DIDI BUDIARDJO
A cycle of rebirth
Didi Budiardjo expected about 200 guests to show up for his 30th anniversary show last March. But in the event, The Opus Grand Ballroom at The Tribrata in Kebayoran Baru was overwhelmed by more than 800 admirers of the couturier and fashion designer’s beautiful and meticulous work. Didi’s show, “Terlahir Kembali” (Reborn), lived up to its name in more ways than one. It was a celebration of excellence and a fitting tribute to one of the great names in Indonesian style.
“I’m no longer a young designer, but looking back on my career it feels like only yesterday when it all started for me,” Didi smiles when he sits down with Prestige for an exclusive interview at his studio in south Jakarta. “I feel relieved and blessed, because many designers that I have looked up to didn’t get the chance to celebrate the 30th year of their fashion houses.”
Created in collaboration with Felix Tjahjadi, “Terlahir Kembali” was both a retrospective journey and an investigation of the beauty and pain of falling in love. “The inspiration for it and the concept itself came from my
contemplation of what I have been doing for the past three decades,” Didi explains. “Just as fashion always renews itself, I believe my 30-year career represents a cycle of rebirth.”
Didi’s followers were looking forward to “Terlahir Kembali”. Still fresh in their memories was his “Cabinet of Curiosities” show of 2015, marking his 25th anniversary, which featured 56 dresses inspired by his recollections and fantasies. There was also his “Pilgrimage” exhibition, where he put on a display of 300 items related to his inspirations and past creations at Museum Tekstil Jakarta, to look back on with awe.
For “Terlahir Kembali”, Didi focused on his forte, creating 30 refined and chic evening dresses. He says it’s the enigmatic quality of love - “the fear and fairy tale of romance” - that fascinates him most. “I believe love is not complete without the presence of other feelings,” he said at the time of the show. “Love comes with its darker side - like a broken heart, jealousy and much more. Love is a complex thing.”
Felix transformed the venue into a hanging rose garden featuring 30,000 flowers. They were all red, of course, to symbolise love. A great admirer of the work of Cristobal Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent, Didi says he looked back to the “purity and simplistic lines of the design masters” and made them his reference in order to create something that was “up to date and acceptable to this day’s situation.”
The red colour scheme for “Terlahir Kembali” was also inspired by Sinta of the Ramayana epic. “It centres on the sacred heart of Sinta. It follows her through her long journey, starting when she steps into the forest. Perhaps few know at the end she would vanish into the ground, which I represented with dark and earthy shades.”
Didi’s ultra-glamorous runway show opened with a series of tent-like, short-sleeved dresses with a silhouette cascading to the floor. They showcased a floral pattern reminiscent of fine china. Voluminous silhouettes reminiscent of the 1980s accentuated their wearers’ curves, while creating dramatic effects through flares and swerves.
An obligatory touch in every Didi collection, monochromatics played yin and yang through top splits in different fabrics or billowy, sheer outer wear adorned with floral appliques over towering black gowns. Some dazzling, red strapless gowns were reminiscent of Spanish flamenco dancers.