Malanginspirasi.com – Malang city once again took center stage with the 8th Malang Fashion Week (MFW) 2025, held at Malang City Point on Thursday (November 6, 2025).
This annual event, which began in 2018, continues to demonstrate significant growth in both concept and designer participation.
MFW founder and Fashion Lecturer at Universitas Negeri Malang, Dr. Agus Sunandar, S.Pd., M.Sn.—affectionately known as Samsuga—emphasized that this year’s edition features designers ranging from beginners to professionals.
“This Malang Fashion Week is participated in by 98 professional designers and 218 emerging designers, from university students to vocational high school graduates. This is what makes MFW unique, as we aim to create a single stage for both novice and seasoned designers,” he stated.
The ‘Vectra’ Theme: Navigating the Digital Future
Under the theme ‘Vectra’—derived from the term “Vector” in the digital industry—Malang Fashion Week 2025 highlights the influence of technological advancements on the fashion world.
“The concept for this MFW is Artificial Intelligence (AI) with Vectra. Vectra originates from the word Vector, a term in the digital industry. We are now heavily influenced by the rapid development of information,” Samsuga explained.
He noted that technology has transformed the patterns of creative work, from design to garment production.
“We want industry players and artisans to understand that fashion will face significant disruption from technological progress in the future. That is the mission we are pushing this year,” he added.
Furthermore, he highlighted four key issues at the forefront of Indonesia’s national fashion industry: AI and digitalization, sustainability, wastra (traditional textiles), and modest wear.
“The main issues in developing the fashion industry include digitalization or AI, then sustainability, followed by wastra, and fourthly, modest wear,” Samsuga said.
He added that modest wear is currently a global fashion trend.
“So now, not just in Indonesia but worldwide. We are developing clothing issues that are more modest—more covered, like that. It’s not Muslim fashion, but modest wear,” he clarified.
International Recognition and Future Hopes
Meanwhile, Chairperson of Dekranasda Kota Malang, Dra. Hj. Hanik Andriani Wahyu Hidayat, shared her remarks.
She pointed out that many works by emerging designers are now recognized internationally, even heading to Paris Fashion Week.
“Our designs have been accepted in Korea and curated for Paris Fashion Week. Every designer has their own uniqueness,” Hanik said.
In closing, she expressed hope that MFW will continue and position Malang as a benchmark for creative fashion in Indonesia.
