During her brief lifetime (1879 to 1904), Kartini has inspired many with the letters that she wrote during home seclusion and the school for women that she established in Rembang, Central Java.
In her tribute, women across the country typically wear traditional attire on Kartini Day.
It is a rare and precious spectacle, especially in big cities.
And unfortunately, one is unlikely to see something similar again — until Kartini Day the next year.
There are many reasons why today’s women no longer wear traditional attire on a daily basis. First is the fact that the kebaya (Javanese traditional blouse) and kain (pareo) tend to be tight-fitting, thus limiting movements in today’s fast-paced lifestyle.
But today’s kebayas vary much in styles, silhouettes and colors. Every woman can find one that suits their personality and daily needs, if they want to. Thus, by wearing today’s modified kebayas, they can present a graceful feminine look just like Kartini’s, without having to scale back on their daily activities.
Here is an overview of some of the best modern kebaya collections by the top Indonesian fashion designers of today.
Anne Avantie
Indonesia’s kebaya maestro, Anne Avantie recently featured her latest collection “Legong Srimpi” at the Jakarta Convention Center.
“Legong Srimpi is a combination of Javanese and Balinese traditional cultures, which are rich in colors and bold embellishments,” said the 59-year-old.
According to Anne, she got the idea for this collection during a visit to Bali.
“I saw these fabrics piling up in a market,” she said. “They’re very beautiful and unique, yet sold very cheaply in bulk.”
The fabrics that Anne saw in the traditional market were kain prada (gold-embellished fabric) and kain poleng (black-and-white checkered fabric).
Kain poleng is usually used to dress Balinese statues in temples, while Kain prada is generally used to make ider-ider (traditional banners) and Balinese ceremonial umbrellas.
Anne combined these decorative fabrics with French lace, silk satin and brocade to create beautiful modern kebayas.
And the designer is convinced that her kebayas, made of these rather heavy and coarse fabrics, are indeed comfortable to wear.
“I don’t design something that’s pleasing to the eyes only,” she said. “My designs are all very easy and comfortable to wear.”
A very charming kebaya in her collection is the one that combines sheer black lace, kain poleng and prada. All of these materials are rich and bold in color and texture. Yet Anne manages to marry them all tastefully in a beautiful kebaya.
Another enchanting kebaya in the collection is one that combines sheer tulle, champagne-hued brocade and kain poleng. The front of the bodice is enhanced with pearls and crystals, while the kain poleng at the skirt has elaborate embroideries around the hemline.
In spite of the bright, glossy colors of the fabrics and embellishments used, the kebaya looks elegant on the model.
Anne herself is an example of a modern-day Kartini. Born in Solo, Central Java, she survived an impoverished childhood, divorce and the May 1998 riots that burned down her very first boutique.
With no formal education in fashion and unable to sketch even to this day, Anne still managed to catapult herself from being a small-time tailor in Solo to a highly sought-after kebaya designer on an international level.
Among her clientele are Indonesian pop singer Agnes Monica, Indonesian-German actress and singer Cinta Laura and many other top celebrities, government officials and socialites.
Despite her fame and success, Anne remains humble and generous. Unlike many other designers, this mother of three doesn’t mind if her creative works are copied by other designers and tailors.
“Anyone can do what I do,” she said. “The materials are readily available in traditional markets in Bali.
“And I hope my collection will open a new horizon for Indonesian tailors and designers to use the overlooked materials around us and turn them into something beautiful,” she said.
Didiet Maulana
Didiet Maulana is a rising star in Indonesia’s fashion industry. Like Anne Avantie, the 33-year-old is a self-taught designer.
Didiet graduated from architecture studies in at Parahyangan University in Bandung before joining MTV Indonesia’s creative division.
He then worked for a retail company for seven years before starting his own label, Ikat Indonesia, in 2011.
“Ikat [‘tie or knot’ in Indonesian] in the label doesn’t only refer to tie-dye,” Didiet said.
“But it shows my commitment in featuring Indonesian traditional fabrics in my collections.”
Since its inception, Ikat Indonesia has consistently highlighted Indonesia’s traditional fabrics, including batiks, tie-dyes and songket (gold/silver-embroidered fabrics) in its collections.
The designer recently launched his exclusive ready-to-wear line for women, “Svarna by Ikat Indonesia,” at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Jakarta.
