Indonesia kicks off national fashion extravaganza festival

JAKARTA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia kicked off a 5-day annual National fashion extravaganza here on Wednesday, aimed at further promoting potentialities of local cultural in fashion industry.

Culture of Kalimantan is picked as the highlight of the annual Indonesia fashion Week (IFW) this year, and applied in catwalk decorations, exhibitions, theme of talk shows and workshops held throughout the event.

"Despite abundant of cultural motives from Kalimantan, there has been not much event to explore this highly potential element in National fashion industry," IFW Chief Organizer Poppy Dharsono said in her remarks to open the event in Jakarta's landmark convention center of JCC.

She said Kalimantan offers myriad of cultures from diverse of tribes inhabiting the island.

Kalimantan, one of Indonesia's large islands, is inhabited by various tribes descended from major ethnics of Dayak, Malay, Kutai and Dayak Paser for generations.

Besides tribal cultural richness, Kalimantan also has particular fashion motives derived from local plantations and animals that could highly inspire local fashion designers, she added.

Themed "Cultural Values," the nation's largest fashion event is participated by many local fashion designers eager to showcase their latest collections.

The event that has been held since 2012 was originally intended to further promote National fashion products for domestic and interNational markets.

fashion industry has been identified significant driver to Indonesia's creative economy sector.

According to Indonesia's Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf), fashion industry contributed 54.54 percent to National creative economy product exports in 2016 that stood at 20 billion U.S. Dollars.