Indonesia National Team Home & Away 2025 Jerseys in the Hands of Cisarua Creative

At the beginning of 2025, sports apparel brand and PSSI partner Erspo officially released the Indonesia National Team jersey under the theme Indonesia Pusaka: Semarak Kebanggaan Indonesia. A year on, the jersey has accompanied the team’s journey, becoming a highlight on the field as well as part of the sea of supporters. Yet what many people do not see is how the jersey was designed, how football and the idea of Indonesia were translated into patterns, symbols, and construction.

Grafis Masa Kini spoke with Cisarua Creative, the design collective behind last year’s Indonesia National Team jersey, after giving it enough time to observe how the jersey “performed” on the field and how it was received by the public. Cisarua Creative is known for its playful and imaginative works, treating every design terrain as a space for exploration. Previously, they have collaborated with THE GOODS DEPT• and have become a regular team behind the design execution of Synchronize Fest.

They unpacked for us a long and often unseen journey, one filled with exploration and negotiation. In the process, Cisarua Creative adopted a collaborative approach, dividing the work into several layers based on each member’s expertise: narrative, visual, and garment construction.

“When it came to exploration, we split the team,” explained Asto Adiprastowo, one of the designers involved in the project. The process was not linear, but structured through specific roles; one team focused on developing patterns, another handled smaller elements such as the emblem and authentication details, while another explored the cut-and-sew aspect, analyzing the jersey’s construction from collar to body to sleeves. This approach allowed for more focused exploration. Still, all collaborative efforts stemmed from a single starting point: research and the narrative developed by copywriter Stefano Abbas.

The research phase began by studying Indonesia National Team jerseys across different years, understanding their patterns, cuts, and impact on both the team and the public. Beyond that, Cisarua Creative also dived into social media, observing what supporters truly wanted. The findings revealed that supporters were looking for a timeless national kit that could represent the country’s identity–something PSSI also emphasized by involving supporters in the initial stages of the jersey’s development. These research outcomes led Cisarua Creative toward narrative explorations that became the foundation of the design.

Working under the overarching narrative “Siapa Kita? Indonesia,” entrusted to them, Cisarua Creative explored several concept alternatives, narrowing them down to four, then two. Yudit Halim, one of the designers, shared that the process was far from simple; it involved negotiations and discussions with multiple parties, including Erspo and PSSI. From those discussions, one point stood out: “This jersey was agreed to be made not only for players, but also for the wider public. In football, supporters are the twelfth player. When the team plays, supporters also give energy. We tried to find a concept that resonates with that.”

From a technical standpoint, Asto explained that the process was also quite complex, as the two selected concepts had to go through production testing before being presented again. “We had to produce two alternatives, from patterns to different jersey cuts. For example, whether it should feel more retro with a rounded collar or sharper in shape.”

After extensive discussions, Indonesia Pusaka: SEMARAK KEBANGGAAN INDONESIA was ultimately chosen as the final concept for the Indonesia National Team jersey. This concept embodies the spirit and strength of Indonesia passed down from generation to generation. This heritage contains a long history of struggle, diverse cultural expressions, and, of course, abundant natural wealth. It is envisioned as a source of identity, strength, and pride for the Indonesian National Team.

Translating SEMARAK KEBANGGAAN INDONESIA into design

One of the most striking elements of last year’s jersey is its pattern. Rakhmat Jaka, the designer responsible for the pattern alongside Aldy Maulana, Farhan Asyraq, and Lutfi Aufar, explained that this part required extensive brainstorming and careful research. In the end, the team drew inspiration from Indonesia’s natural landscape and cultural heritage. The “Garudeya” relief found in various temples across Indonesia was adopted as a representation of the origins of the national emblem, alongside visuals of Garuda in flight, illustrating the nation’s highest cultural ideals. To document these reliefs and deepen their understanding of the visual forms, Cisarua Creative conducted a site visit to Candi Kidal in Malang.

From Indonesia’s natural beauty, mountains were chosen as an element of identity, reflecting the country’s place within the Pacific Ring of Fire. The sea appears as a representation of Indonesia’s maritime strength, illustrated through line textures. Finally, biomorphic elements such as flora were incorporated to represent the country’s diversity and richness. Among the many flowers in Indonesia, Cisarua Creative adopted the Edelweiss, known as the flower of eternity. They even studied its form directly in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park area.

Beyond the pattern, the emblem became another crucial element. Yudit, who worked on the emblem design, explained that there was a particular challenge because, in other countries, emblems typically use federation logos rather than national symbols, as in Indonesia. This required a more detailed research process. Yudit and Mahdi Albart, who co-designed the emblem, first determined the base shape before developing its inner elements. “We were inspired by Dayak shields and, alternatively, the architecture of Gelora Bung Karno. The ornaments inside were adapted from the jersey’s own pattern,” Yudit explained. Philosophically, each element serves as a form of hope and added energy for the players. At the same time, every detail represents Indonesian traditions, gaining greater strength when united with the national emblem on the jersey.

Beyond form and narrative, exploration also extended to the players’ “identity” element: the typeset. In collaboration with Gumpita Rahayu from Tokotype, a leading type foundry based in Bandung, the team aimed to design typography that is not only functional but also an integral part of the jersey’s visual identity. “National team namesets have tended to be quite uniform, often boxy in form. It’s strong in terms of legibility, but when applied to a more fashionable jersey, it feels less aligned and needs further exploration,” Gumpita explained. From there, the Tokotype team developed a more expressive approach by integrating Garuda-inspired visual elements into the letterforms, while adjusting proportions to maintain readability, even for longer player names.

The selected type design carries a classic, timeless, and traditional feel. Serif elements derived from the Garuda visual bring a sense of elegance and contrast, making them easy to read during gameplay. The letterforms also combine serif and sans-serif flares to create a timeless design that remains relevant over the years. Biomorphic shapes that align with the pattern are adapted with traditional curves, reflecting the uniqueness of Indonesian culture.

All elements of the jersey were carefully designed, and the cut-and-sew exploration was finalized together with Erspo, resulting in a silhouette that feels both stylish and youthful. However, Cisarua Creative’s role extended further to packaging and complementary merchandise. Each aspect was executed with attention to detail, and the process was not always smooth. Even up to its finalization and official release, negotiations continued, moving from one office to another, in front of different stakeholders.

What we do not talk about when we talk about jersey design

What the Indonesia National Team wears on the pitch is the result of a long and complex design process, one shaped by constant questions: how does the jersey look from the stands? How does it move with the player’s body? How is it received by supporters? How does it represent Indonesia? Within each of these questions, design emerges as both inquiry and response. No element can stand alone; each must meet and resonate with the others.

In the end, every jersey can be read as a form of “heritage,” carrying new ideas, the work of Indonesian creatives, and a reflection of its time through each creative decision. With meaning embedded in every element, the jersey also carries the hopes of millions of supporters, translated into form by its designers.

Team Credit

Designer:

Asto Adiprastowo

Mahdi Albart

Yudit Halim

Rakhmat Jaka

Lutfi Aufar

Raihan Kiagoods

Aldy Maulana

Farhan Asyraq

Account:

Kevin Jayadi

Copywriter:

Stefano Abbas

Type Designer:

Gumpita Rahayu

Faza Mufti