http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/lifeandtimes/color-the-new-black-for-islamic-fashion/384471
July 06, 2010
Report Sylviana Hamdani
The designers at this fashion show wanted to break with the idea of Muslim fashion being an oxymoron and make it more of a celebration of femininity. (JG Photos/Safir Makki)
Color the New Black For Islamic Fashion
Allah is beautiful and indeed loves beauty." This quote comes from a famous hadith, or narrative originating from the words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad.
The idea that Islam approves of and commends beauty in every being, however, can still be a strange concept in the modern world, especially where women's fashion is concerned.
"Many people still think that Islamic attire is a punishment for women," said Dato Raja Rezza Shah, the founder and chairman of the Islamic Fashion Festival. "They would never believe that a woman could look beautiful in it."
Malaysian fashion designer Dato Tom Abang Saufi agreed with Rezza. "Some people would say that there's no such thing as Islamic fashion," she said. "But those people just don't understand what it's all about."
Last month, Tom and Indonesian fashion designer Itang Yunasz, together with other designers from Indonesia and Malaysia, showcased their Islamic fashion collections at the swanky St. Regis Hotel in New York City.
Organized by Rezza, the fashion show was attended by Hollywood celebrities like Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Robert de Niro, as well as socialite Paris Hilton.
According to Rezza and the other designers, the show proved to be quite an eye-opener, as well as a worthy cross-cultural experience for those who were in attendance.
"They were all surprised," Rezza said. "It was quite different from what they had in mind. They expected Islamic clothing to be all black hijabs, like what they wear in the Middle East. For the first time, they saw something different."
"Eighty percent of the guests were not Muslims," Tom added. "But they all enjoyed the show and it was very, very well received."
At the recently concluded annual Islamic Fashion Festival, the designers reprised their New York success in Jakarta.
Malaysian and Indonesian designers showcased their latest collections from June 29-30 at the Dharmawangsa Hotel.
With the theme "Cita Nusantara" ("Fabrics of the Archipelago"), the fourth IFF displayed contemporary Islamic wear using a rich variety of traditional handmade materials from the two countries.
Sixteen Indonesian and five Malaysian fashion designers were part of the show. The dominant trend seemed to revolve around going back to their roots and exploring traditional elements.
For two days, the hotel was ablaze with the colors and styles of Islamic fashion, with batik still a favorite.
Indonesian designer Merry Pramono said ethnic elements gave her room to explore and nurture her creativity. She made particular use of the traditional parang (knife) batik motif for her collection. "The parang is one of the most beautiful batik designs in our culture," she said.
On the first day of the show, a model wearing one of Merry's designs looked majestic with her flowing white tunic covered with a long parang batik overcoat of sogan (natural brownish) hue.
"In the old days, only royalty was allowed to wear the motif. By incorporating the ancient motif in my designs, I believe it will add femininity and elegance to my Muslim wear," she said.
Indonesian designer Hannie Hananto, on the other hand, decided to tweak the traditional motif. In her collection, "Utak Atik Parang" ("Playing Around with Knives"), Hannie modified the thin, elongated motif to resemble cubes.
"Batik has very rigid traditional patterns," she said. "But the market demands a more fun and contemporary feel [of batik]. So, I've decided to play around with it."
Hannie's double-belted yellow-gray kaftan, showcased during the first day of the fashion festival, came off as both chic and playful.
One detail, an embellishment of little gray-yellow-white balls around the neck area and on the turban, gave the outfit a quirky feel.
"They're Ping-Pong balls," Hannie said, laughing. "I just wrapped them in silk."
Malaysian designer Ab Kareem Said Khadaied also used batik. Working under the theme "The Sea and the Malay Archipelago," he presented a classic layered turquoise tunic as part of his collection. "The sea, its color and its movement, inspired this collection," he said.
The designer, who aside from being a Malaysian batik expert is also a member of the World Batik Council, explained the difference between Indonesian and Malaysian batik.
