Online identity construction through fashion on Instagram. The presentation of traditional clothing by Indonesian Generation Z and Millennials in the globalized fashion culture

Instagram has become a primary social media of people worldwide in presenting the ‘self’ online. Considering Instagram and its active users today, Generation Z and Millennials are the two generations that dominate the activity within the platform today. The ability of Instagram in accelerating visual communication led the focus of this study to acknowledge fashion as a cultural identity. Moreover, Instagram shaped the mixed culture in fashion within online interaction, for instance, through trends. Consequently, the current generation must be put on duty to protect, maintain, and preserve its culture. In traditional clothing, Indonesian people owned numerous rich garments that are extraordinarily varied and diverse as the country geographically consist of many tribes settling in different islands. Therefore, this study carefully formulated the following research question, “How do Indonesian Generation Z and Millennials construct their online identity through the presentation of traditional clothing in the global environment of fashion culture on Instagram?” This study used a qualitative approach in the data collection process. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted as the data collection process. This study reflected on identity and the concept of oneself, cultural identity through fashion, online identity construction, visual communication within Instagram, and online fashion (trends), which further led to the main findings of the way online identity is constructed. The Indonesian Generation Z and Millennials acknowledge the existence of traditional fashion and clothing style, which they value and admire. However, the action is formed into a different level of presenting traditional clothing on Instagram as self-identity in the online realm. This study concluded that Indonesian Generation Z and Millennials utilize Instagram to support the online identity, where the construction process highly recognized fashion as an essential issue. The application of online identity construction through fashion is influenced by the value of traditional clothing, personal style that has been developed in time, and the purpose, including personal branding through the use of hashtags on Instagram.