The moment finally came. Jakarta Fashion Week 10/11 was ending and as usual, it closed with the most spectacular show of the whole week, Dewi Fashion Knights.
The big theme of the show is Style Spectrum. Niluh Sekar, Editor in Chief of Dewi magazine, said this year’s Dewi Fashion Knights is about diversity. Each designer possesses a strong and unique character, which emanates through their designs. This enriches the style vocabulary of fashion, which in turn frees the spirit of the women who wear their creations. This diversity is what we are celebrating this year.
I was sitting next to Kleting that night and I couldn’t help but notice that there were even more people inside the tent compared to last year. The guests, comprising of the who’s who of fashion industry, celebrities, socialites and editors, dressed to the nines and everyone seemed eager to watch the show. And why wouldn’t they? Some of Indonesia’s most talented designers took part in this and they were Ali Charisma, Kiata Kwanda, Priyo Oktaviano, Stella Rissa and Tex Saverio.
Ali Charisma opened the show with a parade of fierce-looking models wearing a collection entitled Culture War. Like his previous collections, there was a sense of masculinity and toughness to his items and the way he styled the models, which he carefully balanced with a few touches of feminine details. The floral motif on the fabrics, the exaggerated puff sleeves on the jacket, also a shot of neon pink bursting through the predominantly black and brown collection. It was inspired by Javanese-style attires which were given a military touch and it was working brilliantly. Leather mixed with Thai silk. Pencil skirt with pleated details matched with vest with button applique. Cocoon dresses, which has a very feminine sillhouette but presented in masculine colors, leather trimmings and chains wrapped around the mode’s neck. The full-studded wrap blouse paired with drapey maxi skirt with Batik Parang in the middle. I love LOVE everything!
Next was Stella Rissa who sent the models out in her signature, “womanly” collection. It was called Woman’s Possession and showed some boudoir-inspired pieces which were slinky and seductive. Stella Rissa was not afraid to show how women can dress sensually but with class, using mostly satin, lace and bow details on some of the pieces.
Kiata Kwanda‘s collection was called Pure Line and once you see the outfits, you would know why. The models all walked out wearing black slinky maxi dresses which look plain from the front, but each had many interesting details on the back. The models were given very minimal makeup with drawn-out eyebrows and a haunting song was playing in the background, giving his presentation a cold and other-worldly feel.
The crowd then took a collective intake of breath when Priyo Oktaviano‘s name was called. This designer is known for bringing out-of-the-box concept, stunning workmanship and an element of theatrical into his collections and this year, he did not disappoint! Priyo was inspired by the life of women, whose life not only filled with beauty, but also with despair and challenges. He tried to translate this into a collection called The Glory, using silk, cashmere, leather and denim. It was certainly a collection rich with details. But he cleverly presented them in a monotone hue of white and beige so it didn’t get overwhelming. There was romanticism in the cashmere and silk coat and in the long, flowy transparent lace dress. There was also toughness in his cropped jacket and vests added with his signature braid detailing. My favorite part was, every now and then, the outfit would have a “face” peeking through them – on the chest, back or even part of the outfit itself was forming the face – and if I were to interpret them, I’d say the “face” symbolized the secrets and despair women have that they keep hidden behind that beautiful exterior.
Dewi Fashion Knights closed with a bang when Tex Saverio‘s first face walked out. His theme Le Glacon or the Icicle were depicted through a series of dramatic, couture attires using organza, tulle, taffeta and synthetic laser which he processed using several techniques. The result was dresses you can not imagine seeing off the runway but provided the guests with a sense of grand closure to the spectacular week. And when the last model walked out, wearing a huge feather skirt and bodice made out of leather cut resembling icicles, Jakarta Fashion Week 10/11 was officially over.
Congratulations Femina Group! Once again you did a terrific work. See you next year! 🙂
