Jakarta. The much sought-after collection by Hana Tajima, a British Muslim fashion blogger who collaborated with contemporary Japanese casual wear designer Uniqlo, launched in Jakarta last week to an eager fan-base of young and modern Indonesian Muslim women.

Indonesia is one of the few countries in the world to carry the line, joining the ranks of Malaysia and Singapore which started selling Tajima’s designs in early July.

The popular blogger has turned into a role model for young and modern Muslim women around the world by pushing boundaries and preconceived notions of traditional Muslim clothing with her effortless style.

The Tajima for Uniqlo collection features a variety of long dresses, crepe skirts, rayon blouses, as well as headbands and inner wear made from Uniqlo’s “AIRism” anti-heat material, an innovative technology designed to combat sweat.

Tajima’s fans will not be surprised to see that some items were designed to be worn in multiple ways, such as a blouse with buttons on the back and a kebaya with detachable bottom wear. The concept is in line with Tajima’s unique fashion sense.

One of the highlights of the collection is the array of lightweight and colorful hijab scarves, which were inspired by the many ways in which Tajima styles her own hijab: droopy, relaxed and unfinished. 

Tajima, who converted to Islam at the age of 17, is also known for styling her daily wardrobe by mixing and matching high street pieces with looks and items inspired by the pages of Vogue magazine. Scroll through her blog and one would find the rising fashion star in a headscarf made of light pashmina adorned over a bonnet and graciously draped in an asymmetrical fashion.

Her unique ability to style a hijab has inspired millions of Muslim women around the world to experiment with headscarves, encouraging them to discover and express their own inner fashion sense.

Not long ago, mass produced veils were the only option available to Muslim women with which to adorn themselves, but Tajima has proven that it was possible for them to express themselves through clothes whilst still staying true to their religious ideals.

The Japanese retailer has been reluctant to pigeon hole and categorize the Tajima collection as “Muslim wear,” insisting that it was merely a response to the need for modest wear in the market. The retailer also found that the UK native’s sense of fashion is in line with Uniqlo’s philosophy.

“We don’t intend to [specifically] target Muslim people or Muslim fashion, [but the collection is] in line with our LifeWear concept, it’s ‘Made for All,’” Uniqlo co-chief operations officer Taku Ozawa said at the Tajima collection launch in Jakarta last week.

He added that the line is also unavailable in Uniqlo’s home base of Japan and Britain, where Tajima currently resides.

Like many eager fans of the blogger, 18-year-old Kesia has been waiting anxiously for the Hana Tajima collection to arrive in Jakarta and had marked the launch date on her calendar to ensure she be the first in line when the doors open.

An hour after arriving at Uniqlo outlet in Grand Indonesia, Central Jakarta, her basket was filled with new items, but that still didn’t stop her from eagerly scouring the store for other finds.

Kesia even pulled out her phone to video call her cousin in Japan and ask if she wanted anything.

“These scarves are so pretty, look at the colors,” Kesia said, running her fingers down the two-toned scarves while her eyes lingered on the long crepe skirt and kebaya nestled in her shopping basket.

“I want everything!” her cousin said in response. 

Kesia has been wearing a hijab since primary school and admits that back then, choices for stylish clothes for her were limited. She used to pair short-sleeved t-shirts with loose cardigans to keep her look youthful. However, she concedes that the choices are now less limited for modest fashion.

“I’m a big fan of Hana and have been following her blog for a long time,” she said. “I think she has a unique style and she wears her hijab differently.” 

For other fashion bloggers, such as Dwi Handayani Syah Putri and Puteri Hasanah Kurnia, Tajima is a role model for Muslim women.

“I really like the hijab scarves because it’s an instant Hana Tajima look.  It’s actually quite hard to recreate her looks with different materials,” Dwi said. “Judging from unexpected shapes in the collection, I feel that everything is so Hana Tajima.” 

Puteri, who runs a Muslim clothing line called Sae, said that Uniqlo’s collaboration with Tajima is the chance for Western retailers to show that modest wear can also be fashionable. She also appreciates that the headband collection comes in Uniqlo’s “AIRism” material.

“I like all the outerwear in the collection because it’s so me, I like to mix and match,” she said. “As a hijabi, it’s nice to see a non-modest retailer give their own take on modest wear,” the blogger said.

The Hana Tajima collection is currently available at Uniqlo stores in Grand Indonesia, Central Jakarta; Gandaria City and Lotte Shopping Avenue in South Jakarta; and Mall Kelapa Gading 2, Central Jakarta. Prices range from Rp 59,000 to Rp 699,000 ($4.37-$51.86). 

