Yayasan Astra – Yayasan Dharma Bhakti Astra (Yayasan Astra – YDBA) once again collaborated with Sparks Fashion Academy (SFA) in Fashion Nation 20th Edition, themed “The Future Nostalgic”, held today, Sunday (20/9), at the Main Atrium, Senayan City, Jakarta. At this 20th edition of Fashion Nation, five Fashion MSME partners of Yayasan Astra – YDBA presented fashion collections featuring West Manggarai weaving, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), in modern, ready-to-wear designs of high commercial value.
The five Fashion MSME partners featured were Soloputri, Alendra, Copa de Flores, Conny’s Creation, and Kelow. Ahead of the runway show, Yayasan Astra – YDBA and SFA shared their story in a mini talkshow about the journey of their collaboration in developing fashion MSMEs.
From Upstream to Downstream Development to the Fashion Nation Stage
This year’s West Manggarai weaving collection is the result of Yayasan Astra – YDBA’s long-term development of weaving MSMEs in West Manggarai, NTT, over the past two years — one of which is a Desa Sejahtera Astra (DSA), or Astra Prosperous Village. The mentoring covers the full value chain, from improving weaving techniques and product standardization, to business management aimed at meeting the Quality, Cost & Delivery (QCD) standards required by the fashion industry, to expanding market access so the woven products can be absorbed into the supply chain. Through the collaboration with SFA, the traditional woven fabric was transformed by the designers into ready-to-wear pieces reflecting each brand’s own character, without losing its cultural identity.
Chairman of Yayasan Astra – YDBA, Rahmat Samulo, said that wastra (traditional textiles) should not only be preserved as cultural heritage, but also driven to become a modern product that moves the local economy forward.
“For Yayasan Astra – YDBA, wastra isn’t just a heritage to protect — it’s also an opportunity for MSMEs to move up a level. Through the collaboration with SFA, our partner MSMEs are equipped with both a sense of business and a sense of design, so that West Manggarai weaving can appear as modern fashion ready to compete in a wider market,” said Rahmat Samulo.
Five Fashion MSME Partners, Five Distinct Characters
The five Fashion MSME partners were selected through a curation process together with SFA’s mentor team as part of the Fashion Design Intermediate program. The assessment covered participants’ engagement and consistency throughout the training, the progress and quality of their project work, the uniqueness of their brand DNA in line with the theme “The Future Nostalgic,” their potential to turn Manggarai weaving into a modern product, and their commitment to seeing the process through to Fashion Nation 2026. Each brand brings its own distinct character:
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Soloputri, exploring eco coloring, minimalist silhouettes, and motifs inspired by Indonesian identity.
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Alendra, built around wastra, skillfully mixing and matching ethnic elements into a modern, commercially viable look.
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Copa de Flores, with designs influenced by architecture and the distinctive character of Nusa Tenggara weaving, presented in a modern, youthful style.
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Conny’s Creation, exploring experimental textiles with an eclectic style.
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Kelow, specializing in denim, an edgy style, and contemporary ethnic details close to youth culture.
Yayasan Astra – YDBA and SFA’s Third Year of Collaboration
2026 marks the third year of collaboration between Yayasan Astra – YDBA and SFA since the joint training program began in 2024, while the participation of Fashion MSME partners in Fashion Nation began in 2025. Each year, Yayasan Astra – YDBA mentors around 100 fashion MSMEs, of which around 25 take part in the collaboration program with SFA. The program is divided into three levels — Basic, Intermediate, and Professional — covering everything from fashion design fundamentals, trend research, and brand development, to preparing collections for the retail market and planning business expansion.
From each batch, five MSMEs get the opportunity to showcase at Fashion Nation, while the other 20 attend to support and gather insights they can apply to their own businesses. Within Yayasan Astra – YDBA’s MSME Supply Chain development framework, SFA serves as an expert and design mentor, strengthening participants’ competencies in the fashion industry — from design and trend research to branding.
Looking ahead to 2027, projected as a recovery year for Indonesia’s fashion industry, Yayasan Astra – YDBA hopes for more cross-sector collaborations that give local wastra a platform to reach national and global stages. Yayasan Astra – YDBA remains committed to continuing to support fashion and craft MSMEs from upstream to downstream, so they not only survive, but move up a level.
