Prestige Indonesia

Selly Wilson

Good companion

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SELLY WILSON DESCRIBES herself as a “stay-at-home mom”. But a drive in her to succeed – to optimise her potential as an entreprene­ur and to do good works for others – is bringing her to new heights. Having dedicated her time to domestic issues and motherhood for the past eight years, the 30-year-old is ready to explore fresh ventures.

In May, Selly launched her own contact lens brand. Named Milky Eyed, the coloured lenses were born out of Selly’s love for the eye enhancers. “I’ve been wearing contact lenses for years, so I have an idea of how a good lens should feel,” she explains. The planning stage of her new business venture took six months to complete, with Selly dealing directly with the manufactur­er she selected in South Korea. Finally, she is happy with her products, which are made with Asian eyes in mind.

Perhaps curiously, her lenses are packaged in what look like milk cartons. The budding entreprene­ur explains: “Milk is something that people consume every day, an essential - and I hope that’s what Milky Eyed lenses would become, your daily companions.” Out of the first 4,000 pairs of lenses she has had produced, a significan­t number had been sold at the time of interview.

How does Selly find customers? Instagram plays a big part. She promotes her new products through her 58,000 followers-strong account, and receives instant feedback from customers. Her Instagram feed has indeed cemented her as one of the city’s style stars. She regularly attends events in coveted seasonal items from luxury brands, brushed by profession­al makeup artists.

“One of my biggest style inspiratio­ns is Hailey Baldwin (top model daughter of actor Stephen Baldwin). I adore her look and her positive vibe,” Selly says. That explains the Dr. Martens Coralia strap boots she wore for her photo shoot, identical to those seen in a streetstyl­e shot by the young model.

Selly’s friends know that, beyond all the glamour, she is as down-to-earth a person as one could imagine. “I grew up with Javanese parents, who taught me traditiona­l values when I was little,” says Selly, who was born as Raden Roro Selly Loura. “In our culture, we are supposed to help each other, and not to be too ambitious or self-centred.”

As the spouse of entreprene­ur Frido Marsiano Wilson, Selly dedicates most of her time to being a housewife and mother to their 7-year-old daughter, Gwennive Lucretia Wilson. Selly is very proud of her firstborn, and fascinated by her natural dancing talents. During the interview, she shows us a few video clips of Gwen’s impromptu moves.

“At 3, she was already mimicking K-Pop girl bands, and now she is able to move like American hip-hop dancers,” laughs Selly. “No one teaches her to do any of the moves. She’s just a natural!” The proud mom adds that she and her husband hope to have another child soon.

“While I’ve always followed life’s natural flow, not trying to control things too much, I think it’s high time to do more with my life. I believe there’s more to it,” Selly reflects. By the end of the year, she plans to launch a new swimsuit line, in collaborat­ion with a good friend, Erlya Bimantara.

“I’m proud of Erlya and her fashion-design venture, and we are looking forward to launching our line,” Selly says. “The swimsuits will be locally made and will be sold at a mid-high price point. The styles will be classic, with unique detailing. Right now, we’re in the middle of finalising the design details.”

Beyond her family responsibi­lities and her business ventures, Selly has a strong interest in helping children with special needs. In 2013, together with a few friends, she co-founded Common Cause Charity. The group regularly raises funds to provide surgeries for disabled children. Selly says her connection with special needs children derives from her mother’s example, for she has devoted most of her life to teaching mentally retarded children in Yogyakarta.

“My mother has adopted two special needs children,” says Selly. “I admire her for her dedication to them. As time goes on, I want to do what I can for these children as well.”

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