Asri Welas: Kebaya Can Follow Trends Without Losing Cultural Value
Actress Asri Welas has said the kebaya remains relevant for younger generations as long as it can keep up with the times without abandoning the cultural values attached to the traditional garment.
‘Kebaya is not antiquated, it is contemporary,’ Asri Welas said during a press conference for the short film ‘Jalan Pulang’ in Jakarta on Wednesday.
She said the kebaya has often been viewed as attire only worn at formal events or synonymous with the past. In fact, according to her, the kebaya can be combined with various modern clothing styles, so it still looks fashionable.
She gave an example in the film ‘Jalan Pulang’, where the kebaya is paired with casual wear, resulting in a look that is closer to the daily lives of the younger generation.
‘Indeed, the contemporary combined with the old-fashioned becomes something cool, trendy and fashionable. That is perhaps what this film can convey to the generation: wearing a kebaya is really cool,’ she said.
Asri said the effort to present the kebaya in a more modern style is important, so that the traditional garment remains in demand while also being part of the Indonesian cultural identity.
According to her, each type of kebaya has details and characteristics that represent its region of origin, so its existence needs to be continuously preserved and passed on to the next generation.
Asri admitted she has had a close relationship with the kebaya since childhood, having been a dancer since the age of two. During more than a decade with the Swara Maharddhika Guruh Soekarnoputra group, she studied various types of kebaya from different regions in Indonesia.
That experience made her feel close to the character Madam Yati she plays in ‘Jalan Pulang’, the owner of a kebaya fashion house who pays great attention to the preservation of the traditional garment.
She also admitted she still keeps and wears the kebayas belonging to her mother and grandmother, because they hold irreplaceable historical value and family stories.
‘It is not that I am stingy, but that brocade is no longer produced in this era. So the older the kebaya, the more I want to wear it. Because the model, the design, and the story are so close to us,’ Asri said.
The short film ‘Jalan Pulang’ was initiated by the Bakti Budaya Djarum Foundation to commemorate National Kebaya Day every 24 July. The film, directed by Bramsky, is scheduled to premiere on 24 July 2026 on the IndonesiaKaya YouTube channel.