'Modest' Fashion: Indonesia quickly becoming hub for Islam-influenced trend
Updated 20:00, 20-Feb-2019
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Indonesia's younger generations are embracing a new type of fashion. Cultural and religious factors have helped to skyrocket Indonesia's so-called "modest" fashion industry. The new generation of consumers are looking for a more modern, sophisticated -- yet covered-up -- look. CGTN's Silkina Ahluwalia has more from Jakarta.
It's a billion dollar industry that prompted Jeny to start her own company. As the owner of one of Indonesia's most successful clothing line, Jeny's fashion pieces are a part of a new market experts are calling "covered-up fashion".
In one of the world's largest Muslim-majority country, Jeny is seeing a major shift from the standard fashion pieces to a more modest approach to clothing.
JENY TJAHYAWATI, CHAIRPERSON INDONESIA MODEST FASHION DESIGNER "Muslim women make up the majority of the population in Indonesia and we are capitalising on that. There are a lot of Muslim communities here and we are one of the biggest markets in the world. There is still a lot of potential here. Designers are now looking to promote our traditional Indonesian fabric."
Jeny says Indonesian designers are now creating pieces that showcases the uniqueness of the country's culture setting themselves apart from the more common modest clothing that are found in the Middle East.
Diajeng Lestari is the woman behind HiJup, a Muslim fashion empire that sells local designer products on their website with free worldwide shipping. That strategy has helped to take Indonesia's local designs onto the global stage.
DIAJENG LESTARI, CEO HIJUP "We really understand that is not only about wearing hijab or wearing clothes, but behind that we see that, is it in-line with our value or Islamic value, is it sustainable in terms of eco-living, does it treat the labours in the good way or not, so it has to be in-line with the Islamic value itself."
In 2016, HiJup participated in London Fashion Week a big moment for the company and for Indonesia.
They exhibited items from Indonesian Muslim designers alongside key players in the fashion industry such as Dolce & Gabanna.
SILKINA AHLUWALIA JAKARTA, INDONESIA "A research conducted by the Global Islamic Economy shows that Muslim women spent an estimated 44 billion US Dollars in modest clothing in 2017, that number is only expected to increase every year and Indonesia is currently working on becoming the capital of modest fashion by 2020. Silkina Ahluwalia, CGTN, Jakarta."