The post Uniqlo Joins Forces With British Fashion Blogger for Modest Wear Collection appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Jakarta. Comic Con, the iconic convention for entertainment and comic book enthusiasts, will be held for the first time in Indonesia between September 25 and 27 at the Jakarta International Expo in Kemayoran.

The event will feature various pop culture attractions, including movies, TV series, animation, comics, cartoons, toys, video games and more.

Comic Con was first established in 1970 by four avid comic fans from San Diego: Shel Dorf, Richard Alf, Ken Krueger and Mike Towry. The event’s official name is Comic-Con International: San Diego, but it is commonly known as Comic Con, or San Diego Comic Con, which is a highly popular pop culture event in the United States that also serves as a giant marketing machine for Hollywood movies.

For the US event this July 9-12, the San Diego Union Tribune reported that the 130,000 tickets available were sold out in just one hour, beating last year’s record time. This is not surprising given the US-based event always sells out and has been known to boost the city’s tourism, according to the Union Tribune report.

The Comic Con event held in Jakarta is organized by Thailand entertainment giants BEC–Tero TrueVisions. The second Bangkok Comic Con attracted 76,000 attendees this year.

The Jakarta event will be held in conjunction with Anime Festival Asia Indonesia 2015 (AFA ID), the biggest anime event outside Japan. Together, up to 30,000 attendees are expected over three days.  Other co-organizers of the event include Singaporean youth-marketing company SOZO and Indonesian media publishing company Megindo.

Ira Novita, the event and promotion manager at Megindo, said that Megindo was a supporting organizer for the Thai event. “BEC–Tero TrueVisions is the one who purchased  the license to host Comic Con in Bangkok and Jakarta,” she said. “Jakarta Comic Con and AFA ID happen [to be at the] same time and place because we want this to be a joint event between two biggest pop culture phenomenons from the western and eastern hemispheres.”

Ira said the BEC-Tero TrueVisions is currently making its pitch to a range of American movie studios and television channels to promote their shows at the Jakarta event. At present, Star Wars and Game of Thrones have confirmed that they will feature their booth as well as other collectibles at Jakarta Comic Con.

Indonesia comic fans such as Ratna Dewi claim the event is a highly anticipated. She has never been to a Comic Con event, but regularly goes to toy fairs in Jakarta. “I am definitely going! I always want to go to the Con in San Diego, but it’s not very affordable to go there,” she said. “I am mainly looking forward to get rare collectibles, because in original Comic Con events, I am expecting they will have a wider range of original high quality collectibles,” she told the Jakarta Globe.

Attendees at the San Diego event usually include top Hollywood celebrities and filmmakers, however Indonesian fans like Ratna are skeptical that the event will attract such celebrities at Indonesia’s inaugural event.

Tickets for the event in Jakarta are priced at Rp 80,000 per day. A combo ticket to enjoy all attractions at both Jakarta Comic Con and AFA ID is available at Rp 150,000. Both prices exclude government tax of 15 percent and an administration fee of Rp 3,000. Ira said Megindo expects to start selling tickets for Jakarta Comic Con by the end of July. “We will sell tickets on Loket.com,” she said.

For more details on ticket sales, event schedule and more, visit the official Facebook page Jakarta Comic Con and website www.becterotruevisions.com.

The post World Renowned Comic Con to be Held in Jakarta in September appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Nerds are often shallowly portrayed on film and television, but HBO’s latest comedy “Silicon Valley” manages to capture the American tech industry without tired stereotypes.

For Thomas Middleditch, who plays Richard Hendricks in the show, the strength of “Silicon Valley” lies in attention to detail and the world in which the show is set. 

In a phone interview with Middleditch on Friday, the 33-year old actor said he admires how the script really gets to the colors and flavors of characters. 

“Even the theoretical math that we use, if you remember the elaborate d**k jokes at the end of season one, they have a Stanford professor who dealt over that,” he said. 

“Silicon Valley” follows Richard and his team of five and their struggle as a fictional startup Pied Piper in the world’s most competitive technology scene. 

The show premiered last year and ended on a high note after Pied Piper won a startup competition. 

In the second season, Pied Piper is facing a tech juggernaut who wants to see them fail. 

“This season is a lot stronger, I think the writers are really focusing on what the characters are capable of. It’s just tighter and funnier,” he said. 

