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JAKARTA. The fashion party in the capital has kicked off, with fashion lovers delighting in the latest collections from an array of prominent designers at the seventh edition of Jakarta Fashion Week (JFW).
Shows at “Indonesia Fashion Forward” — a program that aims to expose local designers to the world — were the highlight on Saturday.
Sapto Djojokartiko’s collection stole the show on opening night, with his Prêt-à-Porter 2015 Spring and Summer collection offering a fresh take on Indonesia’s batik traditions, blending strong and confident lines of stamped batik with the Penara motif.
His designs were dominated by a monochromatic color palette accentuated by strong silhouettes.
Sapto’s footwear — espadrilles shoes, leather pumps and platform sandals — were also a hit, and ideal for the dynamic and modern urban woman.
Billy Tjong’s Bhinneka collection, meanwhile, was inspired by the country’s diversity, which he translated into a rich mixture of prints, paintings, graphics and Chinese calligraphy.
Billy used crocodile and snake leather to construct his red shirt, dress, skirt, neoprene, jacquard and organza. He used dupion silk for his premium ready-to-wear collection.
“With fit and flare cutting and a gold, yellow, blue and red color palette, the Bhinneka collection is suitable for young women who want to have a chic and exclusive look,” Billy said.
Other designers showcasing their latest work on Saturday included Andhita Siswandi, Patrick Owen, NurZahra, Dian Pelangi, Jii by Gloria Agatha, Rosalyn Citta, Peggy Hartanto and .
’s show was also, as always, an attention-grabber.
Under his ready-to-wear line, the designer showcased a simpler, more relaxed collection dominated by the color silver.
Monochrome black dresses, oversized jackets, silvery transparent skirts in various silhouettes and sleeveless tops were the highlights of his collection.
JFW, which runs until Nov. 7, will showcase over 2,600 works from more than 200 local and international designers, presented in some 70 shows at the Senayan City shopping center in South Jakarta.
JFW chairwoman Svida Alisjahbana said many of the local designers and labels that had participated in JFW over the years had benefited significantly.
“Their roles [in shaping international trends] may not be that big, but we can say they have made significant breakthroughs by attracting international retailers and their designs have been worn by Hollywood stars,” Svida said.
“JFW is a way for designers to set the trends, both in our own country and abroad,” she added.
Creative director Diaz Parzada said big shifts in fashion taste would be seen in 2015, and that JFW sought to anticipate those changes.
“The trend is going to be very different next year. And it’s good news for women, I guess, because next year, it will be more friendly,” he said.
In terms of silhouette, he said, designers were likely to favor simple, loose, oversized clothes, straying from the revealing collections that were popular in recent years.
“The color palette will be warm pastels like peach, orange, dusty pink and khaki,” Diaz said.
For footwear, he said “killer” heels would likely be replaced by shoes with heels of three to five centimeters.
On Sunday, Friederich Herman, three Japanese designers — Mannequins Japon, motonari ono and Somarta — Musa Widiatmodjo and Itang Yunasz will present their latest collections. (Novi D. Rulistia)
