The Muhamad Rizqi footbridge is a zebra crossing, with traffic lights instead of floodlights.
As she struts before the cameras in stilettos, a skintight polka-dot jumpsuit and a trench coat, the applause of Jakarta’s celebrities packed onto the sidewalks mixes with the sound of passing car horns.
Citayam Fashion Week, an organic fashion phenomenon based on a crosswalk near Dukuh Atas station and park area in central Jakarta, is the new thing in Indonesia’s capital, and Muhamad is one of its stars.
Charging
“At first, when I looked at social media, I thought, what is this place? Why are these people going there?” the 21-year-old told ABC.
“But after I went there, it turned out that the people, although they just met, were friendly and fun, the interactions went beyond what you saw on social media.”
However, many in conservative Indonesia, including some in the government, are not fans of Muhammad’s style.
Dukuh Atas is a major transportation hub linking central Jakarta with the outer metropolitan area.(Provided: Albert Sumilat/RCTI+)
From youth hangout to viral fashion trend
Dukuh Atas is a transportation hub in Jakarta’s CBD where trains from outer suburbs like Citayam, Bogor and Bekasi meet city bus lines and other routes.
The provincial government redeveloped the area in 2019, creating a public park, pedestrianizing a street, and building a skate park.
It is one of the few places in greater Jakarta with open public space. Around nine percent of central Jakarta is open public green space, while outside areas like Citayam and Bekasi are around 6 to 7 percent.
By comparison, Sydney is 46 per cent green open space.
The Dukuh Atas area was redeveloped in 2019 to create a public park. (Provided: Pius Erlangga/ Media Indonesia)
The name Citayam Fashion Week, not a “week” as such, began as an ironic label for the custom of underprivileged youth from outer areas of Jakarta like Citayam to dress up and go to Dukuh. Ties to hang out.
Sometimes they would pretend the crosswalk was a catwalk and post interviews with each other on TikTok.
Alpin said that making friends in Dukuh Atas was much easier than in Citayam.(Supplied)
It’s not just young fashionistas who settled there.
Citayam teenager Muhammad Naifin Ilham, who goes by the nickname Alpin, found a niche by posting Citayam Fashion Week videos on social media.
Alpin said he didn’t have any friends until he started going there, but now he has more than 18,000 followers on TikTok.
“I’ve managed to make new friends, a lot of them,” he said.
Oki Rahadianto Sutopo said that the teenagers in Dukuh Atas had found an outlet to express themselves. (Supplied)
Oki Rahadianto Sutopo, director of the Center for Youth Studies at Gadjah Mada University, said Citayam Fashion Week was an avenue for self-expression.
“These young people are trying to become agents of themselves,” he said.
“Especially those who come from relatively peripheral areas, which may not look as good as the center of the city.”
Dr. Sutopo said that Citayam Fashion Week had given young people from less privileged areas access to a more cosmopolitan lifestyle.
“They can buy second-hand things that don’t cost much, find their styles, and create content on TikTok as if they’re participating in ‘cool’ street culture,” he said.
He said that Citayam Fashion Week could have some positive side effects.
Its virality and popularity could “highlight more crucial values, such as the lack of public spaces, social gaps, environmental problems, pluralism, multiculturalism.”
“But this becomes a challenge in Indonesia, where things that go viral are often monetized or used for political gain,” he said.
People from all walks of life have flocked to Dukuh Atas to get in on the trend. (Supplied: Nanin Basuki)
‘Hara-dukuh’ the new place to be seen
After TikTok videos of teenagers went viral, people from almost all walks of life, from ordinary citizens to state officials and politicians, wanted in on the trend.
Indonesian Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno began referring to Dukuh Atas as “Hara-dukuh”, referring to Tokyo’s iconic street fashion hub, Harajuku.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan invited four EU financial officials to join Citayam Fashion Week.(Supplied: Jakarta Provincial Office)
Last month, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan invited EU Ambassador Vincent Piket and European Investment Bank Vice President Kris Peeters to cross the zebra crossing.
“Had a chance to try the SCBD style runway at Dukuh Atas. Bottom line is: none of us are as cool as them, we don’t deserve to walk the runway,” Baswedan wrote in an Instagram post.
“Next time we will just be spectators and admirers.”
The popularity of Citayam Fashion Week has turned Citayam teenagers like “Roy”, Siti Kurma and “Bonge” into fashion celebrities.(Supplied: Instagram @citayamfashionweek)
Some of the Citayam teens have been offered product endorsement deals and collaborations with local fashion brands.
Siti Kurma, one of the Citayam Fashion Street icons, said she now earns between $200 and $1,000 a day.
“I didn’t expect my son to go viral like this. Thank God, I hope it raises our dignity, we can buy a motorcycle, buy a car, ”said his mother, Dina, in an interview with a local television channel.
“I was touched to receive so much money from my daughter… I bought gold rings and bracelets.”
Copycat events have even begun to spring up outside of Jakarta.
Muhamad Rizqi understands that his choice of clothing is not to everyone’s taste.(Supplied)
Conservative backlash against ‘LGBT campaign’
Muhamad Rizqi said that participating in the impromptu fashion shows and the community that has formed around them was not only great fun.
He said it had helped him discover his passion for modeling and he hoped it could lead to a professional career.
“I feel like this is my place and it’s also an opportunity for me to be successful,” he said.
However, Citayam Fashion Week has some powerful critics who have criticized it for “promoting LGBT”.
“We are obliged to protect children from LGBT campaigns, including in Citayam Fashion Week,” Jakarta Deputy Governor Ahmad Riza Patria said.
Jakarta Central Social Service chief Abdul Salam told media that he would “take action against men who dress as women at Citayam Fashion Week” because they were categorized as having “social welfare issues”.
Muhamad Rizqi has already received offers to work as a model for up to $100 a day.(Supplied)
Muhammad, whose photos are often used as a reference in the accusations, said he was not campaigning for anything.
“To be honest, I’m really sad… and I’m not trying to promote any group at all,” he said.
“I realize that Indonesia may not be ready for the fashion I wear, but I try to be honest with myself, I try to love myself… even though I already know the consequences, I still want to try,” he said.
The outfits that kicked off Citayam Fashion Week were more like traditional street wear. (Supplied: Nanin Basuki)
Source: www.abc.net.au