For over two decades, JF3 has introduced initiatives that address the evolving needs of the Indonesian fashion industry. JF3 is dedicated to cultivating an ecosystem that supports young designers as they meet future industry challenges. Beyond creativity, designers must possess technical skills, process knowledge, sound decision-making, and the ability to deliver high-quality results.
To this end, JF3 introduces Future Fashion Designer (FFD) 2026, a program that enables young designers to enhance their creativity, skills, and knowledge through real industry fashion experiences. With the theme “Recrafted: Shaping the Future” and in collaboration with the Susan Budihardjo Fashion Forward Institute, FFD targets fashion school graduates from across Indonesia. From dozens of applicants, eight were selected for the intensive program held from 12 to 26 May 2026.
For the 14 days, participants were challenged to complete five collections based on five distinct challenges: Prototype, The Curve, Re’Heritage, Multifunction, and Opposite. Each was designed to challenge different aspects, from exploration of design identity and cultural interpretation to innovation, adaptability, and creative problem-solving. A comprehensive end-to-end process spans from concept research and material selection to budgeting and pattern making, production, styling, and presentation to a panel of judges.
“FFD is not just a design competition, it’s a mentoring and advocacy on how to enter the world of the fashion industry. We need future Indonesian designers not only great at concepts but also able to execute them well. This ability can only be developed through experiences, challenges, and implementations,” said Thresia Mareta, Advisor JF3.
Here, FFD plays as an incubator or industry environment, where participants act as fashion professionals. Assessment focuses not only on creativity but also on production quality, presentation skills, work process management, and consistency in responding to each challenge.
Throughout the program, participants received direct assessment and feedback from twelve professionals representing various fields in the fashion industry, including designers, brand owners, educators, journalists, stylists, show directors, and branding practitioners. The judging panel, namely Thresia Mareta, Susan Budihardjo, Rinaldy A. Yunardi, Hian Tjen, Caren Delano, Sofie, Yongki Komaladi, Sarie Febriane, Didi Budiardjo, Richard Hartono, Ary Juwono, and Djafar.
Of the eight participants, five made it to the final stage and presented their final collections through a trunk show before the judging panel. The five finalists include Arron Bryan, Agatha Lievia, Azzahra Najmanisa, Nabila Karimah, and Tashannie Abigail Loekman, which then crowned Arron Bryan as the winner of FFD 2026.
Arron is a young designer from Jayapura, Papua, who took inspiration from an exploration of Papuan culture, translated into a contemporary approach. Arron was deemed the most consistent in addressing each challenge, striking a balance between creativity, technical skill, quality execution, and production readiness.
All FFD 2026 finalists have secured the opportunity to showcase their crafted collections at the official JF3 runway, alongside esteemed Indonesian and international designers, that will take place from 23 to 29 July 2026, at Summarecon Mall Kelapa Gading.
“Talent regeneration is crucial to the future of the Indonesian fashion industry. In FFD, we aim to facilitate young designers to grow their skills in industry alike setting, build their confidence, and prepare themselves for the ever-evolving industry,” said Soegianto Nagaria, Chairman of the JF3 Fashion Festival.
For more details, please visit www.jf3.co.id and JF3’s official YouTube channel.
