Ulos Considered a Rich Cultural Heritage
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Kahiyang Ayu Bobby Nasution, Chair of the North Sumatra Provincial Handicraft Council (Dekranasda), has expressed the hope that Ulos, as a rich cultural heritage, will receive increasing attention from designers.
In her remarks at the opening of the BTN Indonesia Fashion Week (IFW) 2026 in Jakarta on Wednesday, Kahiyang encouraged the traditional woven cloth characteristic of the Batak people to be introduced ever more widely, reaching a global audience.
“We hope Ulos becomes increasingly known to the world, and not only in the field of fashion but also in tourism, and better known among Generation Z as well,” said Kahiyang.
The traditional Ulos cloth from North Sumatra is now a focal point of the BTN Indonesia Fashion Week (IFW) 2026 as its main source of inspiration. The IFW 2026 fashion event, initiated by the Indonesian Fashion Designers and Entrepreneurs Association (APPMI), carries the theme “Ulos Simetria”, championing an Indonesian fashion industry that maintains a balance between tradition and innovation.
At BTN Indonesia Fashion Week 2026, Ulos features as the principal inspiration for a wide range of cross-sector innovations, extending beyond the field of fashion.
Poppy Dharsono, President of Indonesia Fashion Week (IFW) and Chairperson of the Indonesian Fashion Designers and Entrepreneurs Association (APPMI), said that Ulos is not merely a traditional cloth from North Sumatra, but a symbol of warmth, balance, harmony, and unity.
“Through this theme, we want to affirm that the Indonesian fashion industry must continue to maintain a balance between tradition and innovation, between local wisdom and global competition, and between cultural values and the future of the creative industries. This is the spirit that underpins Indonesia Fashion Week 2026,” said Poppy.
The BTN IFW 2026 fashion event, held at the Jakarta Convention Center (JCC) in Senayan, Central Jakarta, from 29 July to 2 August 2026, will feature a more diverse range of designers and tenants from across Indonesia, with a programme encompassing fashion shows, trade exhibitions, talk shows, creative forums, entertainment performances, and culinary offerings, all designed to build a competitive, inclusive, and sustainable fashion ecosystem.