There are few things more important than looking fresh and current this Eid al-Fitr. The week before Ramadan ends, Indonesian Muslims flock to any of the capital's dozens of malls to buy as much new clothes as their Lebaran bonuses allow.“The malls are always full of customers during Ramadan,” Tetti Supriatin, an employee in Muslim fashion store at Thamrin City, told VICE.But why? Why do we all need new clothes for a religious holiday? Well, sure, you can just wear the same outfit you did last year but then what will all the neighbors think? Can you imagine your parent's embarrassment when you arrive home for the holidays in some threadbare koko? Do you really want everyone thinking your parents raised a broke child?
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The fashion industry takes full advantage of this Eid al-Fitr spending spree by rolling out new fashions every year So, what's hot this year? The "Black Panther," koko, a men's Islamic outfit, is one of the hottest things on the shelves. A lot of people here in Indonesia thought T'Challa's royal Wakanda outfits resembled the traditional baju koko worn by men during Eid al-Fitr. So, of course, following the movie's runaway success, Indonesian fashion lines were quick to hop on the trend with their own Wakanda-influenced shirts.But the sci-fi/ fantasy trend didn't stop at the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A short walk around the insanely crowded Thamrin City, a hot-spot for all Eid fashions, uncovered bright red djellaba that reminded me of the Handmaid’s Tale, dark robes with golden embroidery that looked like something Ramonda, T’Challa’s mom, would wear, and pastel dresses straight out of Daenerys Targaryen's wardrobe, from Game of Thrones.It’s almost like people were trying to escape to sci-fi universe to make sense of this crazy world. Just look at these photos by photographer Angga Pratama , and tell me if you disagree.
Clothes provided by:[Menswear] Ghifari, Thamrin City, Ground Floor Blok F56 No. 2[Womenswear] Putri, Thamrin City, Ground Floor Blok F28 No. 3