Hanae Mori, A Legend in Fashion of Japan

Hanae Mori, sebuah nama yang sangat melegenda di Jepang. Lahir di Yoshika, Shimane pada tanggal 8 Januari 1926 dan membuka rumah modenya di Jepang pada tahun 1951. Ia adalah seorang desainer Jepang pertama yang membawa fashion Jepang ke dunia internasional, setelah sebelumnya ia mendesain kostum untuk berbagai film di Jepang. Pertama-tama ia membawa fashion Jepang ke kota New York pada tahun 1965 dengan menampilkan koleksinya yang berjudul "East Meets West", dan selanjutnya pada tahun 1977 membuka rumah mode haute couture di kota Paris. Tahun 1977 ia juga menjadi desainer haute couture pertama yang berasal dari Asia di Paris. Semasa aktif sebagai desainer (kini ia pensiun), ia senang membuat desain dengan motif kupu-kupu sehingga ia dikenal pula sebagai Madame Butterfly. Selain fashion, Hanae Mori juga mengeluarkan produk untuk tableware, handuk maupun carpet.

Desain Hanae Mori tampak konservatif dan membuat pemakainya berwibawa. Ratu Grace dari Monaco semasa hidupnya juga sangat menggemari busana Hanae Mori. Para pramugari dan pramugara Japan Airlines juga pernah merasakan keindahan desain Hanae Mori melalui seragam mereka sejak tahun 1967 hingga 1988. Sedangkan sejak 1989 hingga 1996 seragam mereka didesain oleh Dominique Sirop yang dipekerjakan oleh Hanae Mori.

Hanae Mori yang juga merancang gaun pengantin untuk Puteri Masako, banyak memperoleh penghargaan bergengsi, antara lain French Legion Honor pada tahun 1989 dari presiden Perancis Francois Mitterrand, Order of Culture dari Kaisar Jepang pada tahun 1996, dan lain-lain. Ia juga menjadi inspirasi bagi desainer dunia lainnya, misalnya Vera Wang, Jotaro Saito, dan banyak lagi. 

Berikut ini beberapa rancangan untuk Fall/Winter 2013 dari koleksi prestige line berlabel Hanae Mori dan Alma En Rose.

Hanae Mori line :

Alma en Rose line :

dari berbagai sumber

image is the courtesy of Hanae Mori

Rosie Soemardi

Sapto Djojokartiko, the Talented Designer

                                          

Another Indonesian designer with a big talent. 

Sapto Djojokartiko, an alumni of ESMOD Jakarta, is one of the Indonesian designers who is now under a spotlight. Since 2007, the Sapto Djojokartiko brand has created so many beautiful designs to show off to the world. In 2011 he received an Elle Style Award (Indonesia) as the Fashion Designer of the Year. He also received an award from ESMOD, his alma mater, as the Best Pattern Maker. His designs shows simplicity, elegance and luxury, playing with tulle, lace, satin, embroideries. Click here to get more details.

Some of his collections :  

Couture Fall 2013 - 2014

Some from his Bride & Evening Collection 2012 - 2013 :

                                                             

image is the courtesy of Sapto-Djojokartiko

Rosie Soemardi

BIYAN : The Story of A Genius Work

BIYAN WANAATMADJA

The history began when as a young man, Biyan - who was born in 1954 in Surabaya – was actually studying Architecture in Germany, when his inner voice asked him to change his direction. The “voice” must have been so loud that he decided to study Fashion Design right away in Dusseldorf and London, and left the Architecture since then. In fact, it’s only a thin border which separates Architecture and Fashion Design. Both of them have an aim to create beauty, and both of them need skillful hands to make it into realization.

Biyan is a sacred name. When we hear this name, we have an image in our minds about certain beauty. Biyan can translate the beauty so well through his dresses. He is one of the genius in creating this. His clothes seem fit for angels. Women look beautiful in his clothes.

He is a down to earth person, in spite of his success. He  does not open his fashion house in Milan and Paris to make his name as famous as Giorgio Armani or Karl Lagerfeld. Instead, he invites the international world to come to Indonesia. The country which is located very far from Europe and America. The archipelago country which is called the jewel on the equator - because of its rich nature - surrounded by seas and oceans. The country where Bali, one of the islands in Indonesia, is much more well-known in the world than the name of the country itself. But to overcome the long distance, now his brand finally can be found in the department stores in Paris, Madrid, New York, Hongkong, Dubai, Singapore, and other countries. Or people can buy on line through Net-a-Porter site. 

Time goes so quickly, and last June he just celebrated his 30 years dedication as a fashion designer. With full of beauty, full of glamour, as usual. Very spectacular. Until now, the beauty he has created is still constant. It never fades.   

Kelly Rutherford in BIYAN
A scene in "Gossip Girl"

The Celebration of His 30th Anniversary as a Fashion Designer

Rosie Soemardi

image is the courtesy of BIYAN

Peter Sie, the Pioneer of Indonesian Fashion Designers

Peter Sie
the Pioneer of Indonesian Fashion Designers

                                               

For Indonesian fashion industry, no one can neglect the big name of Peter Sie, as the pioneer of Indonesian fashion designers since the Old Order regime in Indonesia. Born in Jakarta, 28 December 1929 and died on 1 April 2011. 

He learned pattern making in Den Haag from 1947 to 1953. When he returned to Indonesia, President Soekarno family was noted as one of his clients. He reached his peak during 1970s and 1980s and was also known as the first Haute Couture Designer in Indonesia. His gowns were often photographed for the Indonesian leading magazines then. He retired in the late 1980s, but in 2001 he made a fashion show of his collections and published his autobiography which was entitled "Mode adalah Hidupku"  (Fashion is My Life) at the same time. During his life, Peter Sie was known to have a humble character. He was such a talented designer and also a wonderful person from   his heart. Someone to whom we can always give our deep respect from the bottom of our hearts.

                                   

One of Peter Sie's gowns

Rosie Soemardi
pictures are from amandaeunikemagdalena & Imam 0303

A Fashion Icon : Farah Khan

If we talk about the luxury business in Malaysia, it’s impossible to not mention a powerful woman behind it. She is Farah Khan, a conglomerate who has brought luxury goods to enter Malaysia since 1989. Mention some of the famous labels we can think of, from Ermenegildo Zegna, Saint Laurent, Tod's, Juicy Couture, Aigner, Emilio Pucci, Hugo Boss, Stuart Weitzman, and many others – she has made all of them become popular in Malaysia. Totally, there are more than 100 famous labels altogether, including her own label "Farah Khan" – she herself is a fashion designer - the label which its stores have been opened in Indonesia as well. Born and raised in Singapore and now lives in Kuala Lumpur, Farah has made a tremendous growth for the luxury industry in Malaysia. She is also a food lover, and following her taste, she  opens all of the Dome Café, Aseana CaféBar and Yo! Sushi throughout Malaysia. 

It only needs one sentence to describe her, "She is a truly business woman." It’s like what she “touches” will turn into gold, just like a Midas’ touch. All of her business is under Melium Group, where she herself is the Founder and the President. Not forget to mention, there is also an exciting thing to do in her M store – which is also part of Melium Group - where we can get many choices of the famous labels. 

Now we can say that in the high fashion world there are two powerful women who we cannot easily forget. They are Anna Wintour in the United States, and it's definitely Farah Khan when we are in Malaysia. Both of them often do charities. And both of them has developed the luxury business to reach its outstanding level. 

Rosie Soemardi

image is the courtesy of Melium Group