karina widjaja

Power dresser

Karina Widjaja and Karina Pricilla launched Rêves Studio in 2016 with a “desire to empower women by making them feel confident”. The name of their premium ready-to-wear brand is derived from the French word for “dream”. The first Karina is Creative Director, the second has the role of Managing Director. On their website, they declare: “Rêves Studio aims to introduce its own take on power dressing, where it can represent women and their professions, and at the same time enhance their self-esteem and confidence.”

A graduate of École de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne, 27-year-old Karina Widjaja was born in Surabaya and was once an intern at Balmain’s headquarters in Paris. “Fashion is more than just clothing, it symbolises empowerment,” she says. “That’s our mission. Rêves Studio has been blessed with many opportunities. I would say that being named as one of Indonesia’s most fashion-forward design teams was our most significant milestone so far.

“Building a new business is not something that can be done overnight. During our journey, I sometimes wondered whether the sacrifices we made were worth it. All of those doubts and my impatience are still fresh in my mind. I just had to be positive each day, stay on track, and keep doing things I believed would lead to the success I’d always dreamed of.”

Her parents’ example inspired Karina. “They’re one of the most hardworking couples I know. They always told me that if I didn’t work hard enough, there was going to be someone out there who would. I am who I am today because of them.”