Innovative Urbanware Competition 2023 seeks to find new creative individuals who can merge the challenging world of fashion and sustainability into one cohesive unison. Thanks to the collaboration between ESMOD Jakarta, Bell Living LAb (Bell Society) and Ideanation, they have found emerging designers with the right potential to bridge the gap between the fashion industry and sustainable business practices.
Sustainable fashion is possibly one of the most challenging concepts in the fashion industry, but also the most critically needed. Fast fashion is now the second biggest polluter after the fossil fuel industry and continues to struggle with the likes of working conditions, increased gas emissions, toxic chemical usage and unmanageable massive textile wastes. The urgency to transform this malpractice of fashion to one that’s sustainable, both for the workers and the environment– has drastically increased.
Knowing this, ESMOD Jakarta, one of Indonesia’s esteemed fashion academies is working with Bell Living Lab, a research-based company that specialises in the production of renewable biomaterials and Ideanation, an innovation platform that focuses on accommodating Indonesian innovators and startups to grow. They all came together to create the Innovative Urbanware Competition in the hope to find and incite young designers to create a fashion line or house that upholds the sustainability working standards in their products.
The competition itself was open for the non-professional public with under 2 years of experience in the fashion industry, ESMOD Jakarta’s students that fit the criteria were also welcome to join. The categories of the competition were split into two, ready-to-wear category and the accessories category.
A total of 50 participants went through a private judging process based on their ideas, moodboard designs and materials selection. Then 5 semi-finalists were chosen from each category proceeding to the final challenge, where they received vegan leather material provided by the Bell Living Lab to combine with other sustainable materials of their choosing, which they showcased at the Grand Finale.
The Grand Finale was held on 29 July 2023, at the Omah Jati Premium Resort, designed by the famed Indonesian architect, Andra Matin. This final jury session took place in the middle of the teak forest, surrounded by 2000 fifteen-year-old trees, a befitting location for a fashion show that highlights sustainability and celebrates the environment.
Guillaume Oger, Fashion Design and Creation Coordinator ESMOD Jakarta headed the panel of judges along with Fashion and Lifestyle Editor, Reza Bustami; Arka Irfani as Founder and CEO of Bell Living Lab; and Dewi Sariwijoyo as representative from Ideanation. Through an intricate process of final selection, winners of each category were chosen, all bringing the most creative and captivating sustainable creations.
The Grand Finale wrapped up with Michaela Benita Chandra taking the crown for the accessories category with her ensemble called ‘Evolution’. The duo, Victa Chin and Teresa Candrasekar Pinilih won the ready-to-wear category with their ‘Destructive Mind’ collection.
It is hoped that through this competition more fashion students and designers will learn more about integrating eco-friendly concepts into fashionable products and that it will gradually incite the growth of the sustainable fashion industry in Indonesia, one that is safe for the environment and mesmerising for the consumers.
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