Indonesia Aspires To Become World`s Muslim Fashion Center

Jakarta (ANTARA News) – Directorate General of Small and Medium Industries at the Ministry of Industry is focusing on transforming Indonesia into a center of the world`s Muslim fashion in 2020 by conducting various strategic programs in 2019.

“We will establish the Muslim fashion business ecosystem and incubate several businesses. We will create a platform based on augmented reality and artificial intelligence,” Director General of Small and Medium Industries Gati Wibawaningsih stated at the Post Event Press Conference of La Mode Sur La Seine A Paris here, Friday.

The strategy for developing the Muslim fashion industry in 2019 includes coaching and certification for Muslim fashion tailors in the provinces of West and Central Java working in 150 Small and Medium Industries; providing training and sewing tools for entrepreneurs engaged in Muslim fashion; and organizing capacity-building programs for 150 existing Small and Medium Industries in West Java and Central Java.

In addition, the government will hold the Modest Fashion Project (MOFP) competition; link and match between designers and Muslim fashion industries as well as between textile industries and fashion industries, and designers; exhibitions in the country and abroad; International Muslim Fashion Festival; and implementation of the 4.0 Industrial Revolution for the Muslim fashion industry.

“Indonesia has a huge opportunity to become the world`s Muslim fashion center, as Indonesia is a country, with the largest Muslim population in the world, with domestic market opportunities reaching US$20 billion.

In addition, Indonesia controls 1.9 percent of the world`s fashion market, with an export value of $13.29 billion and is included in the top five of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as an exporter of Muslim fashion,” Wibawaningsih stated.

According to Wibawaningsih, this potential demonstrates that the global and domestic Muslim fashion markets are large and should be filled by Indonesian Muslim fashion industries to increase their contribution to the national gross domestic product.

Wibawaningsih pointed out that currently, the Muslim fashion industry in Indonesia is experiencing significant growth, with an average value of Indonesian fashion consumption at 18.2 percent per year.

Indonesians should also be proud of the fact that the country`s international performance has increased significantly in the past few years.

The State of Global Islamic Economy Report during the 2017-2018 period records Indonesia as the runner-up country that creates the best Muslim fashion after the United Arab Emirates.

“In comparison with the previous year`s report, Indonesia was not even included in the top 10. This shows that one step further, Indonesia can be in the first place and become the world`s Muslim fashion center,” Wibawaningsih stated.

She added that the largest Muslim fashion market is the OIC countries, reaching US$191 billion, while Indonesia, so far, only filled $366 million.

“That means we have to work hard to increase exports to OIC countries, so that at least we can control 30 percent of the market,” Wibawaningsih added.