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On Sunday morning, July 24th, 2011, the city of
Jember, the third largest town in East Java, grew very lively, packed
with more than 500 photographers from around the country and overseas.
For this day, the city’s central park, known as the Alun-alun Jember,
was made into an open-air catwalk. Around 600 models wearing
out-of-this-world costumes walked gracefully down the 3.6 kilometer
street, now used as a fashion runway for thousands of spectators. This
was the peak of the Jember Fashion Carnaval 2011.
Organized aimed to support the development of Education, Exhibition,
Entertainment and Economic Benefit to the city, the Jember Fashion
Carnaval is an event that was initiated and almost completely
contributed by the city’s entire community.
Normally a sleepy town during school holidays when most of the students
usually escape the town, this time around students stayed to watch the
city’s yearly mega event. Many chose even to actively participate.
Additionally, hundreds more students from the larger city of Surabaya,
came to join the 10th annual carnival, acting as fashion models for the
cameras.
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The models were extraordinary. With ten different costume themes, they
passed the clustered photographers around several parts of the catwalk.
Carrying the theme “Roots”, tens of models wore costumes with natural
components resembling trees and nature. Another outstanding theme was
“Bali”, which highlighted the elements of Balinese culture including the
amazing Garuda Wisnu Kencana, and Balinese warrior dance costumes. Ahead
of the parading models was a group of bizarre looking guys wearing
modern punk rock costumes.
Months earlier, photographers from all over the country and overseas
were invited to register for a grand photo hunt, possibly one of the
largest in Indonesia. The committee, supported by the local government,
had opened an online registration months earlier. Consequently, some 30
or more hotels in Jember and around were fully booked since early June
2011, two months prior to the Carnaval.
Walk-in guests to Jember’s hotels had to find alternative accommodation
as none were vacant. Many visitors found themselves stranded somewhere
out in the closest town, or chose to stay at the homes of local
residents. For a relatively small city like Jember, the Carnaval was a
super successful event that attracted thousands to watch and to enjoy
the festivities. Other prominent cities in the country should imitate
the organization of this event. .
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Jember is the town where trekkers and hikers stay before heading to the
Ijen crater and the Meru Betiri National Park., the two better known
tourist destinations in East Java. Among attractions near Jember are the
Bukit Bedadung, Tancak Waterfall, Mt. Gambir Tea Plantation, Watu Ulo,
Papuma, and Bandealit Beach at Java’s southern coast.
At the close of the event, Jember railway station was packed with
passengers returning to Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Purwokerto, Probolinggo,
and Banyuwangi, or even to as far away as Halmahera in the Moluccas,
Bima in West Nusatenggara, Pontianak in West Borneo, Medan and Padang in
Sumatra, and Denpasar in Bali to Jakarta at the western part of the
island of Java.
With such exposure by newsmakers, media and amateur photographers alike,
and with the advance and convenience of the internet technology, the
next Jember Fashion Carnival promises to be another resounding success,
bringing more visitors who will also stay longer in the area. |
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