Nusantara Fashion Festival: Reviving fashion, driving sales amidst pandemic

Image: Nusantara Fashion Festival 2020/TFR

Offline events have been cancelled due to the pandemic, but the show must go on and going online is the only option. Samara Live, the company behind Ideafest, organised Nusantara Fashion Festival 2020 (NUFF) from 16 to 17 August to coincide with Indonesia’s Independence Day. The event was held in collaboration with Bank BRI as the representative of the Ministry of State-Owned Enterprises.

The festival brought together 75 clothing, accessories, shoes and jewellery designers as well as visual artists. The event not only revived the fashion industry, but also provided income for backstage crew who might have suffered from declining job offers due to the pandemic.

Notable names in the fashion industry, such as Adrian Gan, Bin House, Denny Wirawan, fbudi, Friederich Herman, Lulu Lutfi Labibi, Peggy Hartanto, Ghea Panggabean, Hian Tjen, Mel Ahyar, Rinaldy A. Yunardi, Sean Sheila, Sebastian Gunawan, Stella Rissa, Tex Saverio, Toton and Yogie Pratama, showcased their collections on the virtual runway.

There were online talk shows featuring Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Erick Thohir, Samara Live CEO Ben Soebiakto, Bank BRI Director Handayani and other public figures.

Although pre-recorded, the NUFF was well executed with remarkable directing, special effects, sound design, lighting and visuals that told the stories of the collections. On offline fashion shows, the visuals are usually shown at the beginning of the show or incorporated into the background. On virtual fashion shows, video editors could mash up the visuals and the catwalk.

One particular collection that stood out was created by Heaven Tanudiredja. Titled ‘Mental for Beauty,’ his collection was inspired by manga artist Junji Ito’s work. The collection featured four looks with laser-cut fabrics, dramatic and angular construction and different textures from the combination of fabrics.

Speaking of construction, there was Toton by Toton Januar with impeccable garment construction and silhouettes. Then, there were Rinaldy A. Yunardi and Tex Saverio with their unparalleled craftsmanship. Contemporary brands, such as DIBBA, Ella & Glo, Sejauh Mata Memandang and Moral, presented collections that prove that they are a force to be reckoned with.

On the traditional Indonesian fabric segment, Eddy Betty presented his breathtaking kebaya collection. The use of corset in the kebaya lent an elegant touch while shaping the torso delicately. The pairing of black lace and corset in a heart-shaped kebaya top, plus oversized bow on the waist styled with batik skirt on the fourth look was unconventional and created a sultry but graceful look.

Some collections, unfortunately, missed the mark with lacklustre styling, messy stitches and poorly constructed silhouettes. One thing we learn from the show is that the combination of white lace, tenun motifs and satin fabric with head pieces resembling modified babushka scarf resulted in a ghastly old-maid look.

Selection of accessories and jewellery labels could have been more extensive. If the NUFF wants to live up to its name, promoting designers from other parts of Indonesia at the next event could enhance diversity.

Aside from the fashion show, the rundown of the event looked like an offline fashion event. There were pop-up sales on Tokopedia and Bukalapak, talk shows featuring fashion industry figures and, perhaps the latest addition to fashion event, an online auction that will end on 31 August. According to the press release, the proceeds from the auction will be donated to micro, small and medium fashion businesses through the National Craft Council (Dewan Kerajinan Nasional).

A joint product by Sepatu Compass and Sejauh Mata Memandang has the highest bidder and is sitting on Rp8,300,000. There are visual artists and illustrators involved in some of the auctioned products. Visual elements on Didi Budihardjo’s outer, for instance, is created by Eko Nugroho. Darbotz partners up with Bluesville to create illustration on a piece of fabric weaved by Javanese artisan. The pieces could be bought out for Rp40,000,000.

The NUFF has brought a breath of fresh air amidst uncertainties. Exposure and support from the government are valuable in driving the creative industry in challenging times. Having e-commerce partners with logistics and distribution capability spanning across the entire nation is beneficial for fashion designers.