At a Jakarta crosswalk, Indonesian Teens Take to the Catwalk

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - 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”.

And with their poses and struts all being shared on TikTok and Instagram, some Citayam pioneers have found instant fame, earning modeling jobs, endorsements, and an army of adoring fans.

“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 AFP.

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.

But 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,” said Al Fendri.

Copycat crowds

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 clam, 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.

BAY ISMOYO This picture taken on July 24, 2022 shows a crowd looking on as Indonesian youths present self-styled fashion creations at a pedestrian crossing turned catwalk, part of a gathering in recent weeks dubbed Citayam Fashion Week, in Jakarta. The crowd of fashionistas turning one of Jakarta's main commuter hubs into a makeshift catwalk have courted controversy in Indonesia's traffic-clogged capital, but their festival of style has become a site for free expression. (Photo by BAY ISMOYO / AFP)

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.