Muslim Fashion Festival 2019 Set to Promote Sustainability
Jakarta. The focus of the fourth Muslim Fashion Festival Indonesia, set to take place in Jakarta on May 1-4, will be quality, competitiveness and sustainability, the event organizer said on Monday.
"Muffest 2019 will be held to improve the quality of Indonesian Muslim fashion products, to make them more competitive, while also sustainable," said Ali Charisma, chairman of the Indonesian Fashion Chamber (IFC), referring to the event by its acronym.
The festival, which will take place at the Jakarta Convention Center in Senayan, is also aimed at promoting the Indonesian fashion industry and establishing the country as a global Muslim fashion pioneer.
The theme of this year's festival is "singularity," according to Apriani, another member of the organizing committee.
"The ambiance and atmosphere of the interior will be themed 'cortex,'" she said.
Among the designers who will showcase their work are Ria Miranda, Ayu Dyah Andari, Sofie, Hannie Hananto, Aldre Indrayana and Irna Mutiara. Several collections, such as the Mandjha Hijab Ivan Gunawan Premium Collection, Raegitazoro and Noore, will also be on show.
Like last year, this year's event will include a retail exhibition, fashion design competition and fashion shows introducing various styles, from conventional to contemporary. All arrangements for this year's festival are based on fashion trend forecasts for 2019-2020.
The second day of the event will see 15 young designers, selected during the Modest Young Designers Competition, show off their creations, according to IFC secretary, Lisa Fitria.
"They have been trained and [their work] will be displayed on the second day," she said.
Collaborations, such as the Wardah Next Face Muffest 2019 pageant and the Wardah Makeup & Hijab Do competition presented by the cosmetics company, will take place between April 9 and April 23. The winners will be announced during the festival. E-commerce platform Tokopedia will also support the festival by offering promotions to participating businesses to facilitate customer transactions.
The organizer expects the festival to promote Indonesian-made fashion products in the local market.
Data compiled by the Ministry of Industry shows that Indonesia's fashion product exports amounted to $13.29 billion in 2017. The country is currently the fifth-largest exporter of Muslim fashion products in the world after Bangladesh, Turkey, Morocco and Pakistan.
Muffest 2019 is presented in cooperation with Asia Pacific Rayon, which produces viscose-rayon, a sustainable fiber used in fabrics.
Sustainable Fashion
The organizer also wants to use this year's event to educate consumers on future trends, which include sustainable fashion, said Ali, the IFC chairman.
Insufficient knowledge among customers about sustainable fashion is the main challenge.
"Next year, we want to highlight massive brands that produce sustainable, or ethical fashion," he said, adding that some consumers are starting to buy products made from natural fibers, which are biodegradable.
Many fashion brands are still trying to replace synthetic materials with natural fiber.
"We want to make cheaper products, but the lower the quality, the more likely it will become fashion trash, so it's not sustainable. But if you buy a high-quality, durable product, it will be more sustainable," Ali said.
The government supports Muffest 2019 through related agencies, including the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf).
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