A Motley Crew of Outcasts in a Utopian Island

For those of you wondering what Onrop! is, it's acronym for Porno, which translates in English as...well...PORN! It's a musical directed by Joko Anwar, an Indonesian movie director & screenwriter much loved for his biting social commentary and mean sense of humor. 


Those in the know have been following the development of this much anticipated production since the much publicized audition process. Well it's finally being performed on stage at Teater Besar, Taman Ismail Marzuki starting from November 13. Tonight I had the privilege of witnessing the incredible performance for myself. First and foremost, it was A LOT OF FUN! The cast delivered a solid performance. I'm not gonna discuss the synopsis, those of you curious enough should visit the website and find out for yourself. 


Leaving the theater at the end of the performance, all I felt was pride. Satire is no longer illegal!!! Hurrah! There's even a spoof on the recent hand-shaking scandal! What's even better is that it was a full house!  People actually pay to watch a locally-produced musical for god's sake! What a breakthrough. How heartwarming to know that there are THAT many people who care! It's unbelievable. I mean...it's theater. Who watches theater here? But seriously, the success of Onrop! proves that quality will eventually generate interest. So congratulations to the entire Onrop! cast and crew. To those who have not seen it...you don't want to miss it. seriously!!!

Jakarta Fashion Week 2010/2011: Priyo Oktaviano for Cita Tenun Indonesia

Indonesia is blessed with the most beautiful traditional textiles. These take so long to make and considered so valuable that in the old days, only royals and aristocrats were able to wear them. Fortunately, times are a changin' and people finally began to realize that these textiles do not have to remain as relics of the past. A lot of our designers now take on the challenge of revamping the image of traditional textiles, bringing them forward into modern times and making them wearable, not just as sarongs or shawls. I think it's admirable that there has been this collective effort to modernize traditional hand-woven textiles because as you can see, they are nothing short of amazing! 

But beyond that, it is also imperative for the Indonesian fashion industry to carve an identity of its own. New York has its sportswear, London its androgyny, Milan its tailoring and Paris its avant-garde. Indonesia is colorful, diverse, entrenched in history. We just need to figure out a way to incorporate all that into the every day. I've always been an avid proponent of Ready To Wear. Exclusivity can sometimes be overrated, I think. Wearing a custom made creation doesn't make me feel superior or special. On the contrary, it makes me feel rather isolated. RTW collections allow the designer to fully realize his/her vision, execute his/her workmanship and monitor his/her evolution. We need to be able to see that in order to identify who's good and who's not. Plus, it's always enjoyable to have conversations about a particular collection. RTW collections also pose a challenge to wearer to really WEAR the piece, infuse his/her own style into it, instead of having the piece dictate who he/she should be. 

In any case, I digress...I've posted some pictures I took during Jakarta Fashion Week 2010/2011. The designer behind it is the uber-talented Priyo Oktaviano who used to work under Nicolas Ghesquiere at Balenciaga. Would love to hear what you think :) 

For The Love Of...

So I've decided to resume blogging...


Current city: Jakarta. I guess everyone eventually gravitate towards home. I still complain about this city and I occasionally experience Tokyo-withdrawal BUT Jakarta's where I am. 


Funny thing is, I also returned to my former employer, Femina Group, where I now also resumed my work as Fashion Editor of Dewi magazine. I don't think any of this is coincidental. People ask me, so why did you go to Tokyo in the first place and waste all that time? I say, I found a new perspective. I'm glad that I went. I'm glad that I came back. Everything is how it's supposed to be. 


Anyways, I digress. The reason I wanted to start blogging again is because Jakarta is in the middle of its third fashion week, an annual event that Femina Group organizes with the support of various other sponsors and organizations. It is still in its infancy and there are of course much to be done and improved upon but I'm proud of it. I'm proud of our local talents, our local products...and aside from the grand, lofty ambition to put Indonesia in the global fashion map, I feel truly moved and inspired by the beauty that this country possesses. In spite of the natural disasters, the horrendous traffic jams, the poverty, the corruption; Indonesia is an innately beautiful country. 


So please, check out http://www.jakartafashionweek.co.id and @JKTfashion on Twitter.