IO, Jakarta – Indonesia Fashion Week 2019 was held on March 27-31 in the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC). The largest fashion event in Indonesia took on the theme of Cultural Values, in line with the continuous efforts of the Indonesian Fashion Designers and Entrepreneurs Association (APPMI) to develop and promote Indonesia’s culture as one of the strongholds of the national economy.
The event’s opening ceremony took place excitingly with fashion shows from dozens of collaborating designers. May Myat Waso, a fashion designer from Myanmar, also attended the event, alongside representatives from the Jakarta government, Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf), Ministry of Education and Culture, Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs, Ministry of Industry, Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UN Global Compact, and embassies from neighboring countries. Many other international guests also attended the event.
Indonesia Fashion Week 2019 was enlivened by hundreds of fashion business, entrepreneurs and designers from all corners of Indonesia. The event showcased 20 fashion shows, hundreds of local brands, while holding various competitions and talk shows. The event continues to attract international attention as it does not only cover culture but also tourism. This year, the event focused on culture from Kalimantan through the use of tenun, songket, and batik from various regions in Indonesia, and shields, flora and fauna motifs from Kalimantan.
“IFW 2019 showcases the very rich Kalimantan culture. There haven’t been many who have supported the repertoire of Kalimantan culture, even though the people of Kalimantan are made up of several main ethnicities; Malay, Dayak, Banjar, Kutai, and Dayak Paser, giving a more unique character. In all the designs in the IFW 2019 venue to the clothes worn by the models, we can see illustrations of shields, flora, and fauna typical of Kalimantan which are used by designers as a source of inspiration and imagination for their designs, making Kalimantan’s culture better-known through the creations of the fashion designers,” said IFW President and APPMI Chairman Poppy Dharsono at the opening ceremony of the event on Wednesday (27/03/2019).
“Some of Kalimantan’s culture and tribes represent a result of adaptation, acculturation, and assimilation of the elements of culture from the tribes residing in the region. For instance; the Samarinda sarong, Pagatan tenun sarong, benang bintik (Dayak Ngaju batik), and Sasirangan cloth (Banjarmasin). It is this fascinating cultural treasure that we should support together,” added Poppy. (Yoga Agusta)