Fashion Footnotes: The Brightspot Edit
Discoveries from Brightspot City 2026
One of the pleasures of visiting Brightspot Market is the reminder that discovery still exists. Not the kind served up by an algorithm, but the kind that happens when you walk in with no expectations and leave with a few new names worth remembering. This year's edition returned to Agora Mall with the theme City: A Creative Metropolis, bringing together more than 250 curated local brands across fashion, food and beverage, and lifestyle. Spread across three districts and two weekends, the event left plenty of room for repeat visits and unexpected finds.
As Art Director at Fashion & Market, I look at fashion beyond the garments, focusing on the objects, references, and rituals that shape how we dress and live. In my column, Fashion Footnotes, I explore the intersection of style, culture, and everyday life in Southeast Asia. Each quarter, the format shifts among edited finds, behind-the-scenes perspectives from the industry and notes on personal style from practitioners working within it.
For this installment, I made my annual visit to Brightspot Market and narrowed my attention to a handful of brands, from new discoveries to familiar names. Here are a few worth checking out beyond Brightspot.
Sizzle kiss clutch. Image taken from @shophintuturo.
5 More Minutes Collection. Image taken from @shophintuturo.
Shop Hintuturo
One of the newer names on my radar is Shop Hintuturo, a Bandung-based label that explores themes of girlhood through nostalgic silhouettes and delicate details. The sentiment carries through to its accessories, particularly its vintage-inspired bags, reminiscent of treasured keepsakes yet practical enough for everyday use. Making its Brightspot debut this year, the label also unveiled its latest collection, 5 More Minutes. The signature kiss-lock frame clutch remains the cornerstone of the brand, reimagined in a variety of colours, patterns, and materials.
Bean rope necklace. Image taken from @juststudio.jewelry.
Clove ring. Image taken from @juststudio.jewelry.
Just Studio
Another memorable find at Brightspot was Just Studio, a multidisciplinary brand by industrial designer Jess Sutisna. Following a series of pop-ups in Bali and Singapore, the brand joined the Brightspot line-up for the first time this year. The booth focused on the jewellery line, one facet of a broader practice spanning jewellery, lighting, furniture, and objects. Sutisna's understanding of form and function is distilled into wearable pieces that reveal a broader design language defined by tactility, restraint, and thoughtful craftsmanship.
Two Stitches’ Swarmpolis collection. Images taken from @two_._stitches.
Two Stitches
Two Stitches is not a new discovery for me, but this year's Brightspot was my first opportunity to experience the brand in person. Co-founded by stylist Jonathan Andy Tan, the label is known for its signature cutwork textile technique that brings texture and depth to otherwise understated silhouettes. At the booth, pieces from its Swarmpolis collection, first presented during Jakarta Fashion Week last year, offered a closer look at the craftsmanship that has made the brand one to watch.
Agnese bag in suede. Image taken from @a_seti1991.
Xiao long bao bag in noir. Image taken from @a_seti1991.
A SETI
Founded by Andrew Seti, who has spent the past decade refining his craft, A SETI specialises in small-batch leather goods made from full-grain vegetable-tanned leather. What stood out was the attention to detail, from hardware sourced from antique stores across Japan to the considered construction of each piece. While the brand's designs are rooted in utility, there is a sense of playfulness too. Case in point: the Xiao long bao bag, a crowd favourite that translates the familiar shape of the soup dumpling into an unexpectedly charming accessory.
Nila Baharuddin’s ready-to-wear collection. Images taken from @nila.official_.
Nila Baharuddin
I have followed Nila Baharuddin's work since the brand's Spring/Summer 2020 collection, Issues, which was presented at London Fashion Week. Since its launch in 2018, the label has built a distinctive visual language that blends Japanese aesthetics with Indonesian cultural references, resulting in collections that balance whimsy with restraint. At Brightspot, visitors were given a closer look at the second drop of its ready-to-wear line, a more accessible extension that retains the precise tailoring and refined cuts that have long defined the designer's work.
While these were the brands that stood out during my visit, they represent only a small fraction of what Brightspot City has to offer. The event continues to serve as a snapshot of the ideas, perspectives, and practices shaping Indonesia's fashion landscape today. As always, I look forward to seeing what the next iteration brings.
I hope you enjoy this edition of Fashion Footnotes. See you in the next one!