71st Indonesian Independence: Fashion Diplomacy Prevails

Indonesians celebrate August festively. 17 August 1945 was the day when Indonesian Founding Fathers, Sukarno-Hatta, declared Indonesian independence. It is a double celebration for Indonesian diplomats as Indonesian Foreign Ministry (Kementerian Luar Negeri Republik Indonesia) was founded on 19 August 1945, precisely 48 hours after the Indonesian Republic was founded.

Annually, the Foreign Minister leads the flag raising ceremony for Indonesian independence in the Foreign Ministry headquarter in Jakarta which will be followed by Kemlu’s anniversary celebration afterwards.

The heads of Indonesian mission around the world conducted similar ceremony on 17 August in their respective post. Then, the diplomatic reception to commemorate Indonesian independence in the US and Europe is generally conducted in September, after the Summer break when foreign Ambassadors and diplomats return to their offices. In New York, the diplomatic reception generally takes place during the participation of Indonesian Foreign Minister in United Nations General Assembly session.

Last year, I began writing about the celebration as it provides an excellent platform to promote Indonesian fashion diplomacy. From Indonesian Foreign Minister elegantly wearing kebaya and Batik to the top echelon officials wearing Batik shirt, from Indonesian Ambassadors in the Northern Hemisphere such as New York and Belgrade wearing Teluk Belanga to Indonesian Consul Generals in the Southern Hemisphere, such as Shanghai and Melbourne wearing kebaya and Songket.

I am immensely proud to acknowledge that the scope of fashion diplomacy is even larger than I expected in 2016, Indonesian Ambassadors, Consul Generals, Diplomats and spouses highlight Indonesian fashion in a more concerted effort. And, voila, the outcome is more stunning than ever. Scroll through the following images and find out whose attire is your favorite look.

Follow JET in his constant fashionable adventure in IG (@JETANDJUNG) and Facebook Page (JET’s Fashion Diplomacy).

Catatan Kecil untuk Sahabats Diplomats dan Rekans Fashionista,

Bulan Agustus adalah bulan penuh berkah bagi bangsa dan negara kita. Maka, dimana pun kita berada, mari peringati Hari Ulang Tahun Kemerdekaan Republik Indonesia ke-71 tidak saja dengan menyiapkan penganan khas Nusantara, tetapi juga dengan mempersiapkan busana nasional yang akan kita kenakan saat Upacara dan perayaan lainnya seperti resepsi diplomatik. Tengoklah bagaimana Ibu Menlu dan Bapak Wakil Menlu serta jajaran Kementerian Luar Negeri RI secara apik menampilkan busana nasional pada HUT RI ke-71 dan HUT Kemlu ke-71. Pada rangkaian resepsi diplomatik selama bulan Agustus-September 2016, Para Kepala Perwakilan RI, baik Duta Besar maupun Konsul Jendera dengan pasangannya, juga tidak kalah dalam mempromosikan diplomasi busana Indonesia di masing-masing negara dan negara bagian akreditasinya. Jika kita ingin tampil istimewa saat hari ulang tahun kita, maka sepantasnya lah kita tampil istimewa di hari ulang tahun Tanah Air Tumpah Darah kita. Merdeka Indonesiaku, Diplomasi Busana Indonesia Maju Terus!!!

JET with students from Sydney who performed Saman Dance. These students have been learning Indonesian traditional dance for a few years and they are keen in learning more about Indonesian culture. Bravo Indonesia-Australia partnership.

JET wears a pouch designed by Novita Yunus for Batik Chic, crafted from Bin House Batik cloth (IG: @yunus.novita, @batik_chic)

JET, Dr Yayan Mulyana (Indonesian Consul General to NSW, SA and QLD) and Madam Irene Mulyana dressed in a beige kebaya and a set of sogan Batik hand-painted sarong and stole. #KJRISydney

Dr Yayan Mulyana accompanied by Madam Irene Mulyana at the cutting of Tumpeng (mountainous yellow rice). The Tumpeng were given to Leaders of Communities.

Dr Yayan Mulyana (Indonesian Consul General), H.E. General David Hurley (Governor for New South Wales) and JET at the diplomatic reception to celebrate the 71^st commemoration of Indonesian independence.

