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View all search resultsFashion futures: Indonesian designers navigating an era of disruption
From social media’s double-edged reach to the rise of AI and an uneasy economy, Indonesian designers are learning to adapt, endure and redefine creativity in fashion’s most unpredictable moment.
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Athletic ease: First looks from Danjyo Hiyoji’s Spring/Summer 2026 collection, themed Athletic Rhythm, are presented on Oct. 4, 2025, at Plaza Indonesia Fashion Week in Central Jakarta. Experts predict that sportswear will remain one of next year’s enduring favorites.
(Courtesy of Plaza Indonesia) ( Plaza Indonesia/-)
“We live in such a precarious era,” fashion stylist Alyssha Nila said in a mix of English and Indonesian during a discussion at Fashion Nation XIX in Senayan City, Jakarta, on Sept. 24. “Things are tough, but not really. It’s kind of weird like that.”
Her words capture the contradictions of our time. The fast-paced digital age demands relentless creativity, even as imitation spreads at the speed of a click. New labels crowd the market, while consumers grow more cautious amid economic uncertainty.
Under these pressures, Indonesian designers are rethinking what creativity and productivity mean today: adapting and finding ways to thrive amid chaos.
“Our brand grew during the heyday of printed media,” Bandung-based designer Deden Siswanto recalled. “It was a different era back then.”
Deden launched his eponymous label in 1995, when being featured in a fashion magazine could catapult a designer to fame. “Back then, we really had to struggle to be featured in certain magazines,” he said. “But now, everyone can be famous. All they have to do is post on social media.”
Designer Restu Anggraini shared a similar view.
“When I just started out, it was really, really difficult to promote our brands,” she said. “It’s totally different now. The digital era has blurred geographical borders. By uploading our items on social media, people from around the world can get to know us.”
