Looking like a character straight out of a manga comic, couture designer Tex Saverio seems to be out of place in Jakarta.
Clad in a black suit, his jet-black straight hair reaches his shoulder as bangs descend to his eyes from his right-side parting. His dark brown eyes are lined with a black dash, while his face is sleek and his complexion fair.
Tex Saverio is a name not easily spelled by many Indonesians, let alone pronounced.
“I’m Jakartan born and bred, a totally local product. Peculiar as it is, Tex Saverio is my real name,” he said with a smile as he sat in a chic bistro in South Jakarta recently.
The 28-year-old designer was still excited after US television personality Kim Kardashian wore a dress he designed for a photo shoot in early February. The shoot was said to be used in the March edition of US Elle magazine.
“The dress was one of the designs I presented during last year’s Jakarta Fashion Week. I had only a very short amount of time to prepare it for Kim but I’m glad it turned out to be very satisfying,” he said.
Tex attracted the attention of fashionistas and became a sensation at the 2010 Jakarta Fashion Week when he first staged his haute couture collection of “La Glacon”.
His edgy yet theatrical and ornate creations awed fashion lovers and many of them compared his designs to those by the late British designer Alexander McQueen.
The lime light then shone on Tex again when his black tulle gown, embroidered with silk organdy and taffeta embellishments, was donned by pop diva Lady Gaga in the May edition of US Harper’s Bazaar last year.
Clad in a black suit, his jet-black straight hair reaches his shoulder as bangs descend to his eyes from his right-side parting. His dark brown eyes are lined with a black dash, while his face is sleek and his complexion fair.
Tex Saverio is a name not easily spelled by many Indonesians, let alone pronounced.
“I’m Jakartan born and bred, a totally local product. Peculiar as it is, Tex Saverio is my real name,” he said with a smile as he sat in a chic bistro in South Jakarta recently.
The 28-year-old designer was still excited after US television personality Kim Kardashian wore a dress he designed for a photo shoot in early February. The shoot was said to be used in the March edition of US Elle magazine.
“The dress was one of the designs I presented during last year’s Jakarta Fashion Week. I had only a very short amount of time to prepare it for Kim but I’m glad it turned out to be very satisfying,” he said.
Tex attracted the attention of fashionistas and became a sensation at the 2010 Jakarta Fashion Week when he first staged his haute couture collection of “La Glacon”.
His edgy yet theatrical and ornate creations awed fashion lovers and many of them compared his designs to those by the late British designer Alexander McQueen.
The lime light then shone on Tex again when his black tulle gown, embroidered with silk organdy and taffeta embellishments, was donned by pop diva Lady Gaga in the May edition of US Harper’s Bazaar last year.
A
publicity poster of Hunger Games: Catching Fire featuring heroine
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) wearing Tex’s creation. (Courtesy of Lionsgate)
Tex’s
journey into the fashion world began a little over a decade ago when he
decided to quit his education to pursue his passion. He recalled the
decision was a tough one for his parents to take.
“I was enrolled at senior high school SMAK 1 BPK Penabur in West Jakarta, which was one of Jakarta’s elite schools. Getting admitted to the school was very difficult and my parents thought that I had wasted the chance.”
“But I told them that I didn’t want to waste any more time. I knew where I wanted to go. I asked for their support and fortunately, they understood and gave their blessings,” he said.
Tex later studied fashion at the Bunka School of Fashion in Jakarta, before taking an apprenticeship with the Phalie Studio, under a mentor whom Tex’s called Miss Patricia.
“I learned a lot from her. It was some tough learning. She directed me to always look for other aspects, other sides of fashion, to not get stuck with what already existed.”
Tex is now preparing another giant step in his life and career for the launch of his global ready-to-wear collection in 2014.
“To have a globally successful label is the dream of all designers, including me. Considering the dynamic and positive developments of the fashion industry in Indonesia, I think it’s high time for Indonesian designers to go global,” said the designer, who will turn 29 this August.
He said the ready-to-wear collection posed challenges in terms of designing and manufacturing processes.
“My designs are characterized by drama and fantasy, with intricate details. My ready-to-wear collection should maintain the Tex Saverio DNA but is interpreted as something more down to earth and wearable,” he said.
For his project, Tex teamed up with his siblings Faye and Warren, who have decades of family experience in the apparel trading and manufacturing industry.
“We are targeting to make my ready-to-wear collection available for the upscale market in the US and Europe, but we are going to put more focus on the Asian market,” he said.
He expects the new direction to be the start of a larger plan. “We are planning to have our own cosmetic line, perfume collections and the like in the years to come.”
“The House of Saverio will not only be an Indonesian fashion brand, but will also be a global lifestyle brand. It’s going to be an empire,” he said.
“I was enrolled at senior high school SMAK 1 BPK Penabur in West Jakarta, which was one of Jakarta’s elite schools. Getting admitted to the school was very difficult and my parents thought that I had wasted the chance.”
“But I told them that I didn’t want to waste any more time. I knew where I wanted to go. I asked for their support and fortunately, they understood and gave their blessings,” he said.
Tex later studied fashion at the Bunka School of Fashion in Jakarta, before taking an apprenticeship with the Phalie Studio, under a mentor whom Tex’s called Miss Patricia.
“I learned a lot from her. It was some tough learning. She directed me to always look for other aspects, other sides of fashion, to not get stuck with what already existed.”
Tex is now preparing another giant step in his life and career for the launch of his global ready-to-wear collection in 2014.
“To have a globally successful label is the dream of all designers, including me. Considering the dynamic and positive developments of the fashion industry in Indonesia, I think it’s high time for Indonesian designers to go global,” said the designer, who will turn 29 this August.
He said the ready-to-wear collection posed challenges in terms of designing and manufacturing processes.
“My designs are characterized by drama and fantasy, with intricate details. My ready-to-wear collection should maintain the Tex Saverio DNA but is interpreted as something more down to earth and wearable,” he said.
For his project, Tex teamed up with his siblings Faye and Warren, who have decades of family experience in the apparel trading and manufacturing industry.
“We are targeting to make my ready-to-wear collection available for the upscale market in the US and Europe, but we are going to put more focus on the Asian market,” he said.
He expects the new direction to be the start of a larger plan. “We are planning to have our own cosmetic line, perfume collections and the like in the years to come.”
“The House of Saverio will not only be an Indonesian fashion brand, but will also be a global lifestyle brand. It’s going to be an empire,” he said.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com
