West Java’s Fashion Diplomacy to South Australia: A Model of Sister Province Cooperation

Abstract

Sister Province is a concept that describes inter sub-national cooperation from two different countries. West Java Province, as one of the three provinces with the largest population in Indonesia, has built a Sister Province cooperation with South Australia. This Sister Province cooperation has been established from 1997 and revitalized during the leadership of the 14th Governor of West Java, Ahmad Heryawan, in 2015. The revitalization of West-South-South Java cooperation began with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) containing work plans in both regions in various fields. In the MoU, West Java and South Australia collaborated in the arts and culture, which is related to the modest fashion. The realization of the West Java and South Australia Sister Province was the cooperation of Bandung Islamic Fashion Institute (IFI) as the first Muslim fashion school in Indonesia, and Technical and Further Education (TAFE) as vocational schools and training in South Australia. This study uses the paradiplomacy theory and the sister province concept as analytical tools. The research was conducted to know how the process and the implementation of IFI and TAFE cooperation as a form of Sister Province Cooperation. The research method used is descriptive qualitative research with literature studies. This research resulted in the cooperation of the Sister Province of West Java-South Australia through IFI and TAFE running quite well, namely by the realization of scientific exchanges and fashion show collaborations between the two institutions. However, other cooperation plans have not been realized and require both parties and the government to assist in the preparation of realization and achieve effective and profitable cooperation.