Where should we start? The AC Nielsen Indonesia Retail Audit shows a mere 2.7 percent growth for fast-moving consumer goods in the first three quarters of 2017, a stark decline from 7.7 percent growth in the same period last year.

From the same report, Lebaran sales growth fell steadily from 20.6 percent in 2014 to 5 percent in 2017. Meanwhile, department stores are closing down even though e-commerce only made up 2 percent of total retail sales, disproving the online migration
argument.

Business is in a slump, from whatever angle you look at it.

On separate occasions, senior economist Faisal Basri and former finance minister Chatib Basri elaborated on how middle-income consumers were losing their purchasing power, while high-income consumers had been exercising more caution in spending. If consumer goods of mostly basic needs are in decline, imagine how spending is on less urgent items like fashion.

“For every sales loss I’ve suffered, I recouped only 10 percent through e-commerce,” wryly quipped talented designer Yosafat Dwi Kurniawan, whose evening wear is favored by upper-class urbanites.

Other designers who asked to remain anonymous cited a 30 to 40 percent sales drop across all channels. A few clothing labels stopped production, while some designers quietly closed their ateliers.

Thankfully, creativity hasn’t died within this sad state of affairs. The year opened with the 6th Indonesia Fashion Week of the APPMI, Indonesia’s largest association of fashion designers and entrepreneurs.

Held to showcase talents within the grouping, with some being more promising than others, this year’s kudos goes to the regal blue tie-dye by Bandung-based Rika Mulle and the nautical-inspired collection in vibrant red and stripes by Ardistia New York, a label established in New York before designer Ardistia repatriated. The two collections offered current silhouettes with urban sensibilities, a breath of fresh air among the cliché cuts and fussy veils that often inundate Indonesia Fashion Week.

More urbane styles were on show at the 11th Fashion Nation, as rising designers Andreas Odang, Sapto Djojokartiko and William Utama sent unapologetically sassy, androgynous collections down the runway with panache. For an event that started out as a series of trunk shows for its tenants, Senayan City has done a good job in beefing up the fashion trend featured in Fashion Nation in recent years.

Ramadhan brought a parade of modest attire, most notably the 2nd Muslim Fashion Festival organized by Indonesian Fashion Chamber, the youngest association of fashion designers in Indonesia.

Better organized than its inaugural year, this year’s festival was best represented by its closing show: Barli Asmara’s chic overture in Jambi batik, Hannie Hananto’s preppy heart shapes and Sofie’s structured ensembles that would look at home on the streets of Tokyo and Dubai. For the lower rung, seasoned hand Itang Yunasz returned to Tanah Abang Market with his annual show for the Kamilaa label.

Bigger festivities were slated towards the yearend. Plaza Indonesia, which also holds an annual fashion event at the beginning of the year, is becoming more confident in nurturing young male styles through the continuation of its menswear fashion fest.

A shout-out is reserved for Danjyo Hiyoji, Populo Batik and Amot Syamsurimuda, with the latter launching its own eponymous menswear line after co-designing a successful womenswear label for years. With the current economic slump, it’ll be interesting to see if designer menswear labels in Indonesia will live up to expectations and bring in viable business.

One segment that’s actually growing so healthily it deserves all the hype and a dedicated review, is cosmetics. In an era when supermarket checkout girls are now obliged to wear makeup, beauty is no longer exclusive to the well-heeled.

Regular artificial eyelashes enter corporate offices, while its heavy-duty sisters attend dinner parties. Unilever Indonesia seized the moment to introduce the India-based makeup brand Lakmé, pairing it with four renowned Indonesian designers at a gala show in Jakarta. This is an interesting gambit taken by the fast-moving consumer goods giant that, in addition to stealing glances away from society swans, also warranted a look from other imported makeup brands.

The cherry on top, as expected, was Jakarta Fashion Week (JFW). Unfurling its giant tent for the tenth time this year while its parent company, the Femina Group, was battling serious financial problems that became public during the event, JFW still delivered the goods.

The designers groomed under JFW’s incubator have started to make their mark on the international stage, while JFW continued to host interesting foreign designers on its runway. The challenge of establishing a legacy beyond the creative side to the Indonesian fashion scene is luring more foreign buyers and scouts to JFW, creating a real business prospect for participating designers.

As the domestic downturn continues and overseas markets get more heterogeneous, JFW needs to quickly address this longstanding challenge if it is serious about carving out its legacy in the business end of Indonesian fashion.

Capping off the year was the two-day fashion installation organized by the IPMI, Indonesia’s most revered association for fashion designers, and its annual members induction. Known to be very selective in approaching a potential member, IPMI welcomed modest fashion designer Norma Hauri among its ranks this year, citing design characteristics, consistency and her audacity to experiment as the winning
reasons.

I personally enjoyed the installation, for I could see the clothing in detail, and the general public would have too, had the event lasted more than two days in the middle of the week, which simply wasn’t enough to create a buzz beyond the small fashion circle. Here’s hoping that IPMI will host a longer and more public installation next year.

Creativity is continuing while business isn’t booming. As fashion stakeholders’ hope the government will offer stimulus to hike consumption, it’s a consolation to know that at least we’re surviving the slump in style.