Saturday, 8 October 2022

Modest fashion extravaganza kicks off in Indonesia

Bank Indonesia (BI), the Indonesian Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, and the Indonesian Fashion Chamber (IFC), as part of the Indonesia Sharia Economic Festival (ISEF), kicked off the inaugural Indonesia International Modest Fashion Festival 2022 (IN2MOTIONFEST 2022) in Jakarta, Indonesia on 6 October.

The five-day festival covered deluxe ready-to-wear fashion, streetwear, eveningwear, cocktailwear, and officewear.

"Indonesia's inaugural global modest fashion festival has been a huge success. It is expected to become the biggest international modest fashion festival. This can be done through strengthening the branding of Indonesia's modest fashion, increasing capacity and network between domestic and global business actors. We'll continue to nurture Indonesia's cultural heritage and share it with the world," said Governor of Bank Indonesia Perry Warjiyo.

Attendees caught up to 1,256 looks of wastra* Nusantara from designers such as Dian Pelangi, Itang Yunasz, Khanaan, Laudya Chintya Bella, Syahrir Nurdin from Malaysia, Yod Koko from Thailand, as well as A3 from France X Emmy Thee.

"Wastra from Sabang to Merauke, such as songket, ikat, lurik and batik, have been the highlights of this year's festival. It is amazing to share our cultural heritage with the world and see the same joy we feel when seeing these amazing fabrics," said Ali Charisma, National Chairman of the IFC.

"By involving hundreds of designers with the use of 14 types of wastra, we hope that in the future more stakeholders will be involved in the effort to make Indonesia a trendsetter in the world's modest fashion industry," added the Minister from the Indonesian Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs Teten Masduki.

According to Statistics Indonesia (BPS), Indonesia is the world's 13th exporter of Muslim clothing in 2021 with the value amounting to USD 4.68 billion, up by 12.49 percent compared to 2020. 

*Wastra derives from Sanskrit and means "handwoven textile". The term has rich cultural and historical meaning. Most wastra are made by skilled artisans, and much appreciated for their beauty.