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span class="inline inline-left">Courtesy of Ardistia DwiasriCelebrated for her chic and versatile signature in New York fashion scene, young Indonesian designer Ardistia Dwiasri is beginning a new journey to make her own name at home and beyond.

Dressed casually in a dusty pink top matched with calf-length pants, Ardistia seemed relaxed when The Jakarta Post had a chat with her in her apartment in South Jakarta, a couple of hours before lunch time.

A number of outfits, taken from the women’s wear collection of her label, Ardistia New York, were seen hanging on rods in her apartment.

In a gentle voice, Ardistia – or Disti, her nickname – recalled her career in the fashion industry, noting that she had been interested in art and design since she was a girl.

“I’ve been doing fashion illustrations for years, but I wasn’t sure what I was going to do because fashion was like a hobby. At the same time, I always learned science like math, chemistry and physics,” says the woman who was born in Jakarta, on July 5, 1979.

 Instead of taking design as her major in university, she spent seven years pursuing engineering for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, which in the end only puzzled her about her future.

Her father suggested that she continue her studies in finance but it was her mother’s advice that intrigued her.

“Why don’t you do fashion?” she said to Ardistia.

She was not sure about it until she unexpectedly encountered a friend who was going to New York’s Parsons School of Design who encouraged her to enroll to the school.

Having zero experience in fashion and design, Ardistia gained confidence to apply to the highly competitive art school.

“I did not know anyone in New York. It’s a big city, but when you are so passionate about something, you don’t mind and just go,” she says.

And she got accepted.

Right after graduation in 2003, she joined internship programs at four different companies, including at the house of Dianne Von Furstenberg, where she assisted with sample making, fabric and trim sourcing and fabric dying as well as aiding in the house’s Spring/Summer 2004 fashion show.

She was eager to experience, learn and see how things worked. She freelanced for GAP inc. and Ann Taylor before working as a technical designer at Tommy Hilfiger.

She developed her New York-based fashion company, Ardistia New York, in 2006, which produces and sells her designs.

Her mastery in making luxury look so effortless brought her label to specialty stores and high-end boutiques in the US, Canada, Europe, Middle East and Asia. Her pieces have been featured in publications such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, New York Times, Cosmopolitan, Style.com and on ABC television.

For the US market, Ardistia says that like it or not, she has to embrace the ready-to-wear culture that rules the country’s fashion industry.

“When we were at school, we basically learned the concept of how to break in to the industry and it has always been ready-to-wear. We learn how to manufacture [and to] get the production right.”

Looking back on her early days in the fashion industry, she says that winning hearts in the US market was not easy.

“It’s like evolution, starting from scratch. I started to build a network, getting to know people in the industry, going to shows and trade shows, meeting other designers’ friends, doing collaborations,” says Ardistia.

“It was pretty hard, not having a network or connections. The competition is high.”

Championing Biore/Gen Art Fashion Award in New York in 2007 helped to catapult her label into recognition as well as assisted her to connect with buyers and store owners.

Right now, the 32-year-old is busy expanding into the Asia - Pacific market. She is currently working on her 2012 cruise and resort collection, which is inspired by oceans and the water and getting-out-of-the-winter-blues feeling.

“After experiencing winter and cold for so many months, they just want to get out. So they travel to much warmer climates and they wear more colorful pieces,” she explains.

She is also catching up on fall/winter collection 2012/2013 and is aiming at showing it to her loyal customers both in the US and internationally.

“I don’t think we are going to participate in New York fashion week at the moment. It would be more like a personal appointment and presentation,” she says.

“It’s basically getting the loyal customers to come back and building a relationship with them.”

For the Indonesian market, she has been selling her items at some high-end stores in Jakarta, such as Papillon Duo in Pacific Place shopping mall, The Papillon in Kemang and Muse in Plaza Indonesia and Plaza Senayan.

In Surabaya, her collection can be found in Grand Palace department store in the new Grand City mall.

“There’s big potential in Surabaya market. We’re basically in the learning process to build customers there. It’s definitely a strong market,” she says, adding that she is also working on selling her collection in Bali.

“Let’s see response, what they say about the collection, what works and what doesn’t work. We are adjusting to that as well.”

She says what she has been selling overseas is exactly the same as what is sold here, which is based on international appeal and standards.

“I would love to build my own boutique. We’re working on that. We’re still in the process of learning the market because the Asia-Pacific market is different from the US’ or the West’s,” she says.

Despite her busy schedule, Ardistia tries to spare time to come and see fashion events in the city, including the recent Jakarta Fashion Week.

In terms of the ready-to-wear local industry, she praises the creativity and the potential of Indonesian designers.

“If we do want to be on the international stage, make sure that the product is right, which means, it’s right for the international market and meets the international standards,” she says.

“If there are buyers who would like to order, we’ll be able to produce everything consistently in a high quality on time. And when people reorder, it will be exactly the same as what have been delivered in the past.”

Ardistia said that fashion was not only a glamorous show as its reliability, manufacturing and production systems have to be set up properly.

“It’s not just about a beautiful dress. If, for instance, I want ten of those, can you get them in two weeks?”

She emphasized the importance of getting everything lined up on time.

“Make sure the supplier chain behind it is properly set up. It takes a lot of works because you have to get the structure ready, the system right.”

“Sometimes designers only focus on the design. The 80-or-90-percent part of it is to run the business. It’s not about a show, but after the show. You have to think that you have to sell. That’s the bottom line,” she adds.

She also encourages designers to become actively involved in international trade shows if it is possible.

Have been working hard to build her career abroad, Ardistia discloses one of her greatest challenge so far: creating balance in life.

“I should know when to stop so I can rest and have enough energy to do the project for the next day.”

“When I started the company, I used to work from 8 a.m. to midnight, daily until I was hospitalized for overwork. Then I realized, I should not do that because at the hospital, I realized how depressed I was because I could not get things done.”

Besides her professional goals of maintaining brand presence and reaching wider international market, Ardistia mentions her aims at giving back to the community, inspiring people and helping them to achieve their dreams.

“I feel like I have plenty. I’m living in my dream right now, I mean it’s great,” she says.

On top of that, Ardistia would like to make a professional consulting company so she can consult for people who need help.

“I can be there and give them direction and ideas whether they are on the right track and I may have books and lectures so people can read them.”