Fraught Relations: Indonesian Modest Fashion, New York Catwalks, and the Spectacle of Travel

This chapter examines the rise of Indonesian Muslim fashion, or “modest fashionModest fashion,” and its connection to the New YorkNew York catwalksCatwalk. It seeks to uncover the interplay between the narratives of freedom and travelTravel in creating the global capitalist pullCapitalist pull, global for modest fashionModest fashion in IndonesiaIndonesia. Thus, it contributes to one of the aims of this volume to “explore the different ways in which modestyModesty and commodificationCommodification interact” (see Arnez 2023, this volume, Chap. 1 ). Contributing to studies examining political statements of designers of Islamic clothingClothing, Islamic for women, this chapter discusses the popularity of Indonesian modest fashionModest fashion on the New York catwalksCatwalk in the context of the WesternWestern world’s feelings of guilt towards Muslims, prompted by anti-Muslim sentiment. Displays of fashion by Indonesian designers on catwalksCatwalk and the designers trotting New YorkNew York CityCity were used as political statements and marketing tools. Particular attention will be paid to Indonesian designers’ engagement with the New York Fashion Week and the Couture Fashion WeekCouture Fashion Week, and the images of travelTravel displayed. This article sheds light on the problematic relationship between Indonesian Muslim fashion and narratives of travel, specifically considering the highly politically contentious moment when refugees from Islamic countries were denied entry into the U.S. This created a platform for Indonesians to promote equality and stand against the racist travelTravel ban posed upon Muslims, yet it also produced the myth that the freedom to travel is guaranteed.