Simply Stylish
Traditional Indonesian fabrics turn the century with PURANA as modelled by the talented Julie Estelle 135
Three years ago, two felicitous events happened to Nonita Respati—one was that her seven-year-old PURANA brand that she grew from small seeds had gained a partner to oversee the business side while she focuses on the creative side. “We bring modern touches to traditional Indonesian fabrics to change the popular perspective that they’re not easily wearable or too ceremonial,” said Nonita, “The indigenous craftspeople work together with us to develop their craft further.”
The second event was when a long-time friend asked her to support a young star named Julie Estelle, which Nonita quickly agreed to. “She embodies the qualities of a PURANA woman: your next-door type of girl who is feminine yet also strong,” Nonita said. “Julie is also humble and stays true to herself although she has a lot of accomplishments.”
Julie, on the other hand, loves Nonita’s handiwork for its laidback, airy, and comfy points that look effortless despite the many intricacies going for each piece. “One of my favourites is the terracotta set of pants, jacket, and bralette from PURANA’ spring/summer collection,” said Julie, “I like simple yet stylish clothing, and this ensemble just exudes the feeling of a warm summer day.”
number” has never been truer than in the case of Faye Simanjuntak. Having found out about the horrors of child trafficking, the young Faye decided that she had to act. Faye wasted no time in working towards making her visions a reality, and thus, Rumah Faye was born. An NGO with a focus on protecting and sheltering victims of childtrafficking and its preventions, Rumah Faye has accomplished a great deal in the five years of its operation. And believe Faye when she says that this is only the beginning. Below is Indonesia Tatler’s exclusive interview with the girl who is changing the world.
How did you discover your passion? Who inspires you?
I cannot pinpoint a specific time when I discovered my passion. I guess that I had always known that I want to help people, I just didn’t know how. When I learned about child sex trafficking, I think I realised that this is where I felt called to work.
Child sex trafficking is a global issue where injustice thrives. I think passion finds you. Sure, you have got to work for it, work to find it, but at the end of the day, your passion will reveal itself to be the driving force in all that you do. It’s probably not going to be a super-spiritual or supernatural moment, but you’ll know when you find it. I discovered my passion after a Google search and shedding more than a few tears.
My mum, dad, and grandparents have always been my inspiration. I’ve always wanted to be hardworking like my mum, empathetic like my dad, powerful like my grandmother, and passionate like my grandfather. In different ways, my family have all inspired me and supported me in making a difference. For that, I will always be thankful.
Tell us about your current project
Rumah Faye will always be a work in progress. Our efforts in preventing child sex exploitation are ongoing and new things are always being thrown our way. We have been given countless opportunities to work together with other NGOS both in Indonesia and around the world in ways that I never thought would be possible.
Another major project we are working on is the Youth Team. Personally, I strongly believe
Do not even get me started on my family. My mum, dad, brother, and grandparents have been there since day zero. They were there when I broke down and found out about child prostitution and they were there when Rumah Faye was made official. I’m going to be completely honest and say that my grandfather did not believe in me at first. My role model did not believe in me. I know, heartbreaking. I tell everyone this because, honestly? There are going to be people you look up to who will not always believe in or trust you. Prove them wrong.
My mum and dad have always believed in me and have never doubted me. If my friends helped me to work hard, my parents pushed me to work hard. They were the ones who taught me to love, to empathise, to believe in people, and most importantly, to believe in humanity. To know that no matter how hard things could and probably would get, people are still good. They have taught me discipline and respect, and also how to have fun in the craziest places. Adaptability, humility, and understanding are among other virtues that I grew up with. Honestly, the whole reason I can be here today is all thanks to my parents.
What was the biggest challenge that you faced and what about the advantages that you have?
Personally, my biggest challenge was getting people to take me seriously as a teenage activist. When I first started Rumah Faye, people told me over and over and over again to stop— that I could not do it, that it was not worth it. However, over the past couple of years, the response has gotten much better though.
Nowadays, people are much more accepting and understanding of the things that I wish to talk about. This seamlessly leads to my advantages, in the sense that I’m privileged to be able to have a voice. As a young Indonesian teenager, I am very lucky to be able to share my thoughts and opinions. I feel that being a teenager allows me to be heard better. I’m also lucky to have so much support from my family, who continuously open new doors that I did not even know existed.
How would you encourage youths around you with similar dreams?
I encourage them by trying to help them make connections. As teenagers, I feel like so many of us want to make a difference. The problem is, most do not have the means to fulfill that. As a person who has been able to build connections and friendships with various people over the years, I work hard to try to open doors for other teenagers who want to make a difference too. I try to encourage them to stay in school and give opportunities, whether vocational or educational as needed.
What do you consider as your biggest accomplishment?
I’d like to think Rumah Faye is! Over the past few years, Rumah Faye has grown so much more than I ever thought it could. In its young age, we have been able to reach so many people and even launch our new shelter. We are also one of the only NGOS in Indonesia with three complete programmes that offer proper help in preventing child prostitution. I am so thankful that we have been able to get this far and hope to see Rumah Faye flourish more and reach even more people around Indonesia.