Dress up in celebrity style

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Various hijab which inspirations come from actress Natalie Sarah

Do you want to dress like popular singers Syahrini or Ashanti? Or, do you prefer the elegant look of former model Okky Asokawati?

You can have it all — Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta is the best place to start.

It is probably not as comfortable as a trip to your favorite shopping mall, but for many years, Southeast Asia’s biggest textile market has been the best place to hunt for Muslim clothes that suit your taste.

Singer Syahrini-inspired styleThe clothes come not only in many price ranges, from tens of thousands of rupiah to millions, but one of the best factors is that here you can bargain.

When most boutiques and upscale malls look to top fashion cities or glossy magazines for their latest inspiration,
the market’s traders take their inspiration from sinetron (local TV soap operas) and popular celebrities.

 “Often customers ask for a hijab [Muslim head scarf] like those worn by their favorite celebrities,” says Anna, a staff member of Nousya Fira, one of the many hijab shops in Tanah Abang.

In the market, many hijab are named after the celebrities they represent — such as the “Manohara” or “April Jasmine” hijab as well as another named after popular preacher Mama Dedeh, also known as hijab bergo and priced from Rp 15,000 (US$1.65) to Rp 85,000 depending on the design.

“It’s for women over 50 years old who only like simple styles,” said the store owner’s daughter, Nousya.

At the Nousya store, shoppers prefer the styles which come with a variety of types, accessories and modifications, allowing them to wear them in many different ways and to experiment.
Okky Asokawati’s style.
And you don’t have to think too hard — many mannequins, clad in colorful Muslim clothes, already have pinned to them the names of the celebrities’ styles they represent.

Desmi, the owner of Myzura hijab shop, said that the pony tail-style hijab was popular among her customers as well as the style named after celebrity Arzeti.

Some shops create their own hijab and name their stores based on the styles they produce — like the shop called Kerudung Pesta Jakarta, which specializes in hijab for parties, along with a tutorial on wearing the outfits provided on the spot.

Photos of celebrities, like April Jasmine and Marshanda, are plastered over the shop, offering ideas for interested customers on the latest styles.

The writer is an intern at The Jakarta Post

— Photos by Nurhayati