Show creators Mike Judge, John Altschuler and Dave Krinsky, wrote the pilot episode with Middleditch in mind. 

Altschuler knew Middleditch from a shelved MTV animation project. 

Judge is the creator of animation TV series “Beavis and Butt-Head,” which Middleditch did voice-over work for in 2011. 

When Altschuler told Middleditch they were thinking of him as lead in a comedy pilot for HBO, the Canadian actor did not believe him for a second. 

“In Hollywood, you were like, ‘Yeah right,’ but as it turns out, they were on it,” he said. 

Before “Silicon Valley,” Middleditch appeared in various comedy gigs, from a leading role in 2009 romantic comedy “Splinterheads,” a regular cast member of the popular web series “Jake and Amir,” to appearances in mainstream hit shows like “The Office.” 

“I definitely still had to audition and prove to HBO that I can do it,” he said 

“I just focus on the quality of the character, Richard, someone who is hyper focus and a little bit socially awkward and nervous.”

The actor said people are often surprised when they find out that he is less awkward than the character he is playing, and knows nothing about coding. 

“Sometimes, [the show] feels like one of those medical, procedural drama where I just say something without knowing what I am saying,” he said. 

To help with jargon and technicalities, the “Silicon Valley” crew always has a consultant on set to help the cast understand the context of their lines. 

In some ways, “Silicon Valley” is a rare job for Middleditch.

Not only because he knew the show creators before the show, but his co-stars as well. 

He has known T. J. Miller ( who plays Erlich Bachman) and Kumail Nanjiani (Dinesh Chugtai) for 10 years, and Zach Woods (who plays Donald “Jared” Dunn) for five. 

“Silicon Valley” differs from other comedy shows as the main plot binds each episode of one season together, something more commonly found in a drama series.

“Usually once an episode is done, it’s done, but in ‘Silicon Valley,’ you still want to know what happens next,” he said. 

Middleditch added that it helps to have structure. 

“We’re fortunate enough to have very well-written scripts,” he said. 

“It’s more about trying to find moments here or there, and add color to your character. 

“This is a really lame analogy, but we get a really nice steak, we just try to put a little pepper on it.” 

The fictionalized “Silicon Valley” goes to great lengths to realistically portray it’s very real and very famous namesake. 

When Middleditch visited Silicon Valley for the show’s premiere, he learned that the social awkwardness which features so prominently on the show is pretty accurate. 

Last year, Middleditch and co-star Miller went to the Tech Crunch Disrupt event in New York City where they had their first encounter with real startup world. 

“One guy pitched us an app, it was an app that prays for you, which I think is ridiculous and kind of takes away the entire point of praying,” he said. 

“But I thought that was pretty funny, that just goes to show you how it kind of gets ridiculous, everybody is scrambling for something.” 

Before filming for the second season began, actor Christopher Evan Welch, who played venture capitalist Peter Gregory, died of lung cancer. 

Middleditch mourned his sudden departure, adding that he didn’t know Welch before “Silicon Valley,” but remembered him as a great actor who liked to make jokes in between takes. 

He kept his health problem a secret from many people and his death came as a shock to the cast and crew.

“For those who have known him for a long time, [‘Silicon Valley’] was the show where people could see what a great actor he was,” Middleditch said. 

When the show returned to TV on April 12 (April 13 in Jakarta), the first episode included a bizarre funeral scene, to keep with the awkwardness of the show. 

Middleditch, whose latest voice-over work can be heard in the upcoming Disney series “Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero,” said that his interests in technology are simple and self serving, like video games. 

“I am a bit nerdy, I play my video games, like Dungeons and Dragons, go to renaissance fair and I do cool kids stuff like hockey games,” he said. 

Though Middleditch is a self-proclaimed nerd, it turns out his most interesting discovery while filming “Silicon Valley” was not related to technology. 

“It’s discovering what [prop] puke is [in movies] — smoothies with chunks of bananas in it.” 

Later this year, Middleditch will appear in a horror-comedy flick “The Final Girls” with Taissa Farmiga and Malik Akerman, and “The Bronze” alongside Melissa Rauch and Gary Cole. 

For now, he will grace television screens in new episodes of “Silicon Valley” on HBO every Monday at 9 a.m. with a repeat at 9 p.m.

The first two episodes from the second season are currently available for free viewing at Hboasia.com or Youtube.com/hboasia until the end of this month. 

