From the beginning, the sisters were clear: They would not rely on cultural motifs to signal Indonesian identity.
“We chose to define our Indonesian identity not through motifs, but through craftsmanship,” said Peggy. “From the start, we aspire to be a brand that is not defined by border. We wanted to speak to women regardless of where they are.”
That global mindset shaped early business decisions. According to Lydia, the brand’s managing director, they intentionally focused outward, launching their webstore, reaching out to international press, established a PR partnership in Los Angeles and entered global competitions.
“This built our credibility outside of Indonesia early on,” she explained. Singapore was among their earliest retail markets – the brand is currently stocked at multi-label store SocietyA – an important validation for a young Indonesian label with its sights set far beyond national borders.
The sisters also co-founded Ara, Indonesia’s first multi-label store dedicated to contemporary local brands – a move that helped reframe perceptions of homegrown design more broadly. But growth has remained measured. “We have prioritised organic growth over rapid scale,” Lydia said. “Growth must be sustainable.”
Case in point: The brand recently made the deliberate choice to pause its showroom presence in Paris and Shanghai to strengthen internal foundations before returning to the international stage. “If the first decade was about finding our voice,” she added, “the second is about longevity”.
