My attention was on messages on my cell phone when I heard a woman’s voice calling. Aha, she finally arrived! I had been waiting for half an hour. The petite woman with minus glasses smiled and apologized for being late.
Her appearance was a bit different. The last time I saw her was at the Esmod Jakarta fashion show, Jakarta Fashion Week 2015. At that time, her hair was still quite long. Now it was cut short, crew cut. Wearing all black. So were her boots. Her face was cheerful. Always!
This was the first time I had deliberately met her in person. Curiosity drove me to do so. Previously our conversations only took place in the chat window. Always fun. Especially when she shared links of information about fashion for me to read.
Catherine Emilia, her name. Since I saw her, appearing as an alumni representative at the Esmod Jakarta Graduation 2013, she had attracted quite a bit of attention. Present to display ten collections of men’s clothing made from discarded leftover fabrics.
The remaining pieces of cloth are shaped in such a way that takes into account the beauty and suitability to be attached to the body. The result is a unique work of art.
I respect and salute his hard work. Making clothes from various roro4d materials with irregular shapes is not an easy matter. In addition to requiring creativity and beauty, it also requires the ability to calculate and make good patterns. Beyond that, and this is what aroused my curiosity, was the idea that underlies his work.
His interest in utilizing used goods began in high school. At that time, he worked on a remedial project for biology. He chose to make a bag from used magazine paper.
His passion for utilizing used goods continued while he was studying at Esmod Jakarta until now. The difference is, his ideas have developed and deepened. The various readings he absorbed and the social realities around him increasingly matured his decision to choose to make clothes from used or leftover materials.