central Java. In his design, Hamy paired Cinde with plain pants or tops.
For casual wear, Zoya’s hijab and scarves might suit you best. Bright colors and flower-adorned fabric was surely a head turner. The hijab and scarves were designed to match each woman’s complexion and the best thing is, the design could be modified for any occasion. It’s perfect for working Muslim women always on the move.
“Even in some international events, we show that Muslims cover their hair and neck and shun tight or transparent clothing,”
Then there was also a daring, bright-colored style for lebaran designed by Ian Adrian. The theme for his design was “Splendid China.” After traveling to China, the designer was interested in accessories and ornaments designed by local artisans. He believed that the items could express various cultural aspects of the country.
“Even in some international events, we show that Muslims cover their hair and neck and shun tight or transparent clothing,”
Then there was also a daring, bright-colored style for lebaran designed by Ian Adrian. The theme for his design was “Splendid China.” After traveling to China, the designer was interested in accessories and ornaments designed by local artisans. He believed that the items could express various cultural aspects of the country.
The colors in Ian’s design are gold, yellow, and red. So basically he dares Muslims to be bold about what they wear.
With a touch of Chinese traditional ornaments, his design easily stands out. It appears that Ian aims at selling his collection for Muslims abroad which is apparently consistent with the objective of the Indonesian Islamic Fashion Consortium (IIFC), which organized the Indonesia Islamic Fashion Fair (IIFF) from Aug. 13 to Sept. 3, 2010, at Plaza Indonesia.
With the fashion show, the organizer aims to make Indonesia as the capital of the worldwide Islamic fashion capital, competing with Paris, New York, Milan and Hong Kong which have already been well recognized as fashion capitals of the world.
Irna said that the works of many Indonesian designers had been well-received in neighboring countries like Malaysia.
“It’s hard for Malaysian designers to make an inroad here, but my design can go to their market easily,” she said.
With so many designs on offer, traditional, simple, casual, modern and formal, it will probably be unwise to wear veils or other Muslim garbs that only makes it difficult to keep up with the fashion trends.
No comments:
Post a Comment