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 Free Forum ITB June 1998 by Lie Fhung indonesian version  Bright Sunday, 7 June 1998. The front yard of Bandung Institute of Technology that has been used for the Free Speech Forum supporting the peaceful reformation lately, seemed especially festive and there were more people than usual. What's up uh? Ooo..., there was the Ganesha Festival! A unique entertaining program held by Satgas ITB for a peaceful total reformation for people in the neighborhood. One of the extraordinary program was a fashion show called: Here Comes the Reality!" This is certainly not the usual fashion show! In the spirit of Reformation that is flooding the country, this particular fashion show has something deeper to offer than merely showing the latest trend clothing. It was a parody of Indonesia today that seemed wealthy with its glamourous shopping mals scattered around it big cities while the fact is that it's only an illusion. Those symbols of luxury were build on shameful loans that throws more misery to the people. It's a clear fact that part of our society favours prestige over anything else. 'Cool life style' is a must, regardless the increasing loans, ignorant to the less unfortunate others. This is the bitter pill we have to swallow. Indonesia, rich in its natural resources in fact is keeping a deep poverty, worsen with multiple crisis that has triggered a number of unbelieavably cruel and inhumane atrocities in the society. We are jerked off to face ourselvesin the mirror, "Open your eyes! There are substantial matters in dire need to be taken care of!". This is the message the show intended to deliver. Some of you perhaps are wondering how to transfer this concept into an entertaining fashion show. Ha! Keep in mind that this peculiar fashion show was a collaborative work of the ITB Art Faculty graduates with the art students popularly known to be 'crazy'! The conceptor was Uli Madewa, while the collection featured were works of Tiarma Sirait from POLENG studio, presented by those who called themselves models of a "Not So Elite Models Agency". They are all from Art Faculty of ITB: Uli, Tiarma, Lie Fhung, Cinde, Roy, C'meng, Yasin, Candil, Yadi, Panji and Rufi.   Obviously their spontaneous and expressive performance invited a roar of laughter from the audience that crowded the location. Attractive girls with glamourous style in black and red dresses sassily stepped into the open air catwalk. One of them arogantly blew the smoke of her cigarette while the other busily gossiped through her cellphone. Uli in her pleated brightred sackdress responded to the audience's remarks with communicative and witty reply that generated more laughter. Cinde in her eyecatching red miniskirt with Lie Fhung in a pair of capri pants with ruffles and a kitsch, red synthetic furstola were having fun teasing the delighted audience. Followed by the funkiest male models ever in delicous candy tones combined with futuristic silver mega-boots. Roy, C'Meng, Yasin, Candil dan Rufi stole the audience attention with their unique correographed formation. Audience was literally roraing with laughter.   This first session depicted the pseudo-glamourous tendency practiced by bigger part of our citizens. Next session featured a 'pretty-in-pink' collection, simple one-piece dresses without 'prestigious adornments' anymore. It described their life-style degradation; with the worsen economic crisis they could no longer support their high life style. The same models again has entertained the audience with their expressive acts in picturing how they still tried to cling to their high life style with whatever little luxury left with them. The third session opened with a collection of 'working class outfits'. No trace of glamourous prestige-oriented life; worries and uncertainties hung in the air with their last effort to secure their jobs. Here C'meng with his all black-form-head-to-toe costume captivated the audience. Hung around his neck was a big placate with "INTEL" printed on it. He was so immersed in his role, with thick yellow glasses and a toypistol he intriguingly moved here and there in an exageratted manner of being secretive. Now this is something you cannot restrain from laughing out LOUD!   With a "Why Oh Why" dang-dut' song from 'Koes Ploes' on the background, the now well known models apperared in rags, convincingly portrayed the frustated jobless loan-burdened subjects who were self-consolating themselves with 'dang-dut' moves. Suddenly someone rushed into the stage, arms loaded with looting objects. Soon he was surrounded by his peers, wildly fighting each other for a piece or two objects. Someone with army costume and toypistols in both hands ran after the looter, dispersing the crowd, that then ran away disorientedly while screaming with 'Koes Ploes' kept on singing "Why..... Ooooh... Whyyyy....ay..ay....".  Unlike conventional fashion shows that emphazising the latest trends, POLENG studio comes with theatrical approach, expressively delivers its often off-the-stream collections that nevertheless uniquely fresh and highly individual. Individual? Right, it's motto that says: "One Style, One Individual" clearly defines its concept in appreciating the unique qualities in individuals. Each creation was especially made for a certain individual, representing the wearer's unique character and taste. Tiarma Sirait, the main designer of the POLENG studio, a finalist of the LPM, a legendary Fashion Design Competition held yearly by femina 1997, explained that today's younger generation is no longer satisfy with established popular trends. Quoting Irfing Goffman, a sociologist, fashion is a 'presentation of self'. Creative young people in the searh of their identity needs something significantly different to say : "Look at me!". Fashion has become a vehicle for personal expression, for personal recognition. Through free and creative exploration fashion has become a kind of art form in itself. Through her concept of "Reuse+Recycle", Tiarma transforms boring old, used outfits into unique, 'wild' pieces without consuming too much money. How appropiate for Indonesia's today situation! [20VI98/LF]
of POLENG fancystudio, Bandung 1997 |
