Deisha Tamar

October 14, 2011

The Jakarta Post

(as published here)

 

What do you get when you mix fashion with blogs? The popular fashion blogs, created by novices and professionals alike, of course.

Meet Tavi Gevinson, a 15-year-old who has become an international sensation after starting her fashion blog back in March 2008, during her pre-teen years. The owner of www.thestylerookie.com who lives in Chicago, Illinois, US – has taken the world of fashion by storm with her quirky and out of the box style. 

Although she described her blog as just an online diary mixed with scrapbooks, she receives 35,000 visitors per day, according to www.glamour.com. She has also caught the eyes of international fashion designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Rodarte. 

She was also invited to Fashion Weeks in New York and Paris and sat next to Anna Wintour, the infamous Vogue US editor, and has been featured in various media.

Tavi became interested in fashion after reading other fashion blogs in 2008 and decided to create one afterward. Her style might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and some people consider her not stylish at all – but that is what she is all about. 

As she wrote on her blog, “The general voice of my blog has been very much against the idea of those [or, in a way, any] standards for a long time, maybe not in so many words, but definitely in spirit.” 

Through those words she was describing her ideas of breaking standard beauty or sexy definitions, especially for a 15-year-old American girl, who would usually opt for sexier clothes trying to look mature.

Her blog takes us to view outside mainstream fashion, and more into Tavi’s personal eclectic style and likings. You will also be surprised by how well and mature her writings are for a 15-year-old – as she is able to express her thoughts deeply through her engaging and poetic words.

The next young fashion blogger prodigy is Evita Nuh, owner of the blog www.jellyjellybeans.blogspot.com. She is an Indonesian who is just three years younger than Tavi, but has an exceptional talent and passion for fashion. 

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Deisha Tamar

June 15 2011

The Jakarta Post

(as published here)

 

She is young, beautiful, talented, dedicated and making a difference in the Philippines through her artistic touch.

Twenty-one-year-old Filipino painter Anna Karina Jardin is usually mistaken to be above her age because of her looks, but make no mistake, despite her young age she is already dedicating herself to make a change in the Philippines. 

She is the president and founder of Artistikong Kabataan (AK) Philippines, Inc. (Artistic Young People), based in Manila. Founded in 2010, the non-profit organization aims to activate leadership with a heart among the youth, connect young people and empower them to create an impact in society through the universal language of art. It focuses on cultural and art appreciation, sustainable development, peace and human rights education, artistry and world values, social entrepreneurship and volunteerism.

The organization also offers painting classes, leadership and charity workshops, charity works, cultural exchanges, personality development workshops, mural paintings for schools and peer counseling.

Beside being AK president, Jardin is also the chairwoman for culture, arts and music under the Asia America Initiative organization based in Washington, DC., an organization focusing on interfaith dialogue, peace and security.

 

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Deisha Tamar

Sunday, 12 June 2011

The Jakarta Post

(as published here)

 

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to live life frequently moving from one country to another – while at the same time playing the roles of mother, wife and also art enthusiast? 

If you don’t know, read Kaho’s stories on her blog. The blog (www.ChuzaiLiving.wordpress.com) is run by Kahori Matsui or Kaho, who is a Japanese national and currently living in Indonesia. 

When she first started her blog in March last year, she was still living in Arlington, Virginia, before she moved to Jakarta in July. Kaho has also lived in Senegal, Japan, and Texas, the US.

“In Japanese, Chuzai means living overseas for an extended period of time due to an occupational assignment,” she writes on her blog. 

In short, Chuzai Living translates to Expat Living. Kaho’s husband has a job that requires them to move quite frequently every two to three years.

The mother of two, who comically refers to her daughters as “monkeys” for their active, playful ways, wrote that she wanted to have a place where she could document and share her family’s life overseas while exploring her interest in photography, design, fashion, traveling, food and parenting. 

“This blog is a place where I can become myself, away from the daily routine and hectic life as a parent of two small children. It stimulates me to be active and enjoy and gives me opportunity to appreciate my surroundings to a fuller extent,” she added. 

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Deisha Tamar Manuhutu

The Jakarta Post

March 13 2011

(as published here)

Despite the boom of Twitter and Facebook, Ndoro Kakung, one of Indonesia’s noted bloggers, said the growth of blogs in the country is still relatively small.

But Benazio Rizki Putra, or best known as Bena, may reverse the trend, rising to fame by his blog www.benablog.com. 

For a while, his blog reminds people of Raditya Dika, as they offer wittiness and quirkiness on both of their blogs, and of course, due to the fact that Bena’s inspiration is Raditya Dika himself.

