A piece of Indonesian Beauty

On the Jakarta Fashion Week 2014 fashion tent stage, Erasmus Huis also presented a show themed “Dutch Renaissance” that combined the elements of fashion and art. In the show, Billy Tjong showcased his dazzling collection that was inspired by an artist from the Netherlands who lived much of his life in Bali, Johan Rudolf Bonnet. Meanwhile, Auguste Soesastro featured his collection that was inspired by a Dutch painter from who moved to Bali, Hans Snel.

In the first sequence, Tjong interpreted the works of Bonnet into his collection. He correlated his work and Bonnet’s work that depicted his admiration towards Balinese women. 

Dresses with A-line and H-line silhouettes, loose tube dresses, crop tops, and jumpsuits were beautifully combined with Bonnet’s photographic works and paintings about Balinese women. The collection revolved around white, navy blue, and black with a trace of pastel – similar with the colors that were usually used by Bonnet. Motifs were printed on lightly textured materials such as satin, organdy, chiffon, and tweed. 

The next sequence revealed a dashing collection by Auguste Soesastro. The designer, who started his career in New York, got inspiration from Sung Dynasty’s ceramics left by the kingdom of China. The ceramics were obtained through historical object exchange between kingdoms of Indonesia and China in the 10th century.

Tops, loose mini dresses, wide pants, and long evening dresses appeared stunning in monochrome with eye-pleasing depth of color and texture. To finish the look, the collection was adorned with Gillian Arnold’s jewelry that was made of ceramic and mineral stone.

(Ivana/Femina)