Spotlight on Lulu Lutfi Labibi: Appreciating the beauty in imperfection
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During eight years of running his eponymous brand, Lulu Lutfi Labibi fuses Indonesian heritage and culture into kind craftsmanship. Relaying a message in today's fashion world which is filled with hype is difficult. Yet, he continuously blurs the line and introduces a new perspective on embracing heritage. He continues to advocate for taking pride in using local fabrics.
He is most well-known for using kain lurik-derived from the Javanese word ‘lorek’ which translates to stripes-, traditional Indonesian fabric made from cotton strands. His specialty is using traditional materials and repurposing them to reinvent his concept of modern heritage.
When asked about the process of integrating kain lurik into his works, he said, "Lurik has always been part of my journey in designing. It has always accompanied me. Giving life to a new motive is like giving birth to a child that I always name. Some of the names of our lurik are Baur Rupa, Duka Luruh and Langit Senja."
Image: Lulu Lutfi Labibi
Lulu takes inspiration from the Japanese philosophy wabi-sabi, which means appreciating the beauty in imperfection, and translates it into his brand. Just like the philosophy, it is impossible to put into a concept of what wabi-sabi should look like. However, it can be translated into numerous ways.
In terms of creative process, Japan is his mecca as he loves deconstructive fashion, both visually and symbolically – a value that he found in Japanese fashion houses, such as Yohji Yamamoto, Rei Kawakubo and Issey Miyake. He discovered the concept of wabi-sabi through these brands’ aesthetics.
Whatever Lulu Lutfi Labibi is evoking in his shows, it is never meant to be seen as separate components-fabrics, silhouettes, or shapes. It is more than the details; it is the grand picture. It's about emotional tension. The feelings he unleashes are guided by softness. His garments feel poignant, carrying mysterious symbolisms with them. This can be seen through the asymmetrical cuts of pants paired with a lurik top.
Lulu uses simple colour palette, but his collections still embody a structured yet vulnerable aesthetic. His clothes have a way of giving the audience a sense of home. Lulu mentioned that he uses inspiration as a fuel to create his works. He finds the simple day-to-day things to be both magical and mysterious.
"At the end, inspirations will flow from everything around me. For example, I once saw a woman going to the market on a bicycle wearing floral-patterned kutubaru kebaya and a classic batik skirt-both the colours and patterns were in sharp contrast. She also wore trousers inside for functional purposes without caring about the aesthetics because cycling requires unrestricted movement. However, in my eyes, that view is magical and modern. Very stylish."
His designs resonate with the wearers. Tied with emotional essence, his clothes convey a message of various feelings, a sober yet serene mood, mellow and melancholic. They still pertain to youthfulness but without losing touch with reality. "[They are for] Women who have found themselves as a whole. Women who went on a long journey-physically and mentally-and realised that where she belongs to is no one but herself."
When asked about the brand's team, Lulu said, "Many do not know that the brand has not formed a special team for the creative department. I am still too "stubborn" to believe in incorporating other people's ideas into the concept that I have in mind.” However, this is not a matter of ego. Lulu is fully committed to his craft and business that bears his name, and people appreciate his designs, wear them and aid him in making it happen.
Image: Lulu Lutfi Labibi
"I am very grateful for the production team that is very solid and understands the technicalities of sewing and patterns, as well as the studio and boutique team and my younger sibling who have accompanied me through the creative process and building this business. Also the lurik craftsmen who have been creating and giving birth to new designs."
One of his most-cherished moment was when a customer sent him a direct message via Instagram, telling him that they wore his Duka Luruh for their birthday. He reminisced about that moment and said, "Instantly, I felt very touched and happy. Someone mentioned the name of one of my children for their special day."