A Shower of Crystals and Flower Petals

Didiet Maulana (left), Sebastian Gunawan (right). (Courtesy of Grand Hyatt Jakarta)

Fashion designers Didiet Maulana and Sebastian Gunawan offer a closet of inspiration for wedding dresses and evening gowns.  Didiet, known for his love of the traditional Indonesian style, was eager to represent the classically beautiful designs of the country’s conservative outfits in his Svarna 2014 collection, which he calls Romansa Flora (A Floral Romance).

“I’ve always wanted to reinstate the enchanting features of Indonesian classic outfits into a modernized look.

“Therefore, I’ve created bridal wedding outfits in the form of baju bodo, baju kurung, as well as Balinese-styled and Javanese-styled kutubaru [kebaya] dresses for the new collection,” said Didiet.

For the wedding gowns, Didiet chose the classic colors of white and gold.

As many as 15 wedding outfits were presented at the wedding fair show and floral adornments as well as Swarovski crystal and pearl were dominant features. 

“I used flower-shaped adornments, such as roses and orchids, as details. One of the baju bodo looks, for example, featured appliquéd orchids.

“I also sprinkled the dresses with crystal and pearls. Some dresses included pearls I got from a recent trip to Ambon,” said Didiet, adding that pearls reminded him of the jewelry most Indonesian mothers favored in the old days.

Sebastian Gunawan (Courtehy of Grad Hyatt Jakarta)

 

Referring to wedding gown trends, Didiet said white and gold always featured at most wedding parties that he handled.

However, some of his clients agreed to mix this usual palate with dynamic colors, like olive green.

In terms of shapes, Didiet said that more and more couples were choosing simpler cuts, which are the DNA of his designs.

Whenever designing a wedding gown, Didiet explained, the wearer must be involved. “Wedding outfits are personal. We construct the gown based on a thorough communication with the bride. Comfort is the most important thing.”

To compliment the outfits, Didiet created 14 colorful and playful evening dresses, which carried strong kebaya designs.

Most of the looks were in a shape of kutubaru dress with its dynamic colors, including green and pink. The designer neatly adorned the dresses with obi and bows to modernize the conventional style.

Besides the playful dresses, Didiet also designed more formal dresses made from traditional woven fabrics from Palembang and Lampung, Sumatra; Makassar, South Sulawesi; as well as Bali’s endek fabric.

For those who are into classic Western wedding gowns Sebastian’s Sposa is the perfect go-to collection.

Adopted from the “Spring Awakening” theme from his Spring 2014 collection, Sebastian, presented eight inspiring white wedding gowns.

Full story: A Shower of Crystals and Flower Petals

Niken Prathivi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Lifestyle | Sat, February 15 2014