Astrie Sunindar-Ratner Archive of Indonesian Fashion

Timeless pieces from Toton, Biyan, and Peggy Hartanto
By Rohaizatul Azhar

Indonesia is well-known for its diverse and multicultural islands, rich history, as well as its world-famous intricate batik prints. And when it comes to the nation’s fashion design profile, there has definitely been a surge of creativity rising above the tide, with names such as Toton Januar, Biyan, Sebastian Gunawan, and Harry Halim making waves globally. Not only do their pieces have international appeal, these designers are mindful of incorporating the rich cultural history of Indonesia as well as traditional techniques into their designs.

In this interview, Fashion & Market speaks to Astrie Sunindar-Ratner, a Singapore-based certified international etiquette consultant, who is a fashion enthusiast and has a sizable collection of pieces from designers from her home country of Indonesia.

Astrie Sunindar Ratner in TOTON — Astrie Sunindar-Ratner in TOTON. Image courtesy of Astrie Sunindar-Ratner.

Who are some of your favourite Indonesian designers and how did the collecting of their pieces begin?

I love Toton Januar, Peggy Hartanto, and Biyan. My mother introduced me to Biyan when I was still in my teens as he had created many bespoke pieces for her. I immediately fell in love with his collections. His pieces have a sort of intricacy and complexity to the finishing, as well as the originality stemming from classic Indonesian costumes. There is also a heavy reliance on a multitude of Indonesian artisans to create one single piece. I think that is beautiful.

What do you look out for when it comes to buying pieces for your own personal wardrobe?

As I get older, I tend to go for pieces that are timeless and with stories to tell. These are the pieces that I can pass down to my daughter, Myla. For instance, I love my TOTON floral embroidered top and TOTON multicolour dress. They are so beautifully made, so delicate, dreamy, and pretty. Myla will love them. There are also statement jackets from Biyan that I love because the detailing is out of this world.

You had a bespoke outfit created by Biyan for one of your wedding ceremonies. Can you tell us the process of getting it made?

As Biyan had previously created many bespoke pieces for my mother before my wedding, I was very comfortable with him. Plus, he knows the family very well, so the whole process felt effortless. It started with me showing him the style I liked and the colour I had in mind. From there, he created different sketches, then a muslin mockup of my selections. There were many fittings before the final fitting with the veil and shoes, which was truly a magical day that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I still have it in my collection.

In total, how many pieces from the three designers do you have in your collection at the moment? How do you store and maintain the upkeep of these pieces?

In total, I must have more than 20 pieces from them. Once a month, I take them out to air and clean.

Do you have a wishlist of pieces that you have not acquired yet?

Nothing specific at the moment. However, because of the pandemic, I have not been able to go back to Indonesia in a while. There are so many amazing talents from back home I cannot wait to discover.

Astrie Sunindar-Ratner is Founder of A - The Etiquette Consultancy and you can follow her on Instagram @astrieratner.

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