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By APD Writer Maverick
JAKARTA, Aug. 14 (APD) — Indonesia’s East Java city of Jember resumed its annual world-class extravaganza event, obtained more domestic and international attentions for its unique display of animated costumes that beautifully mixed traditional and cultural elements with modern touch worn by people taking part in the carnival.
Outrageous costumes displayed in the event, called Jember Fashion Carnival (JFC), have obtained international awards in carnivals held in several countries in the past several years.
The 5-day event which ended on Sunday has attracted thousands of local and foreign fashionistas, media and carnival observes to witness the costumes designed by local designers.
Costumes themed several Indonesian cultures originally displayed in the JFC had garnered awards for several categories in various carnivals held in foreign countries.
Among the awards received
by costumes designed from the JFC were Toraja Karembau that won the award for category of Best National Costume Man Hunt International in South Korea in 2011.
More costumes with Borneo and Toraja Tongkonan won Best National Costume in Poland’s Miss Supranational carnival in 2014 and 2015.
In Japan’s 2014 Miss International Carnival, the Lampung costume won Best National Costume award. It was followed by other awards in various categories in Las vegas and Florida in the United States in 2016 and 2015 respectively.
In regional term, JFC costumes won awards in Malaysia and the Philippines in 2016 carnivals held in the respective countries.
Indonesian government intends to use the extravaganza event to further promote the diverse of national cultures by upgrading it to national level from municipal level in the last 15 years.
“Our enormous cultural diversity actually is a thing that makes Indonesia greater compared to other countries,” Indonesian President Joko Widodo said in his remarks over the event on Sunday.
Indonesia is home to around 300 ethnic groups, constituting more than 1,340 tribes who speak in more than 1,200 different languages across the archipelago nation.
President Widodo wanted the event can be held at least once every three years in several cities across the country.
“The JFC should be rise higher, not an exclusive icon for Jember anymore, but it can become an iconic event for Indonesia,” the president pointed out.
Due to in terminational achievements the event already secured in the past and its enormous potentialities to promote national tourism, the president paralleled it with the existing prominent extravaganza events in various city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Notting Hill in Britain and Pasadena in the United States.
Indonesian Tourism Minister Arief Yahya branded the event as the best-organized carnival event in the country, expecting that Jember can follow the steps of other international cities which has influential landmark carnivals.
“JFC has international proven records with its carnival. Our ministry has stated Jember as a carnival city,” the minister said in the event.
He expected that Jember would inspire other municipalities and regencies to further use cultural carnival as art of their calendar of tourism events.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
