Shopping is now a social activity, with live-stream shopping on platforms like Shopee and TikTok Shop serving as daily entertainment. Fashion: "Skena" Subcultures and Thrift Culture
For Indonesian Gen Z, a traditional 9-to-5 career path is no longer the only, or even the preferred, option. They are leveraging the digital economy to build flexible, creative, and autonomous income streams.
Fashion is another area where Indonesian youth culture is making a statement. Young people in Indonesia are known for their love of bold and colorful clothing, often featuring traditional Indonesian motifs like batik and ikat. Streetwear and sneakers are also extremely popular, with many young people collecting limited-edition shoes and clothing items. Shopping is now a social activity, with live-stream
By prioritizing the needs and aspirations of Indonesian youth, we can unlock their potential and contribute to the country's economic, social, and cultural development.
: Platforms like TikTok and Instagram serve as the primary runways for fashion, humor, and social commentary. Short-form videos dictate what music goes viral and what slangs become mainstream. Fashion is another area where Indonesian youth culture
These trends reveal three deeper characteristics of Indonesian youth culture:
(derived from "scene") has become a defining buzzword. It originally referred to underground music communities but now describes a specific aesthetic: Thrifting and Sustainability By prioritizing the needs and aspirations of Indonesian
Contrary to the stereotype of youth as rampant consumers of fast fashion (e.g., H&M, Zara), a significant counter-trend is thrifting . Driven by economic pragmatism (rising living costs in Jakarta and Surabaya) and environmental awareness, youth have transformed second-hand shopping (or barang bekas ), rebranded as "pre-loved" or "vintage." Hashtags like #ThriftHaul and #Berkah (blessing) garner millions of views. Platforms like Carousell and Instagram Live auctions have created a vibrant circular economy. Stylistically, this results in a "2000s revival" (low-rise jeans, baby tees) mixed with traditional kebaya or batik shirts – a pastiche that rejects both colonial and purely Western dress codes.
The New Cool: Indonesian Youth Culture and Trends (2025–2026)