Gratannia Pandjaitan Brings the World a Little Closer With Her Designs
Of all the things that audiences notice when watching film and television productions, the wardrobe is not always the most obvious facet. Wardrobe designer Gratannia Pandjaitan delights in this fact as she appreciates the subtlety that her vocation offers. It’s her light touch yet ability to create a defined look for the characters of stories around the world which has led to her notability in the production world. Her abilities have made her the go-to designer for major actresses and production teams.
Nikita Willy plays Vania, a well-known and famous actress in the RCTI TV series Kau Yang Berasal Dari Bintang. Her fame has insulated her from having close and trusted friends. Her family life is somewhat of a mess and she experiences the typical criticism and bullying that famous people undergo. While most men fall over themselves trying to get her attention, she meets her new next door neighbor…who just happens to be a four-hundred-year-old alien who looks young. There’s more than enough drama, romance, and surprises for one storyline and viewers appreciated this. Pandjaitan has worked with Nikita since 2012 as her costume/wardrobe designer and personal celebrity stylist. Her close association with the actress has created a trust bond which allows Gratannia to intuitively understand the intersection of the actress and her character, expediting the process of actualizing the character with a glamour and down to earthness. The wardrobe of Vania reflects the persona of a publicly confident woman who is still vulnerable. Throughout the forty-one episodes, Pandjaitan creations for the character included differing looks like a simple white backless gowns for red carpet premiers, a simple turquoise knee dress with matching louboutine heels juxtaposed against numerous “at home” pajamas (these creative pajama designs were something which the character and the show became known for).
For the Indonesian TV series Kau Seputih Melati, Nikita Willy plays beautiful high class call girl Nita. Nita is kidnapped and sold into this life. She slowly works her way up the system from cheap street walking prostitute to elite high-class escort. Nita’s transition from regular girl to conscripted concubine offered many opportunities for Gratannia to create different looks. Delineating the comfortability zone for wardrobe between the director, the character, and the actress required a keen eye. Pandjaitan recalls, “I’d come up with designs and then the director might decide he wants a certain body part showing more…but Nikita might not want that. In a role like this there’s almost always some discussion about what everyone feels is best; my job is to create the same aesthetic while still communicating the same emotion…or helping Nikita to reach that emotional point in her performance.”
There might be nothing further from Kau Seputih Melati in terms of genre, tone, and look than the Indonesian TV show Aisyah Putri The Series: Jilbab in Love. As the key costume designer for this musical comedy drama series about hijab teenagers, Gratannia was tasked with presenting the traditional hijab in a modern and interesting manner. One of the highest rated and most popular TV programs during its time slot, Aisyah Putri The Series: Jilbab in Love and its costuming became a hot topic in the media, social media in particular. Fans of the show enthusiastically embraced the main character’s attitude and looks as they presented teenage girls in all of their benevolent diversity. The focus of the show is on Aisyah Putri (played by actress Anna Gilbert) and her group of friends who deal with the same challenges teenagers around the world face. The modest wardrobe expresses style in terms of colors, geometric and floral patterns, and combinations of western influences (denim jeans, jackets, etc.). Restrictions were not something that the designer even considered as she states, “The hijabs simply had to cover the body parts of the actresses, I had a lot of room for creativity beyond that. It was fun to have a different context to create in. The characters and the actresses had so much personality and positivity, designing looks to amplify that was a joy.”
Film and televisions production industries around the world continue to grow and offer stories that originate and communicate the lives of people in their community. As these offerings gain recognition and praise, professionals like Gratannia Pandjaitan become increasingly recognized. The variety of working in different scenarios and locations has culminated in a proficiency and style that continues to bring the most creative filmmakers and TV productions to enlist her talents.
Written by Kelly King
