Toko Tjantik sees good sales of fashion masks
Professional by day, Liony Tanuwijaya spends her after hours attending to her newly-opened Toko Tjantik.
Launched only in September, the online fashion store based in Jakarta has received encouraging response, especially for handmade, customized, or one-of-a-kind products.
“Our fashion masks have received a lot of attention; we cannot send them out to customers fast enough,’’ said Liony from Jakarta.
She is starting to introduce handmade clutch bags; based on market demand, she will be adding more exciting products.
“Malaysians like unique, one-of-a-kind products; it can be something really simple, but the design must be attractive, of good quality and reasonable priced,’’ said Liony.
She sees a big opportunity to market Indonesian products to Malaysians, who have good taste in fashion and might like different items from Indonesia.
Hand-painted batik and embroidered cheongsams are popular in Indonesia where many local artisans are involved in these crafts.
Besides fashion masks, Toko Tjantik’s other products, to be brought out for sale over time, include shoes, clothing and fashion fabrics such as batik tulis, accessories and handbags.
While her current focus is on Malaysia, she plans to extend her online marketing to other countries soon.
Liony has always wanted to have a business of her own.
Even before she launched the business, she already had a fan club among her Malaysian in-laws’ relatives and friends.
While looking around for the right type of products to sell, she had noticed how her in-laws would admire the things she wore from Indonesia.
This went on for a few years and from her in-laws, the interest spread to their friends who started making pre-orders.
“That was when I realized there was a demand for items from Indonesia,’’ she said.
She is not too concerned about all this buzz over a Covid-19 vaccine which she reckons will take another year to be manufactured and made available.
Customers have commented that the fashion masks sold by Toko Tjantik can be framed as art pieces, once the pandemic is over.
Liony is preparing for a projected increase in demand for other products from Indonesia, when the economy recovers and especially when a vaccine is found.
Based on the promotions that Toko Tjantik is taking part in, she has already shipped out certain products in larger quantities.
Toko Tjantik is currently listed on The Artisans Haven and the umbrella platform called Dreamshop that features more than a billion products, including those of its brand principal Taobao, the world’s largest e-commerce website.
Liony’s fashion icons are the Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton, who frequently wears designs by American designer Kate Spade; and Victoria Beckham, wife of former Manchester United star David Beckham.
To her, they look elegant and chic on any occasion ‘without having too much on them and yet look comfortable as well.’
Liony herself favors a capsule wardrobe made up of key items that she can mix and match; she also likes to look chic but she mostly wears casual that makes her feel comfortable.
With her interest in fashion and her clients’ love for unique, handmade fashion wear from Indonesia, Liony’s business is set to gain new heights.
By Yap Leng Kuen, Chief Storyteller, The Artisans Haven
Haven By Artisans 