As the sound of the waning gong hit the runway, the Hegong dance opened the Nian Tana Show Creative Show 2018 about the story of the tribes of Maumere, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. Lasalle College students presented the collection that was both a celebration of the creative process and a manifestation of the motherland.

Tribe of Sikka from Flores open NIAN TANA Creative Show 2018.
Photo courtesy of  Lasalle College Jakarta/NOW!JAKARTA

Flores invites visitors to come and enjoy the beauty of nature and culture, including the cultural heritage of the typical woven fabric that was the inspiration for LaSalle College graduates this year. This event, "Tanah Air" adapts current trends and predicts future trends, and opens up to a global culture while respecting local culture.

As the part of the students’ final assignment, Flores tribal fabric was the theme of the collection considering the strong tradition which has been preserved for many years. Bringing the tradition to the capital, Sikka's unique woven fabrics turned out to be just as beautiful in its most traditional and modern form in the hands of young LaSalle designers.

The tradition of weaving plays a vital role in the life of the Flores people, especially the Sikka community. Woven fabric is present in every process of life of Sikka people, from birth and marriage to the death ceremony The Sikka community has strong respect for nature, as could be seen from the natural fabric colour and tye dying.

The collection features teh traditional textile from the tribes of Maumere with modern twist and avriety of cutting.
The Flores woven textiles is made with natural coloring.

Traditionally, the yarn uses natural materials from plants such as noni leaves for red, tarum leaves for indigo, turmeric for yellow, and other colours that are derived from natural materials that are environmentally friendly.

Traditional Flores textile is constructed with modern cutting, screen printing, and modern materials. All pieces are ready-to-wear with rich style, colour, and layering. The looks are cohesive and solid by incorporating the traditional silhouette with a modern twist and maintaining the detail of the nature of traditional clothing.

In the Nian Tana Creative Show, Lasalle College Jakarta also featured creations from six other disciplines including Fashion Design, Fashion Business, Interior Design, Digital Media Design, Photography and Artistic Make Up. Lasalle also launched the latest courses, Interior Design, Interior Decorating Certificate, and two other internationally recognised diploma courses, such as Graphic Design and Games Arts & Design.

LCJ has graduated 211 students, each of 51 Fashion Design students, 52 Fashion Business students, 24 students of Digital Media Design, 6 Photography students, 19 Interior Design students, and 59 Artistic Makeup students.

Rintang Azhar

Rintang Azhar

Rintang is a previous staff writer for NOW! with experience in hard news and lifestyle journalism. He specialises in art, design, culture, fashion, environmental, and urban issues.