Entries Tagged as 'festival'

Islamic Fashion Fest 2009, Jakarta

In the recently concluded Islamic Fashion Festival 2009 in Jakarta from 25-26 May, as many as 18 fashion designers participated to showcase their designs to the world. However, the most proud happening in the event is; these fashion designers are from Malaysia and Indonesia. Unbelievable but true!

My comments, it is definitely a world class show befitting the international showcase.

Feast your sight on what I term as absolutely my favorite for the year, sequenced by respective designers’ name:

Tom Abang Saufi:

Khoon Hooi:

Rudy Chandra:

Ghea Panggabean:

Ida Royani:

Itang Yunasz:

Melinda Looi:

Sebastian Gunawan:

Defrico Audi:

Arifan Mas:

Lia Alif:

Malik Moestaram:

Khadani:

Rudy Chandra:

Images courtesy of: Reuters and Getty Images

To the fashion designers, Syabas! To the models, gracias!

Islamic glamour at its best!

Having searched and found a rather old article (imagine in 2004) from The Age, Australia, I am rather impressed that the Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week actually featured this catwalk event. I am impressed that even back then, the Islamic fashion glamour has set standards beyond my imagination. The combination of fabrics with cultural and traditional fashion designing techniques and the use of creative pattern cuttings reflected a truly Malay religio-custom manifestation. Of course, the credit goes to Designer Iva Lativah. Her skills are expressed explicitly within the limited allowance of what a Muslim outfit is deemed appropriated. That is truly art and religion blending in harmony.

Within the stodgy silhouette of Muslim dress, there appears little room for innovation. No necklines to plunge, slots to add, no hemlines to hike or waistlines to kink. That hasn’t discouraged increasing numbers of fashion designers from tackling the ultimate challenge, however.

The straight-up-and-down featurelessness of the typical Muslim gown is in fact, the ideal canvas for a play of colours, textures, and patterns.

Designer Iva Lativah showed this heavenly foursome during Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week, and defied the oxymoron, Islamic glamour.

Silk satin was quilted and cut into a boxy jacket that fell wide over a slimmer, but still generous skirt. Sheer black gauze was used as an overlay on brilliantly coloured and patterned kimono coats, and the graphic weave and prints on fine silks were used as headscarves, in block panels for tabard frocks, or as light stoles hooked through the models elbows.

Lovely stuff.

Embracing Calm & Peace

Tomorrow is 9th May, 2009 and also the Wesak Day, a solemn, yet joyous day for Buddhists commemorating three momentous events in Buddha’s life – his birth, his enlightenment and ultimate achievement of Nirvana. Buddhists on this day celebrate by having a day of meditative comtemplation over the teachings of Buddha contained in the eight precepts.

At this opportunity, I like to wish my Buddhist friends a Happy Wesak Day.  And in sharing something purposeful on this special day, I like to record, with permission, two messages that hopefully will capture the spirit of the celebration.

May these two blessings come to be.

1) To receive the powerful uplifting blessings that inspire us to greater effort to make spiritual progress;

2) To receive encouragement and strength for the needed service to mankind and humanity.

Embrace calm and peace always; like the purity of the lotus flower above, amidst the murky waters below.

Namaste