F

ive ministries, alongside the Indonesian Fashion Designers Association (APPMI), inaugurated the Indonesian Fashion Week 2012 on Thursday, as part of a fashion road map intended to turn Indonesia into an international fashion hub.

Industry Minister MS Hidayat said that the four-day fashion event, starting on Thursday, was expected to draw 30,000 people to check out the collection of at least 400 fashion brands and 200 designers at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC).

“The Indonesia Fashion Week [IFW] 2012 is an international trade event meant to rouse Indonesia’s creative economy,” Hidayat said, adding that the event sought to “apprise local culture” on the international level.

Besides the Industry Ministry, the Office of the Coordinating Economic Minister, the Trade Ministry, the Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry as well as the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry have granted their support for the event.

Besides showcasing the products of brands and designers at the booths, the event will also feature fashion shows, beauty workshops and seminars on topics such as branding and trend forecasts.

“This is not just an event but a movement to revitalize fashion in Indonesia to turn the country into a world fashion hub,” Hidayat stated.

Based on ministry data, the fashion industry has contributed 5.9 percent, equaling Rp 71.9 trillion, to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The industry has also created employment for 4 million people, and contributed Rp 50.3 trillion to foreign exchange.

He added that he expected other sectors in the creative industry to hold similar events to boost the industry’s growth to between 9 to 11 percent, or equal to Rp 537.8 trillion by 2025.

“The exhibition is also an avenue to promote the potential of lifestyle and fashion commodities,” he said.

Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa said the fashion industry must give added value to its products by infusing them with innovation and creativity.

“We therefore support collaboration and networking between designers and craftsmen,” he said.

He added that designers played a key role in the industry as they were the ones who could transform the work of artisans, such as traditional cloth, into profitable objects in the market place.

“That is why designers should not be underestimated,” he stated.

Taruna K Kusmayadi, APPMI chairman and senior advisor for IFW 2012, further added that support from the government was critical for the industry.

“APPMI, as the initiator of Indonesia Fashion Week 2012, is also ready to be the government’s partner in actualizing the fashion road map,” he said.

One of the exhibitors, Gary Gregorius, who is the product manager for Monstore casual wear, said that such events were important for networking and showcasing brands to big buyers from wholesalers and department stores.

“I am hoping to see business-to-business sales through the brand’s participation in this event,” he said.

Monstore is a relatively small-scale brand, producing 2,000 pieces of clothing emblazoned with arty graphics on a monthly basis, with prices ranging between Rp 150,000 to Rp 250,000.

Another exhibitor, Sissy Sidiyanti from Bugsy Delight, added that several exhibitors won support from the Trade Ministry, which subsidized roughly 75 percent of the rent fees for a 3-by-2-meter booth.

Bugsy Delight is a brand offering embroidered toddler clothing, producing around 100 pieces per month in their workshop, operated by around three workers.

“This is very helpful for small industries because we could barely afford the Rp 20 million rent fee,” she said.