JET wears a hand-woven Songket (golden thread) jacket from Defrico Audy. #DefricoAudy #KJRISydney

H.E. Madam Retno Marsudi (Indonesian Foreign Minister) wears a calm navy blue colored long kebaya with fuschia sarong. Madam Marsudi stood between Madam Yasmin Fachir (spouse of Indonesia’s Vice Minister on Foreign Affairs) wearing classy black and white Batik and Madam Caecilia Legowo (spouse of Indonesia’s Secretary General) wearing ravishing red kebaya and embroidered sarong. #MenluRI #DWPKemluRI

H.E. Madam Retno Marsudi wearing monochromatic hand-painted Batik culottes during Indonesian diplomatic reception celebrating 71^st Indonesian Independence in New York. Parang rusak (broken dagger) is the name of Batik pattern which was worn by Madam Marsudi. In the past, parang was reserved only for Javanese royalty as the pattern embodies great power.

Standing next to Madam Marsudi, H.E. Ms Julie Bishop (Australian Foreign Minister) and other Foreign Ministers.

Madam Yasmin Fachir (spouse of Indonesian Foreign Vice Minister) and Madam Caecilia Legowo (spouse of Secretary General of Foreign Ministry/Chair of Dharma Wanita Persatuan) with the spouses of Director Generals and Directors after the flag raising ceremony. #DWPKemluRI #KemluRI

H.E. Mr Yohanes Kristiarto Legowo (Secretary General of Indonesian Foreign Ministry) with Madam Caecilia Legowo after the Indonesia’s independence ceremony. #SekjenKemluRI #DWPKemluRI

Madam Wiwik Oratmangun (spouse of H.E. Mr Djauhari Oratmangun) and Madam Senny Syahfinar (spouse of H.E. Mr Edi Yusuf). #KemluRI #DWPKemluRI

Senior Ambassadors and Consul Generals wearing Indonesian Batik and Wastra.

H.E. Mr Soemadi Brotodiningrat (former Ambassador to US, Japan and UN in Geneva), H.E. Madam Prianti Gagarin (former Ambassador to Venezuela) wearing red and white kebaya and red Parang Batik sarong, Madam Siti Nugraha Mauludiah (Indonesian Consul General in Shanghai) wearing green sarong, H.E. Madam Esti Andayani (Director General for Information and Public Diplomacy) wearing red Batik sarong, Madam Tuti Wahyuningsih (Inspector) in monochromatic Batik sarong and H.E. Mr Susanto Sutoyo (former Ambassador to Italy)

Madam Lista Damayanti Djani (spouse of Indonesian Ambassador/PR to United Nations), in red long kebaya with ivory songket, accompanying madam Mufidah Jusuf Kalla (spouse of Indonesian Vice President) dressed in fuschia long kebaya and songket during the diplomatic reception. #PTRINewYork

In New York, Madam Lista Damayanti Djani and Madam Wieske Arini (spouse of Acting Consul General in New York) with the spouse of Indonesian diplomats posted in Indonesian Mission to UN and Indonesian Consulate General in New York, after the flag raising ceremony of Indonesian independence. #PTRINewYork #KJRINewYork

In Geneva, H.E. Mr Triyono Wibowo (in the center) and Madam Moeliek Wibowo wore Balinese style kebaya and hand-woven sarong with the Deputy Permanent Representatives and spouses, namely Mr Michael Tene (Deputy Permanent Representative to UN and other International Organizations and Madam Atria Rai Tene also in Balinese kebaya (left) and Madam Sondang Anggraini (Deputy Permanent Representative to WTO) and Mr Pontoh. #PTRIGeneva

Indonesian Ambassador, H.E. Mr Nadjib Riphat Kesuma, and Madam Nino Riphat, wearing a lovely long white kebaya with Lampungnese Tapis sarong and sash, after the ceremony. #KBRICanberra

In Washington DC, Madam Reen Bowoleksono (dressed in pale blue kebaya with Batik sarong – in the center), spouse of H.E. Mr Budi Bowoleksono, accompanied by Madam Ratna Dewi Suryodipuro (wearing deep purple kebaya with matching tie dye sarong) (spouse of Mr Arto Suryodipuro/Deputy Chief of Mission) with the spouses of Indonesian diplomats and military officers. #KBRIWashingtonDC

