Continuing the start of the year with an abundance of cultural exchange, ETAs Jasmine Coley and Emiko Wu organized and hosted a fashion show at Muhammadiyah University, Kendari. The fashion show celebrated four tribes in Southeast Sulawesi and featured 50 university students, including several international students, who strutted down the runway in traditional fashion.

Jasmine and Emiko also brought students from their schools, SMKN 3 Kendari and MAN Insan Cendikia Kendari, who interacted with a local fashion designer and communicated in English with the university students from the event, both local and international, to discuss their thoughts on the event and the progression of fashion in Southeast Sulawesi.

Following the fashion show, they all celebrated with a potluck: each tribe brought a local dish, while Jasmine and Emiko brought American food, pizza, to share with participants as a celebration and culmination of all of the students’ hard work. The potluck was yet another outlet for cross-cultural sharing and appreciation.

The response to the event was both enthusiastic and positive. After the event, Jasmine and Emiko held a debrief with MAN Insan Cendikia and SMKN 3 Kendari students at their respective schools and a lunch with some university student participants. They appreciated the chance to practice their English, but most of all to celebrate their culture and see several other nationalities appreciate it as well.

Jasmine’s fashion students at SMKN 3 Kendari were inspired to see Southeast Sulawesi fashion displayed on such a scale and told Jasmine how they hoped to have their designs in her fashion show one day or even at Jakarta Fashion Week.

Jasmine Coley is currently teaching at SMKN 3 Kendari, Sulawesi Tenggara.