BIFF 2026 Connects East Kalimantan's Wastra to the Global Market

RRI.CO.ID, Samarinda – Borneo International Fashion Festival (BIFF) 2026 was officially held in Samarinda, East Kalimantan, from October 1–4, 2026. This event serves as a collaborative space connecting creativity, cultural heritage, and the opportunities of the Indonesian fashion and creative economy industry, especially East Kalimantan, with Australia.

BIFF 2026 held its main fashion show parades on October 3 and 4 with the spirit of "From Borneo for the World." The activity featured various fashion and craft works while introducing the richness of wastra or traditional Indonesian textiles and the creative potential of East Kalimantan to the international stage.

BIFF 2026 Chairwoman and Founder, Yulia Hadi, stated that BIFF started from Pandawi, a brand built from a love for Borneo's culture and local work. Through this journey, her team saw the huge potential of designers, artisans, MSMEs, and the younger generation in Borneo who deserve to be widely known.

"What we have in Borneo deserves to be seen by the world," Yulia said in her remarks at Odah Etam, the East Kalimantan Governor's Office, on Saturday, October 3, 2026, as quoted from the government’s written press release.

As a platform to showcase local work, Yulia explained that BIFF 2026 is designed to be more than just a fashion show event. The event serves as a strategic platform connecting culture, community, creativity, and business comprehensively, including an MSME Expo, wastra exhibition, cultural performances, business matching, and fashion talks.

In this inaugural year of BIFF, a total of 28 designers, 36 models, and 224 collections actively participated in the festival series. Through the involvement of many parties, Yulia expressed that this festival is the first step to building a bridge from the local scene to the global stage.

"Today, we are not only opening a fashion festival. We are opening a bridge from local to global, from heritage to the future," she concluded.