The Faculty of Languages and Arts, Universitas Negeri Semarang (FBS UNNES), continues to strengthen its role in culture-based, language oriented, and sustainability driven education through the organization of La Semaine de la Mode 2025. Held by the French Literature Study Program, the event took place on Thursday (06/12/2025) at UNNES Cultural Village and served as a contextual learning platform that fused artistic expression, academic values, and ecological awareness.
This initiative also incorporated several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).
The event adopted two formats: online competitions and an offline performance. The online competitions; poetry reading in French, French song performance, and news reading aimed to enhance language literacy and expand educational access across regions. Meanwhile, the highlight of the event, an offline fashion show, featured a vibrant display of traditional to contemporary costumes modeled by students from various faculties across UNNES.
The showcased outfits blended the richness of Indonesian textile heritage, such as batik and tenun, with modern, environmentally conscious design. Each piece reflected the students’ collaborative spirit and interpretation of Indonesia’s cultural diversity through a lens of sustainability.
The event was officially opened by Dr. Eko Raharjo, M.Hum., Vice Dean for Academic Affairs of FBS UNNES, who expressed his appreciation for the initiative led by both students and faculty members.
“This is the face of future education interdisciplinary, inclusive, and meaningful,” he remarked.
To further emphasize cultural values, the event featured a talk show with Yunet Wahyuningsih, a designer and cultural activist renowned for her dedication to promoting Indonesian textiles through sustainable practices. In her presentation, she asserted that traditional fabrics are more than visual heritage, they are narrative media that carry historical, spiritual, and feminine struggles.
“Every batik motif is a prayer. It is born from perseverance, wisdom, and love for nature,” she shared.
Yunet also encouraged students to start creating from within their smallest communities, using fashion as a language to convey cultural messages with subtlety and depth.
Ahmad Yulianto, M.Hum., Coordinator of the French Literature Study Program, described the event as a strategic moment to demonstrate that language education can extend beyond linguistic competence to embrace culture, creativity, and humanity.
Echoing this, event coordinator Marliza Arsiyana, M.Pd., emphasized that every aspect of the event was designed with sustainability in mind. Stage decorations and props were made from donated textile waste sourced from local SMEs, supporting circular economy principles and cross-sector collaboration.
As the event concluded, the winners of the online competitions, judged in advance, were officially announced. Applause and enthusiasm from the audience marked the event’s success as a student-driven platform aligned with global values.
Through La Semaine de la Mode 2025, FBS UNNES once again affirmed the role of the university as a nurturing space that cultivates empathy, creativity, and global awareness. The synergy of aesthetics and ethics stands as a foundation for a future of education that is both sustainable and deeply rooted in national cultural heritage.
