Designer Wilsen Willim and actress Dian Sastrowardoyo have joined forces on a ready-to-wear capsule collection that brings kebaya, beskap, surjan and other Indonesian dress forms into a contemporary wardrobe. Launched on National Kebaya Day on 24 July 2026, the 13-piece first chapter arrives ahead of Indonesia’s Independence Day celebrations, with the complete collaboration scheduled to be revealed on National Batik Day in October.
The partnership has been building for some time. Dian wore one of Wilsen’s high-slit beskap-collar jackets while promoting Cigarette Girl at the Busan International Film Festival in 2023. A year later, she stepped back into Dasiya’s shoes for Wilsen’s 2024 presentation, appearing as the closing model. By then, the creative shorthand was already there. Those exchanges eventually developed into a collection built around their shared interest in Indonesian cultural dress and the simple question of how to make it feel natural in a modern wardrobe.
Its first release consists of shirts, skirts, corsets and outerwear drawing from several recognisable silhouettes, including Kebaya Kartini, Kebaya Kutubaru, the Janggan top, Beskap, Surjan and the Sikepan Hussar associated with soldiers of the Surakarta Palace. Instead of treating these forms as fixed references, the collection pares them into pieces designed to sit naturally alongside contemporary clothing.
The palette keeps things grounded, moving through white, black, deep red, navy and dark green. Cotton, suiting fabric and jacquard sit alongside hand-drawn Cirebon batik on cotton. Wilsen chose the neutral colours with repeat wear in mind, particularly when paired with Indonesian textiles that already do plenty of visual work on their own.
For Dian, the real test was whether these pieces could leave the special-occasion wardrobe behind. “I want kebaya to become part of the daily lives of Indonesian women, with a more casual style and cooler materials, while still retaining its cultural values and identity,” she said during a private viewing luncheon at Plataran Dharmawangsa on 29 July. It is a simple idea, really, make the kebaya easier to reach for on an ordinary day.
Her role also went further than appearing in the campaign. Wilsen said Dian and her team contributed ideas and helped curate the designs alongside stylist Hagai Pakan, turning an established creative relationship into a more hands-on collaboration. The result sits somewhere between Wilsen’s precise contemporary cuts and Dian’s long-running association with stories of Indonesian women, culture and history on screen.
The timing gives the collection another layer, with National Kebaya Day, Independence Day and the forthcoming National Batik Day release placing it within a season when Indonesian dress tends to receive renewed attention. Here, however, the emphasis falls on use. A kebaya can be worn with a skirt already in the wardrobe. A beskap-inspired jacket can work as outerwear. Traditional references remain visible without requiring a ceremonial occasion to justify them.
The collection is currently being presented through Heritage Reimagined at ASHTA District 8 from 6 to 30 August 2026. The programme also features Wilsen’s Algorithm: Universal Language collection of Cirebon hand-drawn batik, his ready-to-wear line, footwear from Bocorocco x Wilsen Willim and accessories from Subeng Klasik x Wilsen Willim 2.0.
For ASHTA, the programme continues its interest in giving Indonesian textile traditions room to develop through contemporary design. Senior Manager Center Experience Leonardo Slatter described Heritage Reimagined as an opportunity to connect inherited textile traditions with current creative work and encourage younger audiences to see them as living sources of ideas.
Wilsen has increasingly placed Indonesian textiles within his own work in recent years. A member of the Indonesia Fashion Designer Council, he has collaborated with organisations including Cita Tenun Indonesia and Warisan Budaya Indonesia, following earlier projects with artists and lifestyle brands. His tenth-anniversary presentation this year also explored recycled denim fibre within Indonesian textiles, extending that ongoing interest in material and technique.
Those curious to see how Kartini kebaya, surjan and court-inspired tailoring translate into a current wardrobe can find the first chapter of the Wilsen Willim x Dian Sastrowardoyo collection at ASHTA District 8 until 30 August, before the collaboration continues with its second release in October.
Ground Floor Level, ASHTA District 8
Jl. Senopati No.83, Senayan, South Jakarta
@wilsenwillimofficial
