Cabinet Couture may be the most viral fashion account in Indonesia, but it’s about so much more than fashion. Taking inspiration from celebrity steal-the-look fan accounts, @cabinetcouture_season2 takes public photos of Indonesian political elites who flaunt their luxury purchases online, identifies the products then reposts them alongside their hefty price tags. For the majority of Indonesians who live with low wages, a weakening currency, and unstable infrastructure, Cabinet Couture acts as a source of evidence for the widening social inequality between the wealthy political elites and struggling citizens.
In September 2025, mass demonstrations fuelled by public frustration with the government led to the death of a 21-year-old motorcycle driver named Affan Kurniawan, who was run over by the police. The Instagram account was started a few days later. “Our anger had reached its breaking point. Human lives could be taken away so easily in the hands of power, meanwhile government officials and their family members continued to flaunt their lavish lifestyle,” one of the anonymous members behind the account tells Dazed.
In just a week, the profile amassed almost 120,000 followers. “Many people had long shared the same concern [towards the government]; they simply haven’t had the platform through which to voice it.” The response towards Cabinet Couture has mostly been positive, with their work viewed as helping shed light on the ostentatious lifestyles of those in power. “The comment section is mostly filled with anger directed towards government officials, especially when their performance in office has not been visible, or when the person has been implicated in legal cases,” said another member behind the account.
But, as the team had predicted, the government’s response to the account was swift. The original profile, @cabinetcouture_idn, was geo-restricted by the Indonesian Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs, meaning that the account was banned within the country. This act of silencing didn’t come as a surprise – rather, the team saw it as “further confirmation of our belief, and perhaps that of many other people as well, that the country is moving towards an authoritarian system.”
Since the election of Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto at the end of 2024, public sentiment towards the government has become increasingly fractured. Last year, mass demonstrations took place across the country. The protests were sparked by the government’s decision to raise the allowance of members of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR). At the time, it was reported that each member would be paid 100 million rupiah (£4,144) per month, half of which would be allocated as housing allowance. This figure drew criticism, as the average monthly income across all labour sectors in the country is just a little over 3.2 million rupiah (£132.64), according to BPS Statistics Indonesia.
These protests weren’t driven by a single issue. Instead, concerns around systemic corruption, political violence and economic instability had compounded into public outrage. Following the mass protests at the end of August 2025, a large movement called The 17+8 Demands was started by a group of activists, listing 17 short-term and 8 long-term demands addressed to the government, which included a more democratic and just regime. So far, only a small fraction of their demands have been met.
The issue most commonly identified was the stark gap between the income declared in the State Official’s Wealth Report versus the actual lifestyle that these individuals appear to be living
Throughout their research, Cabinet Couture have found the same repeated patters of systemic problems. The issue most commonly identified was the stark gap between the income declared in the State Official’s Wealth Report (LHKPN) versus the lifestyle that these individuals appear to be living. Cabinet Couture believes it is impossible to justify the luxurious handbags, watches and other branded items compared to the figures reported.
Likewise, nepotism is another familiar practice within the system. It is fairly common to find seats within the House of Representatives passed on to children, in-laws and other family members. “What was also frustrating was the fact that there are officials who had previously been involved in serious legal cases, whether it be corruption, bribery or even sexual violence, who were able to return to their jobs, or even rise to a higher position,” say the account admins. The Cabinet Couture team believes that there seems to be no consequences for these poor track records – not in the public eye, nor within the legal system.
Cabinet Couture believes that a lack of accountability could allow such displays of extravagance to continue. “When there is discrepancy between the numbers reported and the lifestyle on display, it should not merely be treated as gossip, but as a warning sign that deserves to be questioned and monitored collectively,” the collective say. The team hopes that sustained public scrutiny and vigilance will pressure those in power to implement meaningful systemic reforms.
What began as a way to voice personal frustrations has now grown into one of the most tangible forms of public participation in Indonesia. Now with over 277,000 followers, the fashion account has now become a collective effort, with followers DMing the names of individuals from their local offices, often accompanied by the results of their own research on income disparity or information about the luxury goods associated with these figures. Fashion enthusiasts, including those who work within the luxury fashion industry, are now also helping to identify the products involved.
Although pressure from the government’s side seems to intensify, Cabinet Couture believes that it is important for the public to remain critical and to continue questioning what appears unjust. “Do not let fatigue or cynicism make you stop paying attention, because that is exactly what benefits those who want to remain in positions of power,” they say. “We believe that meaningful change often begins with the small act of having the courage not to remain silent.”