Understanding Pia's wide world

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Fashion, arts, and women magazines have been the world of Pia Alisjahbana. But who knew that the young Pia was a dancer?

It was almost 50 years ago, but it appears to be one of Pia's fondest memories.

"I performed a contemporary dance created by American choreographer Martha Graham at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta," Pia revealed proudly.

Maybe that is why the elderly Pia still loves aerobics, swimming in the pool set in the spacious yard of her home in Pejaten, South Jakarta, every morning for half an hour, and playing tennis once a week.

Her daily exercise routine, coupled with her intensive involvement in all activities related to young people, contributes much to her healthy and energetic appearance.

But Pia is not likely to try and conceal her age -- she turns 69 this year -- by dying her graying hair.

"Be your age," she asserted, adding that she preferred to do something else rather than squandering two hours coloring her hair.

And age is clearly unable to keep her from the wide range of activities in which she is involved.

As a lecturer, she was the founder and director of the American studies department at the University of Indonesia.

As a businesswoman, she is on the board of directors of the Femina Group, which owns a number of magazines, including Femina, Gadis, Ayahbunda, Dewi, Fit, Men's Health, Seventeen and Cita&Cinta.

Pia also chairs several foundations, including the Board of Council of the Indonesia National Archives Building, which she established in 1998, and the Nusantara Foundation, which manages the Nusantara symphony orchestra. She also is an adviser to the Association for Indonesian Fashion Designers.

Pia was born on July 26, 1933, in Bondowoso, East Java, as Supia Latifah. Her father and mother were both from noble families. As a child, during Indonesia's struggle for independence, she and her family moved around a lot. Her father was an engineer at the public works agency, while her mother was a teacher.

"My family was forced to seek refuge in Mojokerto, Nganjuk, Bali, Surabaya, Purworejo and then Yogyakarta," Pia recalled.

Pia's only brother, Achmad, was killed during a battle in Yogyakarta in 1947.

"We were all shocked by the incident. He never told us that he had signed up with a paramilitary student group."

In 1959, she married Sofjan Alisjabana, the son of Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana, who is known as the Pope of Indonesian literature. The couple had two daughters, Svida and Karin.

The family eventually moved to Jakarta and have lived here since.

Pia said the hardships of her childhood made her a tough person and a hard worker.

"My parents paid all of my educational fees, but only gave me a meager allowance. That's why I had to work to get extra money," Pia said. She gave Bahasa Indonesia lessons to foreigners, worked in a library and taught piano to earn extra money.

Pia said that during her youth, one of the most inspiring experiences, and one that gave her a broader perspective, was attending the New York Herald Tribune Youth Forum in 1952.

"My interaction with so many young people from all around the world somehow made me more self-confident," Pia said, who was still in high school when she made the trip to New York.

This and other experiences prompted her to begin a magazine for teenage girls, Gadis in 1973. This followed the launch of women's magazine Femina in 1972, which was owned by the Alisjahbana family.

Asked about feminism, Pia said: "I am lucky to have a husband who never makes a fuss about what I am doing," adding that she believes that younger women now can break the glass ceiling.

Since 1979, Pia has been organizing a contest for young designers. Chossy Latu, Edward Hutabarat, Carmanita and Itang Yunasz are among the designers who have gotten their start from the contest.

Since 1992, she has also organized the screening process that eventually results in 10 young Indonesian designers being sent to attend the Concours International Des Jeunes Createurs in Paris.

"My talent in organizing people and connecting things also came from my experience at the youth forum in New York," she said.

Though she has a remarkable track record in fashion and the media, Pia is more likely these days to show more interest in preserving Indonesia's heritage, again thanks to that New York youth forum, which first sparked her interest in culture.

That is why Pia decided to major in English literature at the University of Indonesia.

Her latest concern is the restoration of historic building and cultural landmarks.

"I'm very sorry to see that many historic sites and buildings have been destroyed due to people's chronic lack of awareness about preserving them," Pia sighed.

In 1995, Pia raised more than 450,000 guilders from Dutch people for the restoration of the National Archives building, formerly known as De Klerk Huis, on Jl. Gajah Mada in Kota, West Jakarta.

The restoration project is a joint effort between a number of Dutch companies and Indonesian institutions. Earlier this year the project won the Award of Excellence, the highest tribute at the Asia Pacific Heritage Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation from the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Pia remarked that many Indonesian cultures manifested themselves in traditions, historic buildings and handicrafts, all of which require public participation to ensure their preservation.

Recalling an experience earlier this year in Sintang, West Kalimantan, where she served on the jury of a weaving festival, Pia remarked that cultural preservation needed more public participation rather than massive amounts of money.

"It is all about the mentality of the people to save their own cultures," said Pia, who has begun pushing for the year 2003 to be promoted as the Heritage Year. (Muninggar Sri Saraswati contributed to this story).