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Indonesia Fashion Week 2026 Officially Opens, Deputy Trade Minister Says Ulos Carries Meaning of Prayer and Affection

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Indonesia Fashion Week 2026 opened at the Jakarta Convention Center, featuring hundreds of designers and aiming to strengthen the national fashion ecosystem.
  • This year's event highlights North Sumatra's "Ulos Simetria" theme, showcasing the traditional Ulos fabric as a symbol of warmth, harmony, and cultural heritage.
  • The fashion week serves as a platform to promote Indonesian fashion globally, emphasizing the balance between tradition, innovation, and economic potential.

The BTN Indonesia Fashion Week 2026 has officially commenced at the Jakarta Convention Center, marking the 14th iteration of this annual event. Organized by the Indonesian Fashion Designers and Entrepreneurs Association (APPMI), the week aims to bolster Indonesia's fashion ecosystem by providing a platform for hundreds of designers, brand owners, fashion houses, artisans, and SMEs.

This year, North Sumatra is the featured theme, presenting "Ulos Simetria." Ulos, more than just traditional fabric from North Sumatra, symbolizes warmth, balance, harmony, and unity. Poppy Dharsono, President of Indonesia Fashion Week and Chairperson of APPMI, stated, "Through the Ulos Simetria theme, we want to emphasize that the Indonesian fashion industry must maintain a balance between tradition and innovation, local wisdom and global competition, and cultural values and the future of the creative industry. This is the spirit that underpins Indonesia Fashion Week 2026."

Through the Ulos Simetria theme, we want to emphasize that the Indonesian fashion industry must maintain a balance between tradition and innovation, local wisdom and global competition, and cultural values and the future of the creative industry. This is the spirit that underpins Indonesia Fashion Week 2026.

— Poppy DharsonoPresident of Indonesia Fashion Week and Chairperson of APPMI, explaining the theme of the event.

The runway at Indonesia Fashion Week 2026 will translate the richness of Ulos, an integral part of Batak tradition, into contemporary silhouettes and styles relevant to current fashion trends. This approach seeks to blend cultural heritage with creativity and national economic potential, ensuring the philosophical values of Ulos are preserved.

Deputy Minister of Trade, Dyah Roro Esti, highlighted the crucial role of Indonesia Fashion Week in presenting the nation's identity to the world through its fashion industry. She emphasized that collaboration between the government, businesses, designers, and artisans is fundamental to building the national fashion industry's competitiveness. "It's not just a socialization event, but also a way to show the world what Indonesia has through fashion," Dyah Roro Esti remarked during the opening.

It's not just a socialization event, but also a way to show the world what Indonesia has through fashion.

— Dyah Roro EstiDeputy Minister of Trade of Indonesia, speaking at the opening of Indonesia Fashion Week 2026.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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