CHASING BEAUTY

Despite the fact that Indonesia is the biggest Muslim majority country in the world (with Muslims making up more than 80 percent of its population), hijab has a long history in Indonesia. Compare to other Muslim-majority countries where the wear of hijab is enforced by government law or society punishment, many Muslim women wear hijab, reflecting the call in the Koran to cover themselves and be modest. But not in Indonesia. Along with its historical backgrounds, Indonesian Muslim women did not historically cover their heads. Moreover, the wearing of hijab was actively discouraged for three decades during the authoritarian dictator Suharto's New Order regime.

In Suharto era, Muslim women were not obliged to veil themselves. In 1980s, the hijab was forbidden in state-owned schools and universities; And those who chose to wear hijab were known as the head-veiled women activist, otherwise they would be issued from the schools. In 1980s, almost all Muslim girls and women in debates on secularism, religion, and they were haunted by fear. Nevertheless, the government and politicians controlled women's hair and bodies in the name of Islam. Achievement and role of hijab during Suharto regime is hardly known.


Nowadays a lot of things has changed. After Suharto's fall in the late 90s, hijab became a symbol of freedom, freedom of dignity for Indonesian Muslim women. More and more Indonesian Muslim women wearing hijab and there is increasing interest in wearing hijab. All of sudden, hijab becomes a trendsetter and for the last ten years, there's a huge demand of hijab market in which the market for the hijab has undergone a dramatic transformation.

Hijab becomes cultural. 

A variety of fashions for the hijab have been created and designed to attract Muslim youth with some aspects that hijab also a fashion phenomenon. This phenomenon has resulted in various Muslim fashion week, Muslim fashion festivals, and beauty contests for Muslim youth with the premise that Muslim women can still appear smart, stylish, and beautiful even though their whole body is covered up.

The growing fashion industry and hijab phenomenon also resulted in a situation when sub-cultural and hijab phenomenon takes on hijab  become inspirations for the creations of possible emergence of hijab-related subcultures into fashionable lifestyle. Thus, hijab can be interpreted as statement about women’s empowerment, but on the other hand also speak about the emergence of various subcultures about Muslim youth


For the last 5 years, there's a thriving hijab fashion scene and Muslim beauty contests in Indonesia. Within a year, there are more than 10 beauty contests for Muslim youth.

I'm interested in how young Muslim and glamorous Muslim fashion gradually turn into a sensation and fashion icons since this phenomenon raises a public debate when hijab becomes fashion opportunity instead of a command to Allah to Muslim women. And yet, the scary image of Islam is being attenuated by this glamorous Islamic fashion, displacing the narrative of suicide bombs and Islamic terrorist.

When I'm following these "hijabers" (Muslim youth who are usually very fashion conscious), somehow I see the real beauty of women in their hijab when their hijab became a symbol of freedom. I can see a freedom of dignity for Indonesian Muslim youth; a freedom to choose what they really want to wear through fashion hijab and beauty contest. I can see how hijab make them beautiful, more than what my eyes can see.**