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Bali-based fashion designer Oka Diputra is in love — with vibrant red poppies from the French countryside that is. The coquelicots , as the flowers are called, provided the inspiration for his latest collection.

“At a glance, they look fragile and transient,” Oka said of the coquelicot during his recent fashion show at the MO Bar at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Jakarta. “They are actually able to survive under the harshest weather.”

Oka’s summer 2010 collection, “Les Champs de Fleurs” (“Fields of Flowers”), was showcased on seven mannequins onstage. The pieces were both sassy and feminine. Using bold colors such as azure blue, bright turquoise, Ferrari red and jet black, the dresses are chic and urban, and would easily turn heads for the right reasons on the Jakarta party scene.

“I had always resisted bringing my collections to Jakarta before,” Oka said. “My clients often said to me, ‘Please, do not open a shop in Jakarta because we want an excuse to come to Bali.’

“But there were also those who complained, ‘It’s difficult for us to buy your clothes. We have to go all the way to Bali to buy the clothes.’

“When the Mandarin Oriental approached me with [the idea of opening a shop at the hotel], I felt like being at the right place at the right time.”

In addition to the outlet in the Mandarin Oriental, which opened late last year, Oka has two outlets in Kuta and another in Ubud. “They offer different collections,” Oka said of his four stores. “The ones in Bali offer something more relaxed and exotic, which matches the lifestyle on the island. The one in the Mandarin Oriental features something elaborate and sophisticated, which suits the city lifestyle.”

Mardiana Budi, a public relations executive at the hotel, said the Mandarin Oriental and Oka were a perfect fit.

“When the hotel was being renovated, we were looking for a local fashion designer renowned internationally to create an exclusive collection for our hotel,” Mardiana said.

“It turns out that Oka is actually a fan of the Mandarin Oriental. He always stays at a Mandarin Oriental if he can when traveling, so we invited him to set up a boutique in our hotel.”

Oka, a self-taught desinger, said fashion was his “revenge” for having always to wear hand-me-downs growing up as the youngest of five siblings.

“I got fed up with getting old clothes all the time. I deconstructed outdated shirts and pants to make outfits that were more to my liking,” he said.

Deconstruction and moulage — a technique in which a piece of cloth is cast over a dummy for cutting and sewing — to this day remain his favorite methods of making clothes.

“During the first years, I learned how hard it was to design a dress that would fit most sizes,” Oka said.

He ended up with 10 different sizes for each design, which was very costly. As a solution, he decided to look for cuts and styles that would fit a wide range of sizes. Instead of zippers and buttons, Oka decided to use knots for fasteners.

“What started as a solution has become my signature style,” he said, with a laugh. The use of knots also allows clients to be able to wear his clothes more than one different way.

Actress Titi Sjuman is a big fan of Oka’s designs.

“I just love Oka’s dresses,” she said. “I can go to lots of different events in one dress without anyone noticing it.”

A red long tunic featured at the Mandarin Oriental show, for example, can be worn two different ways.

“When you fold it in two, it can be a strapless dress,” Oka said. “You can also wear it as a skirt wrapped around your waist with one end thrown over your shoulder like a sari.”

His signature style also includes the use of alternative materials for his clothes.

“My designs are sleek and clean-cut, therefore they are easy to copy,” Oka said. “I used to get mad at [those who did]. But now I take it as a compliment. I always strive to be a step ahead by using exotic materials that are not easy to obtain.”

One of the most notable items in the summer 2010 collection is a strapless top in a gentle turquoise hue. The shirt, adorned with petal-like frills and ruffles, appears crisp, shiny and translucent at the same time. The effect is achieved with a special fabric produced in Japan and China.

“The result is something that is light and transparent, but not wispy,” Oka said. “The material is breathable, yet doesn’t easily get soaked by perspiration or even a light rain.”

Another design is a red minidress with an empire-cut and an oversized coquelicot corsage on the chest. Made of cotton jersey material that combines 99 percent cotton and 1 percent lycra, the dress is stretchy and flatters almost any body type.

“As a designer, I’m morally obliged to always present new technological innovations to my clients,” Oka said. “Fashion always evolves. It’s never stagnant.”