The fashion festival season is upon us! A flurry of press conferences have recently been held in anticipation of fashion week season, one of these being Jakarta Fashion Week 2014. Earlier this week, the media were gathered together to hear about the commencement of the Grazia Model Search 2013. Judge Diaz Parazada stated that Jakarta Fashion Week is more than just a festival, but rather a forum that hopes to shake up the industry by introducing new talents through competition. The Model Search is just one of the many competitions that will be held throughout JFW, which includes the storied Designer Competition (Lembaga Perancang Mode), and a contest especially crafted for fashion bloggers! So if you’re a fashion blogger looking to flex your writing muscles, head on their website for more info.
Even earlier this month, we were rounded up to hear the announcement of yet another show at a different fashion festival: the IPMI Trend Show 2014 at the Bazaar Fashion Festival.
The Council of Indonesian Fashion Designers (IPMI) is the oldest, most respected fashion institution in this country. Members initiated into this circle of elite designers have been carefully selected by senior council members based on a strict but organic set of criteria, which include consistency, identity, and strong following. If this were Star Trek, they are basically the Vulcan High Council.
The annual IPMI Trend Show remains a stronghold event after its debut nearly thirty years ago. Flanked between IPMI head Tri Handoko and Iwan Tirta creative director Era Soekamto, was Harper’s Bazaar Indonesia Editor-in-Chief, Ria Lirungan. She explained how her publication has always been corralling and showcasing new talents in Indonesian fashion. Era Soekamto further stressed how necessary it is for the Council to evolve, and to enrich Indonesian fashion by holding annual trend shows that do not mislead the masses. IPMI has a responsibility to hold fleshed-out shows, and one of the way it is doing that this year is by cementing new commitment with Harper’s Bazaar Indonesia.
That afternoon, IPMI also announced the addition of three new council members among its ranks, whose names are already hold plenty of clout: Danny Satriadi, Yogie Pratama, and Mel Ahyar are no strangers to praise. Their respective lines, brands, and fans have earned them the respect of senior IPMI members.
Tri Handoko stated that the respective designers’ trademark style and established names in the industry were critical to their rising among the elite IPMI ranks, but they were also singled out for the interview portion of their selection process, in which they exhibited a vision and mission that mirrored that of IPMI’s. Era Soekamto had difficulty trying to pinpoint a single criteria that led the council to their final decision, at last settling to describe the three as possessing a “shining” factor. They were selected for strong characters, techniques, and readiness to unionize.
While no dates have been announced just yet for the Bazaar Fashion Festival, we can safely announce Jakarta Fashion Week 2014 will be held between October 19-25 at Senayan City for the first time ever. If you want to volunteer as an intern at JFW, click here! It’s a great reference to add to your CV. Don’t forget that JFW also has a ton of contests going on, including a fashion blogging competition; and stay tuned for the IPMI Trend Show 2014 date. It’ll definitely be one for the books 🙂
