Suarti aims to help juniors gain success
Suarti aims to help juniors gain success
She didn't look like a 44-year-old woman at all. Sporting jeans,
black bustier, purple lace kebaya (traditional blouse) and black
boots, Suarti met journalists recently after the media conference
for Fashion Fusion, due to take place at Ritz-Carlton Bali Resort
and Spa on Oct. 25 and Oct 26.
She may not be well-known among locals, but Suarti has
achieved worldwide fame among lovers of jewelry, particularly of
silver. Her designs are scattered across five countries: the U.S.
(her collection is available at SoHo, New York), Canada, Japan,
Germany and the UK.
"I still don't have time for the local market. Besides,
Indonesian people still do not appreciate the beauty of silver.
It's better to design in gold for them," she said while sipping
champagne.
Her collection includes toe rings, rings, earrings, bracelets,
necklaces and other accessories, at prices ranging from US$5 to
$1,000. Not all her designs can be worn by ordinary people, who
form 60 percent of her market. The rest is collectible items for
both museums or individuals.
Launching a new collection every season, (four times a year),
Suarti lives to a tight schedule. Next month, for example, she
will fly to London on Sept. 11 and will return to Bali on Oct. 23
for the Fashion Fusion.
In between, she must plan her silver housewares and fashion
creations for next year.
"I usually follow market trends but combine them with my own
style. For the 2003 Spring collection, the colors will be red,
green and yellow," she said, speaking both in English and
Indonesian with a heavy Balinese accent.
"I also aim to launch three items in one collection:
accessories, fashion and housewares, all together. The reason to
create housewares is because I couldn't stop thinking why all
spoons have the same overall design. They can be designed to look
beautiful."
Reluctant to state the annual value of her exports, she
finally whispered that it was several million dollars.
Born in Ubud on May 25, 1958, to dancer and painter parents,
the Balinese woman began a career as a dancer. Suarti left her
hometown in 1979 to teach Balinese dance in New York before
obtaining a scholarship to study design.
"I'd had enough of dancing. I needed to embrace other things
like design. It was a new challenge," said the woman whose
fingers and wrists are adorned with bracelets and rings using
opal and amethyst.
Her life changed when the then Indonesian Ambassador to the
United Nations, Ali Alatas, asked her to present her creations at
an event in 1986, where she also met designer and author Diane
von Furstenberg.
"Diane advised me to use my own designs with Indonesian motifs
if I wanted to market my products. It worked," she said. "I
studied the market before making the designs in New York, ordered
craftsmen in Indonesia to fabricate the pieces and sent them back
to New York."
Despite her expanding business, the Sept. 11 tragedy left her
worried, although it subsequently turned out to have little
impact on her business, if any at all.
"Retail sales dropped by 30 percent but the funny thing was
that home shopping went up by 20 percent. In other words, my
market was not that affected by the tragedy."
With better trading conditions now, Suarti aims to use
computers for designing and machines for semi-finishing.
"Making accessories by hand has limited the production output.
Besides, each of my creations has taksu (soul), unlike those of
foreign designers. That makes a difference and that's why I can
compete against them."
"I've just returned from a trip to Thailand and Taiwan where I
searched for the right tools to boost production as far as the
semi-finished stage. The finishing touches are added by the
skilled hands of our craftsmen."
Quality control is also crucial for Suarti.
"I always have a headache monitoring the workmanship of our
craftsmen scattered in Bangil, Lumajang and Situbondo in East
Java, Yogyakarta and Bali," she said with a loud laugh.
Success hasn't allowed the mother of three children to become
forgetful of her Eastern roots, particularly Balinese culture.
"I may be the one who goes out and supports the family
financially, but in Bali a woman must follow what her husband
says. If my husband tells me to slow down, I do," said the wife
of Peter Luce. Luce handles the management side of the company.
She's got it all: fame, fortune and a happy family. What else
is missing?
"I want to encourage my juniors to follow in my footsteps.
There's such a big market out there, but there's nothing to be
afraid of. What they need is a good concept and how to understand
the market. I really need publicity now, not for me, but to
inspire and encourage them.
"If anyone wants to join me or only discuss it, they can feel
free to contact me at suarticollection@attglobal.net. I will be
more than happy to help," she said, at the end of our
conversation.
And then, at the request of some photographers, she posed with
a champagne glass in her hand.
-- Primastuti Handayani