Best Foot Forward
A family business dating back some 20 years and which started out as a ladies fine-footwear company, PT Saga Machie is now expanding its brands as well as its reach, as Jessica Lays, General Manager, tells Maina A. Harjani
essica lays’ family venture in the world of fashionable footwear, which initially began with Andre Valentino some 20 years ago, also commenced its journey in big department stores such as Takashimaya in Singapore before it ventured into Indonesia as PT Saga Machie. Today, the company holds brands such as Andre Valentino, ELLE Paris, Studio Nine and its latest creation, Winston Smith. “While in Singapore, all our shoes were imported, but as soon as we decided to bring the company into Indonesia, we acquired our own factory in Tangerang, and all our shoes have been made in this country ever since,” Jessica says.
She also goes on to tell Indonesia Tatler that the leather sourced for the company’s products is from Pakistan, India and China, among others. “Leather is the main source of material for the Andre Valentino collection— we do textured leather, patterns and some fabrics, too, but majority of it is leather.”
Jessica pursued a degree in business at UC Berkeley, after which she worked in the commercial real estate industry in San Francisco for a year. However, as luck would have it, Jessica changed gears soon after that and took up a short course at the International Footwear School and Research Centre (CERCAL) in Italy and focused on pattern making and design—something she was completely foreign to at the time.
“It was a natural instinct for me to join the family business; I mean, who doesn’t love fashion? I was very raw in it at the time, though, with no fashion background whatsoever. However, pursuing a design course in Italy really helped me appreciate and understand aesthetics from a different perspective,” she says.
Even though the Indonesian market is not very adaptive to change in quality and price, Jessica believes that with the right marketing techniques to promote the brands, the company will eventually reach its targeted goals for each brand.
“Our shoes represent value for money, and I ensure that we keep quality as the main priority. For our brands, we make sure that styles are kept up to date, and are timeless and can be worn by people of all ages,” Jessica explains.
With the e-commerce industry booming in Indonesia, we asked Jessica if the online world has had an impact on her company, and she says: “My online and social media presence is not that wide because with shoes, it’s different. People prefer to try them on, especially if they are willing to pay for quality. “It’s easier to part with money for clothes, but for shoes, there are many other factors involved,” she adds. Jessica currently handles 15 standalone boutiques in Indonesia with the hope of further expansion in the near future.
Jessica currently handles 15 standalone boutiques in Indonesia with the hope of further expansion in the near future
Chopard’s emerald ring is sure to stand out on any finger