A Muslim Fashion Show? Yes, in Jakarta!

By Jean Paul Cauvin

Nothing on the field of “international” fashion weeks is quite like the event organized in Jakarta 9 days ago.!

PARIS - August 31, 2008 - It can be strange for fashion writers like me, who are used to visit the world’s fashion capitals (New York, London, Milan and Paris) sometimes to witness that fashion weeks do happen in different cultures, under different latitudes.

Of course not all of them have the same impact on the world scene, and every season, we chose to cover some “extra” fashion capital, like Barcelona this season for instance, to discover new talent, and get some fresh air, which is sometimes very much needed when you are a fashion veteran in the circuit.

So, I guess all of us do get press releases promoting various fashion weeks around the planet. We all know about Sao Paulo , Tokyo, which are actually becoming bigger and more important these years. We know also of some difficulties to organize fashion weeks in the continent of Africa, where South Africa, and particularly Cape town and Johannesburg are doing their best to put the continent on the world map of fashion. There is also the odd or strange edition of, for instance, Athens Fashion Week last year, the not yet extremely interesting Moscow Fashion Week, the secluded Seoul Fashion week, etc…

But, if you look at the pictures we have received and which I am here publishing, courtesy of image.net, nothing on the field of “international” fashion weeks is quite like the event organized in Jakarta 9 days ago.

On the first day of the first Festival Mode Indonesia and Jakarta Fashion Week 2008, the organizers have gathered six specifically “Muslim” designers ( Monika Jufry, Merry Pramono, Jeny Tjahyawati, Anne Rufaidah, Fenny Mustafa, Hannie Hananto) for a runway show… on a special event called “APPMI” to bring together the ethnic riches of the archipelago of Indonesia. Bring together, but not mix! And this is where, both ideologically and aesthetically, I have started to question myself about some paradoxes.

Honestly, I did not think a Muslim runway show could exist and my feelings towards this new event are mixed. My first reaction is: how can you want to hide women, their hair, their body, their curves and still be a fashion designer? In my eyes, fashion is not first here to conceal but to reveal, to enhance, to make more beautiful, and in some Muslim sensitivities at least, it seems that the garment is here to erase the body, to hide the personality, to reserve its beauty to a very private sexual usage only.

Now, I must admit that, no matter what I thought about the designs, which are not yet at international level it must be admitted, this collective runway show of Indonesian Muslim designers, probably represents a big step forward. Putting women, even clothed women, on display on a catwalk, is rather unusual in the Islamic tradition, isn’t it?

So, I would like to ask you -our dear readers- to react also to these photos shown in this article and share your views. Maybe one of you can explain the paradoxes in the Muslim culture about beauty. i think it would be very helpful to us all.

On last thing I wanted to mention here; one of the main sponsors for this fashion week is Sunsilk… I guess they were very happy to witness the kind of image these pictures show about beautiful hair styled with Sunsilk products under the veil! Should we encourage or boycott, should Sunsilk and the Femina press group sponsor this kind of event? Feel free to tell what you think in the comments below…

August 31st, 2008

Comments

Sienna40 + September 5th, 2008:

To the writer:

You asked why Sunsilk should sponsor such an event? Because Muslim women have beautiful hair and it needs to be maintained even if it’s covered.

I’m not really into the pics of the models above. I have seen some beautiful runway fashion on http://hijabstyle.blogspot.com/

The Muslim woman veils her beauty because it shouldn’t be objectified.

Yet that doesn’t mean we can’t look good doing it. lol. I am a fan of new styles and ways to wear my scarves. To show my individuality while maintaining my obligations.

And I don’t think fashion should be about revealing and enhancing. It should be about trends and creativity and innovation. Eye popping doesn’t always equate to boobs high and butt propped.

Source: http://fashionreporters.com/2008/08/a-muslim-fashion-show-yes-in-jakarta/

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Another report:

Jakarta Fashion Week kicks off

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, |  Thu, 08/21/2008 10:18 AM  |  City

Local fashion designers along with Australian counterparts will showcase their work at the Jakarta Fashion Week from Thursday to Saturday.

Forty-seven local designers, ranging from household names Poppy Dharsono and Priyo Oktaviano, to new rising stars, will exhibit designs in 15 shows to be held Thursday and Friday at the Pacific Place shopping center.

The famous Australian designer, Akira Isogawa, will have his turn on Saturday together with three others: Jayson Brunsdon, Eileen Kirby and Aime Cristie.

The shows, reflect themed sessions including Muslim wear, ethnic, evening, cocktail, modern, temporary and classic styles.

"We do not showcase competition dresses. We showcase wearable beautiful and detail-filled clothes," Tanudi Kusmayadi, the chairman of the Indonesian Fashion Designers Association, said.

"What differentiates our designers from others are the designs initiated from our culture and our east-meets-west environment. We reflect a wide range of our own cultures without reference to international fashion, although we still follow some international practices such as the treatment of materials," he added.

He said the participants were selected based on their potential to go international and their participation in previous events.

"We also give opportunities to those who have not participated before or do not have the resources to hold their own fashion show," he said.

The event is organized by the media group Femina, APPMI, Indonesian Fashion Designers Association (IPMI) and Jakarta's Tourism Office.

The organizers said the event was not mature yet and may take a few years to become more commercialized.

"Ultimately we want it to grow to the point that buyers will come to the event. But this time, it is targeted to consumers only. We concentrate first on building the synergies between fashion industry players," Svida Alisjahbana, the Chief Operating Officer of Femina Group, said.

"This is a good start as we have invited many foreign reporters to the event, which potentially will put the event and Indonesia's fashion industry onto the international radar," she added.

The head of Jakarta's Tourism Office Arie Budiman said this year government's support was still limited to the marketing of the event, but this might be upgraded in future to more concrete action in supporting the wider fashion industry.

"This is not only a standalone event. We hope it will help integrate the entire industry -- whether textile, apparel or garment -- so that the event will help create a bigger future market," he said.

Aime Cristie, one of the Australians, said she was pleased be invited and would share some *love and gratitude' through her designs. (mri)

URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-culture/a-muslim-fashion-show-yes,/d/873