Indonesia Fashion Week (IFW) kicked off here Thursday, aiming at honing up skills and talents of Indonesian fashion designers so as to increase its contribution to the country's creative industry.

The event, scheduled to last through Feb. 17, is consisted of fashion and trade exhibitions, designer competition, workshops and seminars.

"I see many significant advancements in the IFW this year. Increasing number of participants, brands and designers in the event were apparently seen. Besides that, representative of World Fashion Week is also present here," Indonesian Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Marie Elka Pangestu said in her opening speech.

The minister said that local fashion industry has enormous potential on abundant cultural sources and creative domestic fashion designers.

She added all of those factors would greatly support the government's goal to make Indonesia one of world's fashion centers by 2025.

IFW, which debuted last year, has the endorsement from Washington-based Fashion Week Organization. It is now affiliated to New York and Brisbane Fashion Week agencies, the Kompas online reported.

Taruna Kusmaryuda Kusmayadi, co-organizer of the event, said that the 2013 IFW is participated by 503 brands, 208 designers and hundreds of fashion stockholders in the world.