When having a bad day, it is a good thing to read Bena’s blog as he entertains you through his witty and comical style of writing and hilarious pictures. 

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Deisha Tamar Manuhutu

The Jakarta Post

March 3, 2011

(as published here)

Lazy, careless, unappreciative: that’s how youth tend to be characterized these days. But Alanda Kariza, a 20-year-old dedicated to making Indonesia a better place who follows through with concrete actions, doesn’t quite fit that stereotype.

A few weeks ago, people couldn’t stop tweeting about a misfortune that took over Alanda and her family’s life. Her many friends showed their support by using the hashtag #HelpAlanda on the microblogging site Twitter, as tweets about her were spreading thick and fast. 

It all started when she tweeted her blog post titled Ibu, 10 tahun penjara, 10 milyar rupiah (Mother, 10 years of prison, Rp 10 million). The blog was about her mother who became a suspect in the Bank Century case and was sentenced to 10 years in prison or asked to pay a Rp 10 million (US$1,120) fine. 

Instead of being secretive about her family’s situation, Alanda chose to share her side of the story on her 
blog, www.alandakariza.com, and revealed how life had not always been easy for her or her family.

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Deisha Tamar Manuhutu

The Jakarta Post

 April 18, 2010

(as published here)

“A small brand with a huge dream” is the motto of a local fashion brand COTTON INK. Over the past few years several local brands have emerged to catch the attention of Indonesian fashionistas, and COTTON INK is definitely one such brand that should be taken seriously.

Started with a simple blog (cottonink-shop.com), COTTON INK has become a familiar name in the local fashion industry. The brand was established in November 2008 by duo Carline Darjanto and Ria Sarwono who were friends from junior high school.

A graduate of LaSalle College of Fashion, Carline managed customer relations and development while Ria, who graduated from Paramadina University, was in charge of delivery and marketing for the offline market. 
It was Carline who had the fashion background, but both her and Ria are involved in design concepts and production.

Founders of COTTON INK brand Ria Sarwono (left) and Carline Darjanto.

Ria and Carline say their designs are not inspired by a specific designer or label, but from street style mixed with high fashion.

“When we first started, we wanted to make T-shirts from cotton as a base and use ink as the element. That is why we named the brand COTTON INK. We have continued to use cotton as our primary fabric and ink to represent our love of color. As you can see in many of our products, we love having lots of color,” Carline said.
“We offer casual clothing with a twist … Customers can wear these clothes every day, and comfortably, with a reasonable price. Our designs are simple, so they usually appeal to customers.”

According to Carline, she and Ria neither tried to produce a specific designs that would make customers really stand out from the crowd, nor adorn the designs with too many details. Carline says she makes everyday clothing for her customers, a necessity, but gave it a twist.

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Deisha Tamar Manuhutu

The Jakarta Post

 February 28, 2010

(as published here)

 

Some say a fashion blog is just another trend. Indeed, this phenomenon has spread among younger generations like an itch, and Indonesian youths are craving for this new "itch".

Given the fact that more and more teenagers or young adults are keeping fashion blogs these days, you could say this has become a part of culture, a lifestyle or a hobby.

Whether you loathe, love or simply don't give a thought about fashion blogs, this particular petite woman might just change your mind. Say hello to Diana Rikasari, a 25-year-old Indonesian fashion blogger, and the owner of the ever-so-infamous Hot Chocolate & Mint blog (dianarikasari.blogspot.com).

According to blogs.indonesiamatters.com, Hot Chocolate & Mint sits nicely at number 1 of the Top 100 Indonesian Blogs.

With so many devoted readers and fans from Indonesia and overseas, this multi-talented woman is becoming a fashion icon, just like a movie celebrity - only she is doing it via the Internet.

Diana has received several prestigious blog awards, including the IM3 Online Inspiring Award, which made her a Brand Ambassador for IM3, the Fabbest Fashion Blog in 2009 in the Tongue in Chic Annual Style Awards 2009, and the Best Fashion, Beauty, Sport & Entertainment Blog by XL Blog Awards.

Diana also receives loads of publicity from various media groups, after being featured in Go Girl!, Girlfriend, Cosmo Girl, Cosmopolitan, Sister, Media Indonesia and on the local TV channels - TransTV and O Channel - plus let's not forget her fabulous design collaborations with local fashion brands including Wondershoe, for her very own shoes collection, and Bloop Endorse for her clothing line (Bloop Endorse for Diana Rikasari, Ebony Afters).

During a recent interview with Diana, we dug up some history about Hot Chocolate & Mint. She revealed that the blog title itself came from her favorite Starbucks drink (Hot Chocolate with extra Mint).

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