A

/span>Actor, presenter and singer Andhika Pratama is expecting a baby with his wife, singer Ussy Sulistiawaty, whom he married in January this year.

He was beaming with joy as the couple launched a shoe line called Ussy Shoes in Pasaraya in Blok M, South Jakarta. While Andhika encouraged Ussy to try her hand in the shoe industry, he went on to design the female shoe collection that they have available online. Last year, his designs were showcased during Jakarta Fashion Week.

“I wasn’t directly trying to design shoes. In the beginning, we just brought a pair of Ussy’s shoes to a craftsman and asked him to copy the design. We wanted to test his skills, and he proved to be the right person for the job because he could execute complicated designs.

“After that success, I designed a logo for the shoe brand, and Ussy approved it. I became more confident and started to design some shoes using my iPad. I practice drawing Ussy’s shoes on the gadget to get used to the curves. The technology really helps me because I am not a good drawer on paper.

“Usually, I create the basic shoe designs and provide some ideas for the motifs and then Ussy will develop the accessories. We do not really follow the trends, and try to offer everlasting designs because we believe people will eventually go back to the basics. Ours are not too experimental or weird.

“Now that I am married, Sunday is a time for family, as I have fixed working schedule from Monday to Friday.

“Ussy and I have made a commitment to dedicate time to family. If I take an off-air job on weekends, I usually ask Ussy’s permission first. If the job location is not too far away, I can usually work for a short amount of time and then spend the rest of the day with my family. Sometimes we go out to playgrounds or restaurants, at other times we will just stay at home. I don’t like the idea of going to Puncak area [West Java] because it is congested. I am happy enough to enjoy smooth roads on Sundays. We like to try new restaurants or look for good food. Our favorite restaurant is Loewi Café and Bistro in Kemang. I like the western food there.