The post Following the New Pied Piper appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

(Photo courtesy of Indonesian Film Festival)

The recent Indonesian film “Tiga Nafas Likas,” or “Likas’s Three Breaths,” starring Atiqah Hasiholan and Vino G. Bastian, kicked off the 10th edition of the Indonesian Film Festival on Thursday at the Australian Center for Moving Image in Melbourne.

Atiqah said it was a “happy and proud” moment as she returned to the festival as part of the cast.

“I went to Monash [a university in Melbourne] to study media and psychology, and I also attended the very first Indonesian Film Festival 10 years ago,” said Atiqah at the opening night.

Likas Tarigan, wife of the late army general Jamin Ginting, is a character close to her North Sumatran descent.

In the film, which had its run in Indonesian theaters October last year, Atiqah gives a broad range of performances as she portrays Likas at various ages. Director Rako Prijanto (“Sang Kiai,” “Malaikat Tanpa Sayap”) said he chose Atiqah to play Likas because he needed an actress with real sensitivity to the role.

The Likas movie is produced by Jamin’s second daughter, Riahna Jamin Ginting.

The “Three Breaths” in the title refers to three important people in Likas’s life: her mother, brother and husband, all of whom died before her.

Likas is 90 and currently lives in North Sumatra.

Rako said it was the Gintings’ intention to tell the story from their mother’s perspective.

(Photo courtesy of Indonesian Film Festival)

As a filmmaker, Rako felt it was the right decision because the female perspective has led to much success in local cinemas.

“Most Indonesian box office hits, such as ‘Ada Apa Dengan Cinta’ and ‘Petualangan Sherina,’ are all told from the female perspective,” he said.

For Said Fakri and Urianto Al Himawan, who attended the opening night, the film festival brings a piece of home to their new routines as students at Monash University in Melbourne.

“Because it is held in Melbourne, and seen by both Indonesians and foreigners, this film festival can strengthen relationship between Indonesia and Australia,” Said said.

“[Likas] is certainly a kind of story that I like from Indonesian films, it’s quite emotional and full of life lessons, from parenting, child education and relationship between husband and wife,” Urianto said.

The film festival brings 10 Indonesian films for its 10th anniversary. After “Likas,” moviegoers in Melbourne will be treated to recent films such as “Di Balik 98,” “7/24,” “Kapan Kawin,” “Siti,” “Tes Nyali,” “Tabula Rasa,” “Love & Faith,” “Angker” and the award-winning documentary “Jalanan” as the closing film on April 18.

Indonesian consul general Dewi Savitri Wahab said contemporary Indonesian films are interesting as they reflect the impact of economic growth in Indonesia.

“For example, in the movie ‘Kapan Kawin,’ marriage is no longer a priority for independent Indonesian women,” she said.

Among the festival guests are notable Indonesian actors Lukman Sardi, Chelsea Islan, Feby Febiola and Laura Basuki.

The festival is organized by the non profit IFF and the Indonesian Student Association (PPIA). The festival also hosts acting classes and meet and greets.

The film festival is one among many activities for the Indonesian community in Melbourne.

PPIA is known for its cultural agenda, from the occasional food market and rock concert to traditional dance shows.

The post Indonesian Films Set to Make a Mark on Melbourne Screens appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

Sheila on 7 used to be a helluva band — no bull. With their self-titled 1999 debut, the Yogyakarta-based group became the first Indonesian act to ever surpass one million copies in album sales.

But more than that, they did the unthinkable and actually presented an album in which all the songs were equally well-crafted; no fillers, all killers, as they say in the music industry.

Emerging onto the music scene in the 1990s, when big local acts were spewing worthless albums of drivel book-ended with two singles, this was a revelatory moment for the local scene.

Sheila on 7′s 2000 follow-up was even better. Main songwriter and guitar player Eross Chandra perfected his mix of commercially viable romantic sentiments — written with non-nauseating grace — and hook-laden pop songs that rarely took cliched melodic turns.

Their fourth record, “7 Desember,” was the band’s pinnacle, chock-filled with progressive songwriting techniques that was perhaps as far as Indonesian pop could go without segmenting its market.

So what happened? The band — and Eross — didn’t exactly lose their craftsmanship. The songs and records that followed were consistently enjoyable, if not exactly groundbreaking. But the band, once the biggest in the country, faded into semi-obscurity, though never disappearing completely.

Their age of tide came and went, and by the mid-2000s their crown had been passed on to acts who were clearly influenced by them but delivered watered down songwriting and lyricism.