In its debut fashion show, Svarna presented its spring/summer 2014 collection themed “Romansa Flora.”
The collection featured a modern version of Indonesian women’s traditional attire, including kebayas, baju kurung (a loose-fitting blouse from Sumatra) and baju bodo (a traditional blouse from Sulawesi) in intense earthy colors.
“In designing this collection, I was inspired by a friend who was falling in love,” Didiet said.
“I think women in love are very beautiful and feminine, just like blossoming flowers.”
The kebayas in the collection are modeled after Javanese traditional kebayas, with a fitted long bodice and kutu baru (bridge) between the lapels.
These traditional blouses are paired with long pencil skirts, made of the traditional kain tapis from Lampung, Balinese endek and Palembang songket.
These skirts are neatly designed to resemble traditional pareos.
“When I designed this collection, I envisioned my friends wearing it,” Didiet said. “So I’ve made the items very easy to wear and functional.”
At the end of the show, Indonesian jazz singer Andien appeared wearing a glamorous baju bodo and red-and-gold Palembang songket skirt. The 28-year-old then performed a couple of romantic songs.
“Songket is something that my mom would usually wear to weddings,” Andien said after the show. “Yet I wear it tonight and, I think I look young and fabulous in it.”
Andien is both Didiet’s good friend and muse.
“For me, Andien represents Indonesian modern women who are strong, dynamic and very talented,” the designer said.
Didiet said he hoped that Indonesian women would include more traditional attire in their daily wardrobe.
“If more women wear traditional clothes, they’d help improve the livelihood of Indonesian traditional artisans and perpetuate Indonesian traditional cultures,” he said.
Lenny Agustin
Lenny Agustin is perhaps a far cry from the demure and obedient portrayal of Kartini. With her closely cropped hair, which is usually dyed according to the color of her dress that day, sassy style and dynamic energy, you can easily mistake her for an Asian rock star.
And yet she is an Indonesian fashion designer and proud to be so.
Since establishing her eponymous label in 2003, Lenny has consistently designed kebayas and dresses with traditional materials from many different parts of the archipelago.
In Lenny’s hands, kebayas become modern and funky. The 41-year-old designer usually combines shocking colors, unique silhouettes and adorable embellishments into her kebayas.
Recently, Lenny released her spring/summer 2014 collection, themed “Radin.”
“Radin means beautiful in the Madurese language,” she said. “In making this collection, I was inspired by the exotic beauty of Madurese traditional attire.”
For this collection, Lenny collaborated with Turmidzi Djaka, traditional batik artisan from Sumenep in Madura.
“Turmidzi’s batiks are as beautiful as paintings,” Lenny said.
According to the designer, all of Turmidzi’s batiks are made with natural dyes.
“Turmidzi and his workers harvest the raw materials from their own garden in Sumenep,” she said.
“They also gather tree branches and leaves from the nearby forests for the natural dyes.”
The natural dyes give Turmidzi’s batiks profound earthy colors. Lenny then turns these batiks into mini dresses for her new collection, which she pairs with kebaya-inspired boleros, made of shiny polyester.
“I think kebayas can be made into jackets and boleros these days, as long as they still maintain their signature styles,” Lenny said.
The signature styles of kebayas, according to Lenny, are their streamlined silhouette, V-shaped hemlines at the front, and flared sleeves.
“I believe designers can be as creative as they want to be in designing kebayas within these limits,” said Lenny, a mother of three.
A chic outfit in Lenny’s latest collection is a batik sun dress with a pattern of brown partridges, which she combined with a cute cocoa-hued kebaya-inspired bolero.
The bolero is beautifully embellished with colorful floral cut-outs at the yoke. The model looks effortlessly chic in this outfit.
Another adorable dress by the designer is a creamy-colored batik tube dress, which she combined with a saffron-hued kebaya-inspired jacket. The outfit exudes the sexy confidence of today’s modern woman at the fashion show.
Lenny said she admired Kartini and her valiant struggle for women’s emancipation.
“I’ve read Kartini’s book and truly admire her spirits,” Lenny said.
“Things were very different from the way they are now. Women were not allowed to speak their minds. Yet despite such circumstances, Kartini moved forward and made a major breakthrough for us all.”
Source : Jakartaglobe
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