Diana Rikasari and Acha Sinaga, Jakarta Fashion Week

Today was day one at Jakarta Fashion Week, Southeast Asia's largest annual fashion event. This is my first time shooting it. Although I've been to Jakarta a number of times for previous projects and have something of a working knowledge of Indonesian fashion celebrities (I once reached out to Diana Rikasari for an interview on a project I did on Indonesian fashion bloggers), I had no idea what to expect. The event takes place in a tent outside Senayan City, one of Jakarta's most upscale malls. Press conferences happen on the first floor of the mall, and photographers, models, editors, and buyers seem to move continuously between the venue and the mall. It was a hazy day, beset with the occasional tropical rain storm. Cars streamed through the parking lot, and the spaces to shoot were few and far between: a narrow pathway from the front entrance to the backstage, walkways in front of the mall itself, a crosswalk or two between the mall and the venue. It was hot (around 90 degrees), muggy and sticky. Perhaps, then, it shouldn't have been a surprise that I was the only street style photographer out there. Sure, I saw a few dudes lingering near crosswalks with DSLRs, but they didn't seem to be shooting anyone. In the absence of the fashion paparazzi, local fashion influencers like these two brought their own photographers. Or at least their iPhones. 

I will be reporting from Jakarta Fashion Week throughout the week. Next week I will be reporting on Singapore Fashion Week. Stay tuned.