In the opening of the Modest Summit 2026 in Jakarta on Wednesday, he stated that collaboration between designers and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) is the main foundation for the advancement of the domestic modest fashion industry.
"We want to continue supporting the development of the ecosystem so that the industry, designers, and consumers can grow together," he said in a statement.
He explained that for local products to attract domestic consumers, the product quality, promotion, and distribution ecosystem must be strengthened.
Apart from that, utilizing e-commerce marketplaces and cooperating with modern retailers are also deemed essential.
According to Santoso, the key to dominating the domestic market is having competitive products, assuring consumers that local products are just as good as foreign ones.
In addition, the minister invited modest fashion industry players to penetrate the export market, which is expected to expand the market share of Indonesian products internationally.
Based on data from the Ministry of Trade, the export value of Indonesia's modest fashion reached US$7.1 billion in the January-October 2025 period, an increase of 3.9 percent compared to the same period last year.
Indonesia's modest fashion exports showed positive growth over the last five years, from US$6.9 billion in 2020 to US$8.4 billion in 2024.
On November 6–9, 2025, the ministry also organized the Jakarta Muslim Fashion Week (JMFW) 2026, with transactions of up to US$19.5 million from local and foreign buyers.
Furthermore, the ministry has the MSMEs CAN Export program, which facilitates MSME players to connect with foreign buyers.
"So far, we have facilitated 1,132 MSMEs with transactions reaching US$134.4 million," he said.
On that occasion, the minister also highlighted the export potential for Indonesia's modest fashion industry players to the European market following the substantial completion of the Indonesia-European Union Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
Related news: Indonesia's fashion industry keeps growing, driving economy: Ministry
Related news: CEPA with Peru could boost fashion industry: Santoso
Related news: Indonesia launches SME incubator for fashion, auto sectors
Translator: Maria Cicilia, Raka Adji
Editor: Azis Kurmala
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
