Jakarta. Viscose rayon producer Asia Pacific Rayon, or APR, on Thursday night made a return to the Muslim Fashion Festival+, or Muffest+, by hosting another sustainable modest fashion show at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Ball Room in Pacific Place, Jakarta.

Sixty designs from 7 local brands, among others, Gajah Duduk and Inen Signature, enlivened the fashion show. Other brands included BT Batik Trusmi, Bajufuku, Gamaleea, IDE Indonesia (Indonesian Ecoprint Designer Association), and Aruna Creative x Nicolo. 

Muffest+ Sustainable Modest Fashion Show kicked off with sarung maker Gajah Duduk’s 2022 Ramadan Collection. Known for its eco-print concept, Inen Signature showcased its "Merenda Perca'' collection, which turned fabric scraps into unique and breathtaking accents for a romantic, feminine look.

For Batik Trusmi, models graced the catwalk in Mega Mendung motifs — Cirebon's signature batik motif that embraces a cloud-like pattern. 

Bajufuku presented eight designs that adopted the "purity and longevity” — two traits that the geometrical, lotus-like batik kawung represents. Gamaleea chose "confidence" as its theme with deluxe yet feminine ready-to-wear. IDE Indonesia's "Urban Style" presented 10 looks that were modest but trendy at the same time. 

Last but not least was Aruna Creative x Nicolo gave a modern twist to Indonesian traditional textiles (wastra) with viscose denim.

While the designs might differ in style, they all had something in common. Every design that graced the runway used APR’s viscose rayon — a biodegradable fiber that is not only sustainable, but also packs desirable qualities for a modest attire.

Viscose rayon is a renewable fiber made entirely from wood cellulose. It makes a natural alternative to acrylic, polyester, nylon, and other petroleum-based synthetics. Viscose is aso lightweight, making it a perfect fit for modest wear and withstanding Indonesia’s scorching hot weather. The cellulose fiber’s highly absorbent nature also enables it to produce vivid colors.

APR director Basrie Kamba said the company sought to help propel the Indonesian modest fashion industry, while also introducing the local designers to sustainable fabrics. 

The recent fashion show was also a way to help the participating brands —who mostly were micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs)— to swiftly recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“We are encouraging [local designers] to create and innovate. If not, imported products will penetrate the domestic market and we will only become consumers. We will get our once-thriving textile industry back on its feet," Basrie said shortly after the fashion show.

“Our goal is to advance the domestic modest fashion industry and make [designers more] aware of sustainable materials,” Basrie said, while adding the importance for designers to use homegrown materials.

Basrie hoped that APR's contribution could boost Indonesia's modest fashion export and turn the country into becoming the mecca of Islamic fashion.

Aruna Creative x Nicolo owner and founder Yuliana Fitri Uli shared her experience of working with APR's viscose.

"The process of making wastra [Indonesian traditional textile] on denim is actually more challenging. But when we compared it with other denims, it turns out APR's denim viscose is more absorbent to colors," she said.