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ABC Nice A creative labor of love
Shopping time: Shoppers browse at ABC NICE Pop-up Shop at Sunset Limited in Jakarta
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Shopping time: Shoppers browse at ABC NICE Pop-up Shop at Sunset Limited in Jakarta. (Courtesy of ABC Nice/Rama Florenza Manafe)
The ‘nice’ in the name of local merchandise brand ABC NICE represents the brand’s casual approach.
Resha Savero, the man behind local merchandise brand ABC NICE, isn’t much into describing his trade.
Though he ostensibly sells objects, Resha doesn’t want to consider it a business yet, insisting on not having the urge to slap a label on it.
“At heart, I still refuse to even call it a business, but the closest I could get is ‘a creative labor of love’,” he said.
That labor of love comes in the form of T-shirts, jumpers and tote bags. They are imbued with designs that seem obsessed with 90s typography; the kind of text-driven word collages that is half playful, half ransom note and all colorful.
Think of the opening title screen typography of 90s teen series such as Beverly Hills 90210 or Saved by The Bell peppered with a designer flair and you would come close.
The brand’s name represents its casual approach.
“Right now, I would say that I picked the name because nice is the middle way to many ways — not too good, not too bad,” said Resha. The ABC was chosen because it was simple — “something the kids understand.”
One of ABC NICE’s most recognizable merchandise is a T-shirt bearing the logo “Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha all taught us to be a NICE person.”
Apart from its wink at the word nice, it also presents the one side of ABC NICE Resha does want people to see.
“In my teenage years I read so many biographies of great minds and that inspired me to [try and better] the world,” he explained.
In 2012, when he was 20, Resha and a few of his friends started an NGO for women and children called Teratai. The organization held marches to celebrate women (such as on Kartini Day) and youth camps. It has since disbanded.
Still, the experience was empowering and Resha felt he was contributing to the world. But it also presented the realization that “changing the world is too big of a purpose. Now, the purpose is just to be the best version of myself. I need to change who I am all the time in order to remain true to my deepest spirit. Now, I hope my work will spark people to change the world. It’s like planting seeds everywhere — I just let it bloom.”
In its third year of existence, ABC NICE remains a one-man company.
Resha designs everything by himself (though he does have friends who assist him once in a while). He also takes care of the manufacturing and distribution aspect of the company. This kind of control is something the 25-year-old appreciates.
“I know my selling numbers and where it sells the most. I interact with people who buy them. I also write personal messages on the merchandise’s packaging. I like having control of my own career,” he said.
Resha likes to indulge in the process of production — “following ideas all the way through. What I’m doing is arranging a mix of things, adding to it carefully, adding a little bit of soul until it touches a place where my hands can’t. I know it’s done when it feels just right and gives me that ‘feeling’.”
Resha’s preference for T-shirts comes from its straightforward quality. It’s easy to attach a message to it and nothing gets in the way of that text being read and understood.
“It’s an alternative and useful way to spread messages and communicate with everybody,” he said, adding that the goal was for it to represent the hidden thoughts of the person wearing it.
“[Maybe] someone is too afraid or too shy to express their feelings. But most importantly, I want my ideas and designs to last, not just as a ‘design that fits on apparel’.”
Resha doesn’t want to talk about the materials and production method he uses; what he wants is for customers to understand that this is a labor of passion.
“I go the extra mile. Basically, what I do with ABC Nice is a simple and organic process, but it takes extra effort and patience. I always try my best to make that what’s in my head comes out exactly as it should on the end product,” he said.
“If I die one day, I hope someone will put ‘This loving man has tried his best to make beautiful things happen’ on my headstone. I think that would be enough.”
