SOE Jakarta’s Autumn/Winter 2018 takes its inspiration from the works, life and style of American artist Georgia O’Keeffe.
Inspired by Georgia’s exhibitions in London and Brooklyn, creative director and designer Monique Soeriaatmadja was drawn to the juxtaposition between Georgia’s personal style and her art. Her wardrobe consisted of androgynous black and white; a stark contrast to her wildly colourful floral paintings.
SOE Jakarta, now in its sixth season was born out of a love affair with hand woven textile and classic, timeless style. The brand is committed to reviving the art of weaving in Indonesia and mixes local artisan techniques with technical fabrics.
The Autumn/Winter 18 collection features handwoven denim made on traditional Indonesian Manual looms which makes SOE Jakarta the first brand to bring this technique to London. The yarn is dyed using natural dye Kayu Tinggi (Ceriops Tingi – also known as Indian Mangrove, which is a mangrove tree species in the family Rhizophoraceae) to create warm tones of brown, khaki and sand, reminiscent of Georgia’s New Mexico home.
The look is androgynous, exploring masculine silhouettes; loose fit dresses, jackets, trousers, skirts and shirts in handwoven cotton, crisp poplin and silk organza are layered to create both fitted and oversized shapes. In contrast, feminine detailing is seen on cinched in waists and drawstring detailing.
Indonesian techniques feature again, this time supporting textile artisans featuring Batik stamp printing. The print was derived from one of Georgia’s blue period paintings, entitled ‘Blue Nude’. The image was repainted using simplified strokes to make it easier for the batik stamp artisan to carve. Combining Georgia’s blue hues with her love for kimono’s, SOE Jakarta has designed an oversize shirt dress and skirt featuring the batik stamp printing with natural indigo dye from Indigofera leaves.
SOE Jakarta is excited to be working with Lakme Cosmetics on their first Fashion Scout show, a collaboration that first began when designing the Autumn/Winter 18 collection. Lakme has supported in providing a team of make-up artists from Indonesia