RUNWAY REPORT
RUNWAY COLLECTION 2015
By Jo Reiner Widjaja
Image Courtesy of Iwan Tirta
Image Courtesy of Iwan Tirta
Fashion is change, that is an undeniable truth. The industry is nothing if not to be relevant and à la mode. Yet with this facet, comes the realisation that change is not what people might always expect, because with it; favourable and unfavourable reaction are also unequivocal. The late Iwan Tirta who passed away in 2010 has left a legacy beyond any doubt as legendary, with his self-named label, he has brought Indonesian batik to prominence. His distinct play with Keraton Batik and Java Relics have entitled his creations with the common notion as "Batik of Kings". Taken a void of five years, last April the label held its first official runway collection where a breeze of change is seen. With a new creative director at helm (Era Soekamto),the world ballots in their perception as affirming or the opposite.
Fesyen dan perubahan adalah dua hal yang tidak terpisahkan. Industri yang men-selebrasi keterdepanan selera ini, tentunya tidak akan menjadi apa-apa jikalau sebuah rumah mode tertinggal tren. Tetapi tentunya, dengan perubahan, opini akan selalu terbesit. Baik itu opini yang menjunjung perubahan atau yang justru menolaknya. Perubahan inilah yang tenagh terjadi di dalam rumah mode Iwan Tirta. Sosok legendaris Iwan Tirta adalah tokoh yang membawa budaya pakaian batik ke ranah dunia internasional, meninggal di tahun 2010, rumah mode-nya pun kini memiliki pemimpin kreatif baru bernama Era Soekamto. Dan setelah memilih rehat dari panggung pagelaran tunggal selama 5 tahun, April lalu Iwan Tirta Private Collection baru saja mempersembahan koleksi barunya bertajuk Dewaraja. Bagaimana respon dan penampilan kurasi koleksi ini? Berikut adalah liputannya.
The collection showcased a total of 60 looks all ranging from womenswear to menswear with an array of silhouette and cuttings from a-line dresses, high collar shirts, cape dresses, to knee-length dress. Pushing a modern appeal, the notable highlight of the collection is the application of these batik materials in modern silhouette. It is in our humble opinion that the collection seems very forward and relevant with today's society taste. Even so, there are other notable differences that exist in the collection; if Iwan preferred to use Batik Keraton and Java Relics as the pattern of his batik, Era in this case opted for Batik Bali and Parang Kemitir. And if Iwan had the tendencies to depict his collection's inspiration from personified muses, Era on the other hand chose a more philosophical approach, such as what happen in this collection where she derived "Dewaraja" (A state of transcendence of a king into a God-like state) as her main inspiration for the collection. True enough these differences have raised some eyebrows, Anton Diaz, Indonesian fashion critic for example stated that, "Iwan would never created a menswear jacket like that!" as he was quoted from Tempo in reaction to the flamboyant mens' jacket that was displayed on the show. Or the remarks from Pauly Pattypelohi, Iwan's assistant who said, "The collection doesn't really speak Iwan Tirta". But in the spirit of change, affirmations are also seen as it was apparent that the majority of the invitees were in awe of the collection that seems very fresh and current.
Koleksi ini menampilkan 60 tampilan looks, dimulai dari pakaian wanita hingga pria dalam berbagai siluet dan potongan. Gaun A-line, cape dresses, kemeja berkerah tinggi, bahkan jas pria yang dibubuhkan pola batik muncul di atas catwalk. Modern, fresh, dan sangat kekinian adalah hal-hal yang tersirat dipikiran kami. Beberapa perbedaan tampak dari koleksi yang ada, jikalau Iwan lebih suka bermain dengan pola Batik Keraton atau Regalia Jawa, Era lebih memilih untuk medefinisi ulang pola Batik Bali dan Parang Kemitir. Dan Jikalau Iwan cenderung mengambil inspirasi untuk koleksinya dari individu-individu inspirasional, Era memilih untuk mengambil arahan filosofis layaknya dengan "Dewaraja" sebuah terminologi bagi raja yang tengah bertransformasi menuju tahap Dewa. Perbedaan-perbedaan ini tentunya mengundang opini yang bertentangan dengan apa yang tengah dilakukan oleh Era, seperti Anton Diaz dan Pauly Pattypelohi seperti di kutip oleh Tempo di artikel ini. Walau demikian, apa yang begitu jelas adalah mayoritas dari para pecinta Iwan Tirta menyetujui arahan baru ini, terlihat dari antusiasme dan kemeriahan pujian tepat setelah pagelaran busana yang ada di Fairmont Jakarta tersebut.
True enough that a new era is seen in Iwan Tirta, while it has raised some doubts from several critics, in our opinion the new direction seems to be spot-on to the fundamental nature of fashion. Revitalisation is key in a brand's DNA; Raf Simons with his minimalistic approach in compare with John Galliano's in Christian Dior, or Ricardo Tisci's direction to democratise Givenchy. These cases proof that each new creative director should have a fine and definitive voice to represent the prevailing demand, a success or not? Only time will tell. But from the looks of it, the future seems bright for Iwan Tirta by Era Soekamto.
Benar adanya. Perubahan tengah terjadi di dalam tubuh rumah mode Iwan Tirta. Walau terdapat pihak yang mungkin masih mempertanyakan arahan baru ini, dalam opini kami perubahan yang ada sangatlah sesuai dengan apa yang dibutuhkan dunia mode; relevansi. Bagaimana tidak? Revitalisasi merupakan kunci dari kesuksesan beberapa brand dunia, layaknya Raf Simons di Dior yang begitu minimal jikalau dibandingkan dengan John Galliano pendahulunya, atau arahan Ricardo Tisci yang mendemokratisasikan Givenchy. Perubahan adalah kunci bagian yang tidak terelakkan di mode yang harus terus didukung.
Editors Note: As this article is being written, the collection for Dewaraja is reported to be sold out.
