JAKARTA - Designing a kebaya that remains polite but still emits traditional beauty is a challenge in itself for Indonesian designers, especially in the midst of the growing fashion modest trend.
Kebaya as a cultural heritage is often synonymous with pieces that highlight the curves of the body, thus requiring extra creativity to adapt them to the principle of clothing that is closed and in accordance with the values of decency, especially for Muslim women.
The chairman of the National Indonesia Fashion Chamber (IFC), Lenny Agustin, said that the transformation of kebaya into a more closed version is part of the adaptation process to the needs of today's society. Traditional kebaya, especially from Javanese culture, according to him, has a silhouette that tends to shape the body and is considered quite sensual if worn as it is today.
"The Javanese design of kebaya is very close to the philosophy and body shape of women, but if used now without adjustment it can feel too open. That's why we need a modest approach so that kebaya can be enjoyed by wider groups, including Muslim women," said Lenny as quoted by ANTARA.
He encouraged designers to dig deeper into inspiration from various other areas that have a looser form, such as from Sumatra or Maluku, which is naturally closer to a polite fashion style. That way, the adaptation of kebaya for modern fashion can still respect traditional values without losing the essence of culture.
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Lenny, who is known through the Furky Kebaya label, added that the market for closed clothing is currently growing very rapidly, especially among women wearing hijabs. In fact, it is now difficult to find designers who do not participate in designing fashion clothing collections, given the large demand and consumer interest.
"This trend is not only a matter of the market, but also a matter of inclusivity. The choice of clothing is increasingly diverse and can be enjoyed by all people, both hijab and not, from various religious and social backgrounds. This is great progress in our fashion industry," he said.
As a forum for Indonesian designers, Indonesia Fashion Chamber continues to encourage the development of national clothing, including kebaya in the form of modest. One of them is through training, mentoring, and participation in prestigious fashion events such as Spotlight and Front Row Paris, to encourage Indonesian designers to penetrate the global market.
"We want designers not only to excel in modest fashion, but also to be reliable in creating wedding clothing and national clothing, with a strong local identity but still modern," concluded Lenny.
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