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Fashion Week Asia: Give Indonesia’s TOTON Time, and He’ll Give You Wonders

There’s a lot going on in Toton Januar’s head these days, including an imaginative new future for the Indonesian kebaya.

By Anya Oxyn 44 seconds ago

We meet Indonesian designer Toton Januar on his first visit to the Philippines, already in a contemplative mood. Lately, the state of the world has given him much to think about: the uncertainty, the contradictions, the constant changes that shape our lives and identities.

In the midst of it all, he finds himself drawn to Batara Kala, a figure associated with time, destruction, and renewal in Javanese and Balinese mythology. “Even within chaos, there might be a certain rhythm or possibility for transformation,” he shares with MEGA, reflecting on KALA, his Fashion Week Asia collection.

What does this look like in the hands of a designer? For Januar, it means revisiting the kebaya and traditional Indonesian drapingDrapingThe process of arranging and shaping fabric directly on a dress form or body to create a garment's design, rather than a flat pattern. Draping lets designers experiment with volume,Go to Draping Glossary, introducing military-inspired shapes and tailoring along the way. Floral embroidery, delicate lace, and pearl embellishments are equally delightful discoveries, each revealing his fondness for ornate craftsmanship.

He’s especially proud of the textiles, which his team developed by manipulating recycled and upcycled materials. “Rather than relying on traditional Indonesian textiles themselves, we explore the knowledge, techniques, and visual language behind them to create entirely new textile surfaces,” he explains. The work is painstaking, and Januar likes it that way: “In a world that constantly demands speed and efficiency, we deliberately choose to spend time making something by hand.”

Growing up in Indonesia, Januar came to understand its culture through centuries of exchange between different communities and beliefs. He believes Asian designers should feel free to experiment with their inheritance without having to rely on recognizable cultural symbols:

“Asia is not a single aesthetic, nor is our heritage something fixed in the past. We can honor our histories while questioning them, and embrace global influences without compromising our identities.”
—TOTON JANUAR

There’s no resolution to Januar’s musings just yet. But he does have wonders to show for them.

Photos courtesy of FASHION WEEK ASIA. Photographed by EXCEL PANLAQUE of KLIQ INC.

Anya Oxyn

Senior Fashion Writer

Formerly a stylist who immersed herself intimately within the Philippine fashion circuit for over three years, Anya has refined her transformative, hands-on experience into an insightful voice for MEGA Asia as a Senior Fashion Writer.

Her editorial pursuit possesses three facets: her time as an essayist during her education at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, her extensive experience in digital media and strategic storytelling, and her belief that fashion has a beating heart deeply intertwined with art, culture, society, and humanity itself that is worth uncovering.

Anya’s versatile pen spans a dynamic range of subjects, including emerging local designers, global luxury houses, beauty trends, film and television fashion analysis, cultural op-eds, major events, and beyond.

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