Bukittinggi Fashion Look 2017 to Highlight Region's Traditional Crafts

Bukittinggi Fashion Look 2017 to Highlight Region's Traditional Crafts

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Jakarta. Bukittinggi Fashion Look 2017, jointly presented by the local government and the National Craft Council, or Dekranasda, will take place in the West Sumatra city on Oct. 6-8.

The event is a transformation of the city's first fashion event, Bukittinggi Fashion Delight 2016, which took place on Aug. 27 last year.

"It will be a regular event on the city's calendar of events," Yessi Endriani, chairwoman of the Bukittinggi chapter of Dekranasda, said during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday (27/09).

"The event is intended to highlight and promote the city's traditional handicrafts, such as songket Minang [traditional handwoven fabric] and kerancang Bukittinggi [traditional hand-embroidery]," Yessi added.

Bukittinggi's kerancang is famous for its delicate and fine workmanship. These embroideries are usually applied to baju kurung basiba (traditional blouses) and mukena (women's prayer robes).

Songket Minang boasts glitzy metallic colors. These beautiful handwoven fabrics are mainly used as sarongs or stoles in traditional attire.

The three-day event, themed "It's Minangkabau Now," will feature ready-to-wear deluxe collections by 20 of the city's designers, as well as traditional fabrics and embroideries by hundreds of local artisans.

"With the event, we hope to perpetuate songket and kerancang, not only in Bukittinggi's traditional attires, but also in modern ready-to-wear," Yessi said.

The event will start on Friday with an embroidery festival at Jam Gadang, Bukittinggi's most prominent landmark. Some events will also take place at the city's biggest convention hall, Balai Sidang Bung Hatta.

"Starting from 9 a.m. on that day, 500 artisans will embroider together at Jam Gadang," said Alvy Oktrisni, project officer of Fashion Look 2017. "We hope the activity will pique the interest of young people in this traditional craft."

"Fashion Fiesta on the Street," a fashion parade by Bukittinggi's fashion lovers, will also take place on Friday morning. "About 1,000 people have already registered to participate in the parade," Alvy said.

The fashion parade will involve participants, wearing their best Muslim attires, marching from the city's Wira Braja Field to Jam Gadang.

"We aim to become the 'qibla' of Indonesia's Muslim fashion by 2020," Alvy said.

The highlight of the event's second day is a talk show on fashion entrepreneurship in Balai Sidang Bung Hatta.

The main speakers during the talk show will be Dr. Sari Lenggogeni, a lecturer at Andalas University in Padang, West Sumatra, and Triawan Munaf, head of the Creative Economy Agency (Bekraf).

Fashion shows and workshops will be held daily at Balai Sidang Bung Hatta during the event, which will coincide with a bazaar featuring the city's fashion and food products.

The event will culminate on Sunday with a royal Minangkabau wedding procession in the convention hall.

Around 6,000 people are expected to attend this year's event.

"We hope the event will attract more tourists to the city," said Erwin Umar, the city's head of tourism, youth and sport.

Approximately 2,000 people, half of them local tourists, attended last year's event.

"In the next couple of years, we hope the event will also attract tourists from neighboring countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore," Erwin said.

source: http://jakartaglobe.id/features/bukittinggi-fashion-look-2017-to-highlight-regions-traditional-crafts/