In Den Haag, H.E. Mr I G A Wesaka Puja, accompanied by Madam Rusdijana Puja, who is adorned in golden-thread Songket. #KBRIDenHaag

In Dakar, H.E. Mr Mansyur Pangeran, accompanied by Madam Febie Mirashanti, wearing embroidered blue kebaya with red sash and Batik sarong. #KBRIDakar

In Singapore, H.E. Mr Ngurah Swajaya accompanied by Madam Mahaswi Swajaya dressed in red embroidered kebaya with Batik sarong. #KBRISingapore

In Budapest, H.E. Madam Wening Esthyprobo looks radiant in red kebaya and white Batik sarong which matches the Indonesian flag color. #KBRIBudapest

In Vienna, H.E. Mr Rachmat Budiman and Madam Budiman wearing white kebaya with diplomatic staff after the ceremony. #KBRIVienna

In Tokyo, Madam Dewi Lusiana Mahendra (spouse of H.E. Mr Yusron Ihza Mahendra) wore red Balinese sarong while her cute daughter, Alamanda Mahendra, wore a Batik sarong. #KBRITokyo

In Brussels, H.E. Mr Yuri Thamrin (Indonesian Ambassador to Kingdom of Belgium and European Community) with Madam Sandra Thamrin wearing a pinkish Batik sarong and sash with Indonesian children after the ceremony. #KBRIBrussels

In Islamabad, H.E. Mr Iwan Suyudhie Amri accompanied by Madam Rita Berlinia Amri displaying a white long kebaya with red Batik sarong and sash with the spouses of home and local staff of Indonesian Embassy. #KBRIIslamabad

In London, H.E. Mr Rizal Sukma accompanied by Madam Hana Sukma, displaying white kebaya, accompanied by Madam Anita Luhulima (Deputy Chief of Mission) wearing red long kebaya as they posed with some of the staff. #KBRILondon

In Belgrade, H.E. Mr Harry Kandou wearing Teluk Belanga and Madam Miabella Kando wearing deep blue kebaya and Songket. #KBRIBelgrade

In Rome, a.k.a. The Eternal City, H.E. Mr August Parengkuan and Madam Sonya Parengkuan wearing black kebaya with red Songket. #KBRIRoma

In Los Angeles, Mr Umar Hadi (Consul General) and Madam Nila Umar Hadi wearing turquoise kebaya with Batik accompanied by their daughter, Ms Aini Hadi who served as one of the flag-bearers. #KJRILosAngeles

In Melbourne, Madam Dewi Savitri Wahab (Consul General) wearing red long kebaya with Songket accompanied by her spouse, Mr Wahab, with the flag bearers. #KJRIMelbourne

In Shanghai, Madam Siti Nugraha Mauludiah (Consul General) wearing a long embroidered ivory kebaya with sarong. #KJRIShanghai

In New York, a.k.a. the City that never sleeps, Mr Benny Siahaan (Acting Consul General/Charge d’Affaires) and Madam Wieske Siahaan wearing green kebaya and sarong. #KJRINewYork

In Darwin, Mr Andre Omer Siregar (Consul) wearing Teluk Belanga with red Songket sarong accompanied by Madam Rika Anindhita Siregar charmingly wear long lavender colored kebaya and red Songket also as they welcomed the dignitaries of Australia’s Northern Territory. #KRIDarwin

Red and white, may you always reign!

Australian fashion luminaries at the Diplomatic Reception in Sydney

(L-R): JET, Ms Courtney Miller (Australian Fashion Chamber), Mr Matthew Jordan (Mother and Father PR Agency), and Mr Christopher Hanlon (Christopher Hanlon Perfumery). #AustralianFashionChamber

The Australian students performing Acehnese dance so charmingly.

We did it! Happy faces of Indonesian Consul General and staff in Sydney. 

#KJRISydney,#JETFashionDiplomacy,#IndonesianFashionDiplomacy,#ProudIndonesian,#HUTRIke71,#KerjaNyata,#DubesRI,#KonjenRI,#DiplomatIndonesia,#IndonesianBatik,#IndonesianKebaya,#KBRI,#KJRI,#KRI