Garuda on my chest, Armani in my heart

Garuda Pancasila/I am your supporter/a patriot for the proclamation/ready to sacrifice (myself) for you.

Many Indonesians must have been reminded of the "Garuda Pancasila" theme song composed by Sudharnoto when they saw a modified version of the country's state symbol Garuda Pancasila on the T-Shirt of Italian designer Armani Exchange.

The fashion house had been selling the Studded Eagle T-shirt on their website until this week, describing the logo as a military-inspired eagle.

The eagle looked almost identical to the one on Indonesia's coat of arms, the Garuda Pancasila, a modern interpretation of the Hindu mythical bird bearing a shield with symbols representing the five principles of Pancasila - Indonesia's state ideology.

Armani replaced the bull and the fig tree on the logo with the letters A and X and the national motto "Unity in Diversity" with "Armani Exchange".

The Garuda-inspired T-shirt ignited a flurry of reactions across Indonesia. Some legislators said the adaptation of the coat of arms was not a big deal and free publicity for Indonesia.

A facebook user concurred in his status: "Armani used the Garuda? Let it be, we often imitate their designs anyway".

But, others took it badly. Members of social networking site Facebook soon created groups demanding a boycott of the shirt.

Another group asking for Armani to be sued for modifying the coat of arms grew to 1,900 members by Thursday night.

Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar reportedly said Armani did not have the rights to use the Garuda on their designs.

Following the ruckus, Armani stopped selling the US$42 (Rp 400,00) T-shirt online. In a statement emailed to Reuters, Armani Exchange said: "The issue was brought to our attention and the item has been removed from our website immediately. We apologize for any offence this may have causes".

So, why did the use of a modified version of the coat of arms rub some Indonesians the wrong way?

According to Tommy Christomy, a semiotics and cultural studies expert from the University of Indonesia, for some Indonesians, the symbol has a final meaning that cannot be reinterpreted in any other way.

The Garuda symbolizes strength and power, and its gold color alludes to greatness and glory. Feathers are arranged in a particular way as a reminder of the 17th of August 1945, Indonesia's Independence Day. Each wing has 17 feathers, eight on the tail, 19 on the base of the tail and 45 on the neck.

The symbol on the Armani Exchange's T-shirt most likely represented a statement, which could be interpreted differently by each person, he added.

In the case of the modification of the Garuda Pancasila, iconicity, a correspondence between form and meaning, has taken place, Christomy said.

"From here, multiple interpretations have occurred", he continued, adding that three types of interpretations could have taken place.

"The first is to interpret the symbol as anything. The second is to interpret the symbol as a statement or proposition, which would depend on many things. The third is an argumentative interpretation, in which the symbol has a final meaning and cannot be reinterpreted," he said.

The argumentative interpretation can be based on law or conventions, Christomy added.

But Indonesians themselves have also reinterpreted the iconic mythical bird. In Hindu mythology, the Garuda is a chimera, a half-bird, half-man creature, and Vishnu's ride. According to the Rigveda, Hindu's holy book, the Garuda was assigned the task of carrying the sacred drink of the gods, soma.

The Committee of the Coat of Arms, headed by Muhammad Yamin, commissioned several artists to design a coat of arms for Indonesia.

As a result, there are different versions of the coat of arms, including a Garuda with curly hair sitting on a lotus, or another one with a Malay-Arabic inscription, "Republik Indonesia Serikat", the Indonesian Federal Republic, states the National Encyclopedia of Indonesia. Another version of the coat of arms includes a man carrying a plate with the five symbols while his legs hold the "Unity in Diversity" banner.

The current coat of arms was inspired by the Javan Hawk-eagle, an endangered raptor endemic to the mountainous forest regions of Java. The shield, divided into five sections, features a star symbolizing belief in one god at the center. The bull is placed on the upper left side, with a fig tree standing next to it. One can see cotton and rice on the lower-left side as well as a chain.

The fashion industry often adapts state symbols, said fashion critic Samuel Mulia. Designer Vivien Westwood has widely used the Orb, a globe surmounted by a cross symbolizing monarchial power and justice. The Orb and Scepter were used at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.

Designers draw inspiration from anywhere, Mulia continued, adding it was highly likely the designers drew on the Garuda for the Armani Exchange T-Shirt.

"I'm proud of it. Seeing it in such a positive light, it's good PR for our country," he said. "It's an indirect promotion of our country's greatness, by a big and trusted company such as Armani," he said.

Big companies, like fashion houses, have a history of commodifying symbols with sacred value. They will manufacture products for consumers, which will allow the public to claim symbols as their own, or give them an identity.

The use of Argentinean Che Guevara's picture by people who want to be identified as socialist or progressive is a classic example, Christomy said.

In Jakarta, Che's picture has become so popular that local artist have replaced his face with that of legendary local comedian and musician Benyamin Suaeb, who has a large local following.

Indonesians sometimes also use the Nazi symbol Swastika, Christomy noted, even though the use of symbol is controversial given the Nazi's involvement in the Holocaust.

In our increasingly globalized world, Christomy remarked, in which people can easily download signs from the Internet, no institution can stop anyone from modifying a symbol.

"At the cultural level, there's no problem there. A symbol can be used to represent one's identity," he said.

"A sign can by a symbol of identity when adapted by another group."

Just like the Garuda for Indonesia.