Think of the families who went to church on Sundays smartly dressed, shining shoes, carefully chosen jewellery and hairstyle. And, not to be forgotten, the sunglasses (with or without sunshine).
Clothing and identity.
You can practically hear the cowboy boots and see the wild manes of hair moving with every step. The groups of Moluccan young people in bomber jackets and bootcut jeans. For many Moluccan families, clothing was never only about fashion. It was about respect, discipline and how you made yourself visible in a society where you were often already being watched.
Moluccan young people in the 1980s to the 2000s developed their own mix of styles, with influences from the hip-hop scene, funk & soul subcultures and various sports. There was no single fixed style, but a recognisable energy. Where earlier generations used clothing to radiate status and care, the younger generation increasingly used fashion to make identity visible. Tracksuits, the Nike Air Max and Ray-Ban sunglasses found their way into wardrobes. Not only to look good, but to show where you come from, what music you like and what you stand for. Today that development continues not only on the street but also online. Through TikTok, photography, music videos and other social media, a new form of cultural visibility is emerging. Young people build their own language of style, inspired by hip-hop, sport, design and community. That is not only about wearing brands, but also about creating yourself. A new generation of designers, photographers and makers is developing its own labels and visual identities in which culture, background and personal stories come together. Fashion thus becomes more than appearance; it is storytelling.
Representation plays an important role in precisely this. For a long time many Moluccan young people barely saw themselves reflected in mainstream fashion and media culture. Through their own brands, photography and creative projects there is now room to tell those stories themselves, from their own perspective and without an intermediary layer.
Fashion thereby also becomes a form of cultural ownership. Not waiting for others to determine how you are visible, but creating images, styles and stories yourself that connect with your own community and generation.
Ninetyfour: When friends become family
Brands such as Ninetyfour show how culture lives on today in design, photography and streetwear. Not as something from the past, but as an identity that keeps developing with a new generation of makers and creatives.
For many young Moluccans, clothing now goes beyond style or trends. A hoodie, sneaker or graphic tee can just as easily be a form of recognition, or a quiet way of expressing belonging without always having to put it into words.
That is precisely why more and more brands and creative projects are emerging from within the community itself. Not to use “Moluccan” as a marketing label, but to create images, stories and styles that are close to their own world. Community, music, photography and street culture come together in them.
Ninetyfour is one example. The brand moves at the intersection of streetwear, design and cultural recognition. Not by translating culture literally into clothing, but by making visible a feeling that many young people recognise: pride in one’s origins, connection with the community and the wish to express identity in one’s own way.
Geronimo Tuhumena, founder of NINETYFOUR and HUNDREDBOYZ, set up Ninetyfour in 2013. The name refers to 1994, a period that for him symbolises friendship, loyalty and a shared foundation of norms and values that are still tangible within the brand today. What began with a T-shirt grew into a recognisable label both within and beyond the Moluccan communities.
Over the years Ninetyfour developed into more than just a clothing brand. Themes such as brotherhood, community and personal experience form the basis of the collaborations and projects that emerge from the brand. For Geronimo the aim was never simply to sell clothing. Building a community, creating opportunities and making a new generation of makers visible are what matter most.
In recent months we have been able to see at close quarters how he works. His dedication to community and collaboration shows why Ninetyfour means more to many people than fashion alone. Where opportunities are often overlooked, he knows how to connect people, ideas and initiatives.
Together with M Artwear, Ninetyfour organises NM KOMPLEKS, an event where fashion, music, art and community come together. A place where creative expression is not separate from cultural background, but grows out of it. As far as we are concerned, NM KOMPLEKS shows how a new generation shapes cultural events: interdisciplinary, community-driven and firmly rooted in its own identity.
That is what makes such initiatives relevant within a broader cultural development. They show how a new generation preserves its identity, but also reshapes it. Through clothing, imagery and creative expression, a contemporary form of Moluccan visibility emerges, rooted in community.
On 6 June 2026 In Eigen Woorden goes on tour to NM KOMPLEKS. During the event, photographs from the Moluccan fashion scene of the 1990s and 2000s will be on show.
In addition, images submitted by you will also be displayed. Personal moments, styles and memories that show how fashion, identity and culture remain connected across different generations.
