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THE MINISTRY of Creative Economy visited the installation exhibition ‘Indonesian Fashion: Designers and Their Work’ at Terminal 3 of Soekarno-Hatta (Soetta) Airport, Saturday (11/07), 2026. This is a form of appreciation and confirmation of the government’s commitment to encouraging the fashion subsector as the largest export contributor to the creative economy so that it is able to compete globally and provide an inclusive and sustainable economic impact.
According to Minister Teuku Riefky Harsya, said Samuel Wattimena’s five decades of consistency proves that culture is not just to be shown off, but is brought to life through creativity. When culture touches the fashion industry and is strengthened by policy, work no longer stops on the parade stage.
“Through the down streaming and commercialization of Intellectual Property, traditions are transformed into economic assets that are sustainable, prosperous for designers, superior in the global market, and eternal for Indonesia,” said Minister Riefky on the side-lines of his review.
He continued, this step to strengthen the fashion ecosystem is carried out through a hexahelix approach, namely a comprehensive synergy between academics, associations, financial institutions, media, business people and the government which is the main foundation in driving the regional economy and improving community welfare in a sustainable manner.
“The optimism for strengthening this subsector is based on Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data processed by the Ministry of Creative Economy, which recorded fashion as contributing the largest portion of Indonesia’s creative economy exports. The contribution of the fashion subsector reached 58.55% (worth US$5.85 billion), an increase from the previous period of US$5.58 billion. In addition, this subsector contributed 14.77% to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the creative economy with growth of 5.07%,” he said.
He explained that this was in accordance with President Prabowo Subianto’s spirit in encouraging the Indonesian fashion industry to become a host in its own country that also reaches international markets. Local Hero Goes National, National Champion Goes Global.
During his visit, Minister Teuku Riefky saw an installation exhibition showing the flow of creation, starting from drawing and coloring clothing designs digitally, selecting materials through exploration of Wastra Nusantara, determining trends and narrating works, to the process of digitally mixing and matching clothing.
Then, we visited the work desk which combines tradition with modern industrial elements, witnessed the installation of a fashion collection by Indonesian designers which emphasizes the great potential of the national creative industry, and ended by greeting and seeing first-hand the work of the students of the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ).
The exhibition, which will take place from 1–15 November 2026, is a follow-up to the Minister of Creative Economy’s meeting with senior designer Samuel J.D. Wattimena on May 11 2026 regarding the launch of the book ‘Indonesian Fashion: Designers and Their Work’. The book, which was compiled through the collaboration of designers, writers, observers and photographers, is an important reference in strengthening national cultural identity.
Samuel added that mode Indonesia is here to maintain the boundaries of traditional and traditional motifs while educating about cultural backgrounds, while the Ministry of Creative Economy is tasked with directing craftsmen’s innovation so that its economic impact truly touches craftsmen in the region, not just enjoyed by designers.
“The airport was chosen as the location for the fashion installation because this place has very high traffic, in line with the mission to convey the impression that fashion is not only for the elite. Fashion is for everyone,” concluded Samuel J.D. Wattimena. [traveltext.id]
