It was a tricky time to introduce a sparky new Indonesian designer into the Virgin Australia Melbourne Fashion Festival’s mix. A tangle of politics and anti-Indonesian sentiment had whipped up in the wake of the Bali 9 ringleaders’ pleas for a stay of execution. And, there were mutters, the week before VAMFF kicked-off; maybe this wasn’t a good idea. But, Patrick Owen came anyway; young, handsome, megawatt smile, boyishly charming and with a heartpumpingly pretty colleague, Peggy Hartanto of Jakarta’s designing Hartanto sisters, in his entourage. The perfect pic-opp. Inside VAMFF’s fabulous bubble of runways and endless parties at least, a month’s worth of strained Australia-Indonesia news fizzled and was forgotten. The magic of fashion.
Words and video: Janice Breen Burns
Photos: Lucas Dawson
Patrick Owen, 25, won Jakarta Fashion Week’s (JFW) first Young Indonesian Designer Award, sponsored by the newish, federally funded Australia-Indonesia Centre (AIC) last November. Peggy Hartanto and her sisters were also recognised for an outstanding collection. Patrick and Peggy’s visit as special guests of VAMFF will be reciprocated when this year’s Tiffany National Designer Award winners, Amanda Cummings and Kate Reynolds of Melbourne label Pageant, are welcomed in similar style, to the next JFW.
For the founding director of AIC, former editor of The Age Paul Ramadge, the universal, joyful feel-good world of fashion was always going to be a logical portal into stronger relations between the two countries; “A fabulous way in.” With deputy AIC director Elly Patterson, he chaperoned Patrick and Peggy for a flatchat fortnight of meet-and-greets, from Melbourne’s Grand Prix to VAMFF’s grand finale. Everybody they met, it seemed, fell in love with the smiling young designers and, to rank their visit a success, would be a fabulously fashionable understatement.
Paul Ramadge with Peggy Hartanto and Patrick Owen
The pinnacle of it all however, would be Sunday’s show of Patrick Owen’s eponymous collection in Docklands‘ Maia venue, smaller and located just behind VAMFF’s main runway, Peninsula on Central Pier. Before the show, Patrick was just the likeable – but largely unknown here – ambassador for Indonesian fashion. Now, he’d prove his creative mettle – or not – for 200-odd carefully curated VIP guests against a backdrop of Australia’s top designers.
And so he did. Patrick produced a simple, darkly sophisticated show. Models loomed out of gloom and walked the perimeter of a soft-lit square to the pings and gutteral bells of a technical backtrack. His designs – both men’s and women’s wear – were predominantly ivory pale or black, with a slab here and there, of striking multi-color or black and white print. Body conscious dresses were tailored or sculpted in lurex-flecked knit or neoprene with fluted ruffles and assymetric or tendril-cut hemlines to below the knee, or chopped roughly off at mid thigh.
Technical mesh inserts were tucked into the doubled layers of complicated tailored jackets, tops and dresses, or used as sheer drop and appliquage feature panels. Graphic prints – developed with Indonesian artisans – set saturated colours against the monotone mix, particularly notable on fingertip, long-sleeved men’s tunics including one rather elegant man-frock.
Silhouettes were body conscious among a group of Kadashian-worthy dresses for girls, and boxy on top with oversized and voluminous calf-length shorts and culottes for both boys and girls. “This collection embraces many different themes,” Patrick explained before the show. “Deconstruction, but also very edgy, very sporty and with a sense of romanticism.” It’s a tall and complex order perhaps, but typical of his confidence after a short (five seasons so far), dizzyingly successful career. “We were on eight covers just last year,” he beams. Among them, Elle Indonesia featured covergirl Lindsay Lohan, one of a growing list of celebrities seen in Patrick Owen. “I have had so much blessing and support from the industry and the public.” But, he’s got a way to go yet. Both Patrick and Peggy are scouting stockists for their brand in Australia, as well as across the Asia Pacific region. “I think why should we leave our (home region) to get our name heard?” he says. “Asian countries are hungry for new aesthetics and I think I fill the gap.”
For more information, click away:
Australia Indonesia Centre
Patrick Owen
Peggy Hartanto
Janice Breen Burns is editor of Voxfrock: jbb@voxfrock.com.au
