New York Fashion Week is officially underway with brands previewing their Spring/Summer 2022 collections. Indonesian brand Erigo recently previewed their upcoming collection at Fashion Week and The Knockturnal was backstage along the way.
Erigo’s SS22 line is titled ‘Erigo X,’ in honor of Erigo’s 10-year anniversary. The show featured looks with bright colors with unique elements, teased gender-neutral looks and size inclusivity, and definitely did not disappoint. Overall, Erigo previewed a bold cohesive collection with great messaging behind it.
Prior to the show, we had the chance to speak exclusively with Erigo’s Creative Director, Pasoari Widiastuti. Read her interview below!
The Knockturnal: Congratulations on your recent billboard in Times Square featuring the #StopAsianHate Movement’s message. What is it like being the first brand local to Indonesia to have a show at Fashion Week?
Pasoari Widiastuti: Super excited! We didn’t really expect that it was going to be this huge because the audience in Indonesia, they’re very excited as well because I think this season we’re the only one from Indonesia that’s representing the show. So yeah, it’s pretty exciting!
The Knockturnal: It must be really nerve-wracking. How has your team been handling the stress that must come with a Fashion Week debut?
Pasoari Widiastuti: Yes, yes, yes. With the timeline and you know, with the pandemic as well, the lockdown, we actually had been in lockdown, about a month ago. So it was kind of challenging. But yeah, we made it. We are all here.
The Knockturnal: Well congratulations, it looks like it’s coming together great. How would you describe your show this upcoming season with your fashion-forward gender-neutral and size-inclusive line, Erigo X?
Pasoari Widiastuti: Yes. So Erigo in Indonesia is well known for their basics, so we’re trying to go more fashioned. And we really want to highlight the gender-neutral aspect. So all the collection, you can be warned, you know, it’s not too masculine, it’s not too feminine, and then it’s also available in all sizes as well. So we just really want to bring all the positivity and send a good message to the audience.
The Knockturnal: What was the inspiration behind the collection?
Pasoari Widiastuti: The inspiration behind it is that it’s the 10th anniversary of Erigo. We want to do something different because in Indonesia, it’s kind of hard to find clothing that is actually accessible and we are trying to incorporate plus sizes. The inspiration is our customers because we try to listen to them.
The Knockturnal: That’s awesome. Would you say that you are influenced by your own style as well?
Pasoari Widiastuti: Yes, I am a plus as myself. It is very hard for me to find clothing like that in Indonesia. I live in New York for three years. So that’s also part of the inspiration. And we’re bringing fun colors. Because again, we are not trying to change the direction but we are trying to elevate Erigo to make it better.
The Knockturnal: Who would you say are some of your greatest fashion influences?
Pasoari Widiastuti: Big brands and my mother, who is actually a seamstress are my inspirations.
The Knockturnal: That is amazing, would you say that is where you got your start in fashion?
Pasoari Widiastuti: Yeah, I started my career in fashion because of my mother and going to F.I.T.
The Knockturnal: Finally, what is it about Erigo X that you feel makes it stand out the most?
Pasoari Widiastuti: I guess the uniqueness of this is that we have lots of ropes, something like this, that’s handmade and that takes a lot of time. So that actually represents the strength of Erigo, because again, it was its 10th anniversary. That’s the highlight and we also want to send a clear message to our audience, and to Indonesian brands that we’re ready for the international market. Lots of brands do their production in Indonesia, but there has been none that’s actually an Indonesian brand to make it to the international market.
