Spotlight on Hian Tjen: Building a culture around couture
Written by Kezia Pribadi | Read in Indonesian
Fashion designer Hian Tjen is notably one of the most prolific couture designers in Indonesia. His humble journey began when he was young. He shared his story with TFR.
“When I was little, my mother was a seamstress, and there was always leftover fabrics. I used those leftover fabrics to create Barbie doll clothes for my sister. The process of making clothes has always fascinated me, [and] since then my passion to become a fashion designer grew stronger each day.”
To realise his dreams, he enrolled at ESMOD Jakarta to study fashion design. After venturing and dabbling in different jobs within the fashion industry, he decided to create a brand of his own. He mainly focuses on luxurious made-to-order couture pieces and custom-made bridal gowns.
He mentioned that, “The brand started out as a door-to-door design service in the year of 2008. Business was slow, but gradually showed promise. When words began to spread about my creation, in the year 2015, I started working with my first renowned client in Indonesia. Since then the brand began to thrive.”
TFR asked Hian Tjen to share some of his favourite past collections. “In Milan Fashion Week, I brought my collection "Perfect10n", which was inspired by the Amish. It was where I was given the challenge to showcase a marriage between modernity and tradition.”
Typically, the Amish people are known to live a very simple lifestyle. Wearing plain clothes and having an aversion toward modern technology, the Amish people live in a rural environment.
However, Hian Tjen was able to extract the simplicity and feminine touch in his collection through his inventive use of construction and execution. He experimented with silhouettes, such as puffed balloon sleeves balanced with nipped waist, bell-shaped long sleeve outerwear and corsets.
By injecting fashion elements from the 1890s, he gave a new meaning to historical fashion in the modern world. There was nothing short of lavish textiles, such as Lyon lace, tulle and jacquard.
To add more flair and glamour, the models wore statement pieces that were adorned with intricate, rich embroidery, quilting, beadings, as well as pleats. This collection told a story of an escapist’s reinterpretation of rejecting simplicity to welcome a fresh perspective on unfamiliarity in the present day.
Another honourable mention was his recent collection titled “Provenance”. “A collection inspired by my journey to Africa where I was fascinated by Africa's multi-culture and I was honoured to be given the opportunity to showcase the collection in Arab Fashion Week 2022.”
“Provenance” was heavily influenced by his travels to Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. The masterpiece honoured African tribal communities - focusing on decoration of artefacts, textiles, colours and a vast source of African motifs, ornaments and the beautiful landscapes of the land.
The collection featured a gorgeous zebra print outerwear with a modern silhouette, sultry couture gowns that were constructed by red draped satin and sheer fabric with hand prints that covered the bust and back.
To take it up a notch, he also showed craftsmanship through hand painting technique paired with intricate beading and embroidery. A two-piece swimsuit inspired by the savannas in Africa featured the tree of life, also known as baobab, and a giraffe. This piece was hand cross stitched, which took 1,600 hours of detailed execution. The colour palette was subtle, but provided a touch of boldness and glam through the use of emerald green, gold and red.
Thanks to hard work and vision, Hian Tjen went places, received numerous opportunities to showcase his works internationally and received many accolades. However, despite the beauty that the audience sees as a result of his dedication, the behind-the-scenes of manufacturing and producing couture clothing are not easy-they have their own sets of challenges.
“The brand is focused on creating bridal couture and modern couture. As for the bridal couture, the challenge lies in conjoining the client’s aesthetics and mine because the client's satisfaction comes first. However, for modern couture, the challenge would be that there are times where I become lost in my own ideas to stand out.”
This goes hand-in-hand with sourcing the best fabrics which are limited or rare locally. “Mostly the creative fabrics are self-produced in our couture house, as they require heavy embroidery and embellishment, while some are produced internationally from Italy.”
As someone who has prominent experience in the fashion industry, to be able to run a business that has continuously proven to be consistent and thriving, it requires a strong foundation in structuring a team. He stated that, “There are 3 teams that have been built, an operation management team to help with client needs and to aid high efficiency within teams, a creative team for brainstorming sessions and a production team to realise the ideas.”
The key to ensure that the business runs smoothly is having good communication within teams as well as providing utmost service.
As a man with not only a gifted vision, but also a wise perspective, TFR asked Hian Tjen for advice that he would give to young designers who are just starting out and hoping to make it in the industry.
“Embrace the passion and never give up, because doing what you love everyday will maketh holiday. As the famous saying goes, ‘No pain, no gain.’”
