A pedestrian crossing turned viral catwalk has become a site for Jakarta’s young fashionistas to express themselves while attracting the disapproval of police in the traffic-clogged Indonesian capital.
The informal downtown gathering has drawn sartorial adventurists from across the suburbs of the metropolis, including from Citayam, leading it to be dubbed “Citayam Fashion Week.”
With their poses and struts being shared on TikTok and Instagram, some Citayam pioneers have found instant fame, earning modeling jobs, endorsements and an army of adoring fans.
Photo: AFP
“I feel like this is the place where I can express my style and create content. It is so much fun because there are so many people and I can meet new friends here. I don’t even want to go home,” 18-year-old student Ricat al-Fendri told reporters.
He and some friends had taken a morning train to the central meeting spot, tucked between sleek skyscrapers and trendy cafes, to flaunt their outfits for the day.
Police, who previously moved to ban the use of the crosswalk as a runway, now regularly shout through a loudspeaker to ward the crowd off the street.
However, that does not deter girls who don wide-legged jeans and colorful sunglasses — and boys in leather jackets, stylish sneakers and faux-fur coats — from filming their struts for social media.
Some of the more enthusiastic teenagers have been caught sleeping on the area’s sidewalks at night after missing the last train home.
“We have the right to hang out here. It’s a public space and for me, it’s a great stress reliever from school exams,” al-Fendri said.
The outfits on display have begun to draw crowds, with news of the phenomenon spreading by word of mouth in the megacity of 30 million people.
Saera Wulan Sari, a 15-year-old school dropout from North Jakarta who makes a living selling clams, comes to watch the crowds with her friends.
“I am always amazed by other people’s outfits, they are so much cooler than me and their clothes are very stylish,” Sari said.
The gathering has been likened to a smaller version of Tokyo’s famed Harajuku fashion district.
The movement has become so popular that copycat gatherings have spread elsewhere in Java — Indonesia’s most populous island — in cities such as Semarang and Bandung.
And its viral fame has attracted attention from celebrities and influencers, as well as public officials including Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who said young people should be able to express themselves creatively.
Local brands are now starting to take note and capitalize on the momentum by advertising their products and endorsing the “stars” of the movement, providing free clothes, shoes and publicity.
“Teenagers are searching for their identity and they need recognition and validation. These teens saw that the quick and easy way to earn them is through likes and shares,” said Devie Rahmawati, a social affairs expert from the University of Indonesia. “Marginalized teenagers used to resort to violence or illegal racing, now they choose fashion instead. This is a positive thing and I think it’s beautiful.”
For many, the booming street fashion scene has also become an affordable arena for fashionable experimentation, set against the backdrop of the city’s most affluent district.
Teenagers from poor households who cannot afford designer outfits can join the gathering without judgement, said Khairul Badmi, a 22-year-old aspiring actor. “To be a part of Citayam Fashion Week, you don’t have to wear certain outfits or brands that empty your wallet.”
BACKLASH: The National Party quit its decades-long partnership with the Liberal Party after their election loss to center-left Labor, which won a historic third term Australia’s National Party has split from its conservative coalition partner of more than 60 years, the Liberal Party, citing policy differences over renewable energy and after a resounding loss at a national election this month. “Its time to have a break,” Nationals leader David Littleproud told reporters yesterday. The split shows the pressure on Australia’s conservative parties after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s center-left Labor party won a historic second term in the May 3 election, powered by a voter backlash against US President Donald Trump’s policies. Under the long-standing partnership in state and federal politics, the Liberal and National coalition had shared power
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
CONTROVERSY: During the performance of Israel’s entrant Yuval Raphael’s song ‘New Day Will Rise,’ loud whistles were heard and two people tried to get on stage Austria’s JJ yesterday won the Eurovision Song Contest, with his operatic song Wasted Love triumphing at the world’s biggest live music television event. After votes from national juries around Europe and viewers from across the continent and beyond, JJ gave Austria its first victory since bearded drag performer Conchita Wurst’s 2014 triumph. After the nail-biting drama as the votes were revealed running into yesterday morning, Austria finished with 436 points, ahead of Israel — whose participation drew protests — on 357 and Estonia on 356. “Thank you to you, Europe, for making my dreams come true,” 24-year-old countertenor JJ, whose
A documentary whose main subject, 25-year-old photojournalist Fatima Hassouna, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza weeks before it premiered at Cannes stunned viewers into silence at the festival on Thursday. As the cinema lights came back on, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi held up an image of the young Palestinian woman killed with younger siblings on April 16, and encouraged the audience to stand up and clap to pay tribute. “To kill a child, to kill a photographer is unacceptable,” Farsi said. “There are still children to save. It must be done fast,” the exiled Iranian filmmaker added. With Israel
RSS