"We use the direct application of colors instead of the wax-resistant dyes of the Indonesian batik," he said. "It's a technique that we've adapted from the Japanese."
There is also a slight difference in the design motifs. "Indonesian batik [motifs] are very cultural and sociopolitical," he said. "Malaysian motifs are more free and expressionistic."
Malaysian designer Melinda Looi incorporated intricate white floral motifs of Malaysian batik into her black abayas. "I really fell in love with abayas," Melinda said.
"I think that even though they're all closed up, they still look very elegant. Usually, they are made from plain materials, but this time I'm trying to do it differently."
Melinda's abaya designs conveyed a sense of dignified gracefulness with slender, modern silhouettes.
There were other options aside from batik. Indonesian designer Nuniek Mawardi used tenun gedog Tuban - handwoven material from Tuban, East Java - for her collection.
"It's a challenge for me to use a material that belongs to our cultural heritage in high fashion," she said.
The raw, grainy material was combined with cotton and resulted in a de-structured, close-fitting garment with cascading frills and drapery in front.
"It required a lot of handiwork and complicated stitching," Nuniek said.
Indonesian designer Ian Adrian chose to showcase ulap doyo , a traditional textile of bold colors handwoven by the Dayak people in Tanjung Isuy, East Kalimantan, for his collection.
He combined the coarse material with chiffon, satin and organdy to present an eye-catching two-piece Muslim outfit, embellished with soft frills throughout the bodice.
Indonesian designer Jeny Tjahyawati used the handwoven material sengkang, from Makassar, South Sulawesi, for her collection.
"It's 100 percent pure silk handwoven by the women in a small village in Makassar," she said. "It's almost of the same quality with Thai silk. It's so beautiful."
The stiff, shiny material had intricate floral motifs that resembled crossstitches. Jeny used the textile to create a long vest to cover up the body silhouette of the model who wore low-crotch harem pants and a long-sleeved white T-shirt adorned with crystals.
"As designers, of course, we follow the trends," she said. "However, we also have to adjust to Islamic stipulations. For example, pants for women should be drop-crotch so as not to be too revealing. The comfortable, tight-fitting material of Spandex can also be used as long as you cover it with a vest or an overcoat."
Tom said: "Everybody wants to look beautiful. That's why we dress up. But we should also be able to obey our religious stipulations without looking outdated and out of place."
According to Tom, Muslim attire should be easy to wear and adjusted to suit modern lifestyles. She avoids putting zippers and buttons in her clothes to make them more wearable. She also uses light, crease-free materials such as chiffon, cotton and satin for her designs.
"These days, Muslim women travel a lot," she said. "I want to make their life easier by making them clothes that are easy to wear, lightweight and fashionable."
Tom's latest collection also incorporates a traditional geometrical pattern of the Sarawak region, where she is from. "I've seen this beautiful swerving pattern in Orang Ulu's traditional clothes and tattoos," she said.
"I think it's very pretty and matches the current global trend. A designer should always be well-versed and able to communicate his designs with today's lifestyles," she added. Orang Ulu is a tribal group from Sarawak, Malaysia.
Hannie said: "Being beautiful in Islam is being clean, neat and graceful. You don't have to wear luxurious, expensive clothes to look nice and attractive."
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Milis Wanita Muslimah
Membangun citra wanita muslimah dalam diri, keluarga, maupun masyarakat.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/wanita_muslimah
Situs Web: http://www.wanita-muslimah.com
ARSIP DISKUSI : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wanita-muslimah/messages
Kirim Posting mailto:wanita-muslimah@yahoogroups.com
Berhenti mailto:wanita-muslimah-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Milis Keluarga Sejahtera mailto:keluarga-sejahtera@yahoogroups.com
Milis Anak Muda Islam mailto:majelismuda@yahoogroups.com
Milis ini tidak menerima attachment.
0 comments:
Post a Comment