By 2008′s “Menentukan Arah” (“Deciding Direction”), the band sounded lost with half-hearted commercial pop-experimentation (which translates to laughable genre-crossing efforts) and little interest in strong hooks. They knew they were old hat but seemed unsure of how to renew their appeal.

The downturn came to a brief halt with 2011′s “Berlayar” (“Sailing”), which went for a back-to-basic folksy-pop angle and succeeded in at least giving the band some sort of songwriting legitimacy.

Their newest record, “Musim Yang Baik” (“A Good Season”) is pretty much a copy of “Berlayar” — but without the same will to re-explore their craft. This is another lackadaisical non-attempt at pop whose only gimmick is that it was ostensibly recorded in digital means.

But magnetic tape means nothing when the songwriting is as half-hearted as this. It’s sad to see such a band with actual talents succumbing to such a lack of inspiration.

The opening tune “Selamat Datang” (“Welcome”), whose guitar riff completely rips off the 1993 Counting Crows hit “Mr. Jones,” wants to be an energetic celebration of life — it’s not. The silly whistling and lyrics about the good Lord’s concerns about some dude’s love life obliterate any sense of joy this harmonica-driven, family restaurant theme song wants to exude.

Indonesian fans of Billy Ray Cyrus might enjoy the coda choruses of: “For all the good times/and the bad times/I will follow you with this song,” which is a level of hokey that would work only if the melodies were charming.

The blues-pop of “Satu Langkah” (“One Step”) again tries to mix up some heretofore compulsory mix of Indonesian -English lyricism upon one of the band’s least-pleasurable tricks of layering pleasant pop sounds with endless, twangy barnyard riffing. “Buka Mata Dan Telinga” (“Open Your Eyes and Ears”) tries to inject some dance-hall jumpiness, succeeding only on refocusing from the actually catchy chorus.

This dependency on riffing makes sense since the band’s primary songwriter is also the guitarist, but what used to be a mild distraction in the past completely boils over in this record. First single “Berlapang Dada” (“Being Gracious”) offers the band’s immediately identifiable — and enjoyable — melancholy melodicism, but out of place electric percussion and twangy riffing takes over the track with little more point than bridging the key onto a higher one.

The lack of passion is certainly typical of bands with such stature, longevity and past success — but that doesn’t make it any easier to see them fall from grace. Sheila on 7 isn’t capable of releasing completely abysmal records — even at its worst, the melodies in “Musim Yang Baik” still retain hooks, if not exactly strong ones — but the record is so devoid of drive that it dulls every good moment.

Still, the album is only “bad” in the context of its creator’s history.

Sheila on 7 — “Musim Yang Baik” (Sony Music Indonesia)

The post Sheila on 7 Losing Steam in New Album appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.

New York. 

Canadian-Taiwanese wonder-kid designer Jason Wu on Friday sent US supermodel Karlie Kloss down the runway in his New York Fashion Week show that encapsulated strength and seduction.

Elegant tailored suits, jackets, coats and trousers were contrasted with body-clinging sheath dresses with cut-out backs, thigh-revealing splits and luxurious fur showcased seduction.

“I think with this collection there’s something animalistic and very, very sexy,” Wu told AFP backstage after the show in a SoHo loft, where the winter sun streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows.

“When you think about those silk dresses with the slits and also the lingerie-esque lace dresses and the fur at the end, that felt sexy and modern and seductive,” Wu added.

The Jason Wu woman of fall/winter 2015 is sleek and minimalist. Feminine, chiffon blouses were paired with sharp trousers. Slinky evening dresses in delicate beading shimmered in white and navy.

Fur was a prominent feature, worn in stoles, as extravagant trim on a jacket or fashioned into belted gilets.

Wu kept the palate simple and subtle with olive, navy, the most delicate of pale blue-grays, black, white and splashes of coral.

The 32-year-old designer praised Kloss backstage as a special model, one who has poise, elegance and an enduring all-American appeal.

Wu, who shot to fame for dressing American First Lady Michelle Obama while in his mid-20s, said French screen siren Catherine Deneuve was his inspiration this season.

Wu is the only designer in New York to showcase two collections for separate houses: his eponymous brand which was the highlight Friday and his collection for Germany luxury house Hugo Boss, which debuts next week.

He said he has different rules for each brand but sees his own label as his “personal journey.”

“When I design for Boss I think it’s really much more about seeing the Boss DNA through my eyes. So it’s two very different set of rules.”

Agence France-Presse

The post Fur and Seduction for Jason Wu in New York appeared first on The Jakarta Globe.