Success in Building a Local Fashion Brand at a Young Age: The Story of Three Kartini Who Empower Women and Communities

Kapanlagi.com - Kartini Day, celebrated every April 21, symbolizes the struggle of a woman who not only inspires but also paves the way for women to continue to grow. This spirit is also alive in the journey of three founders of Luxxe Studio, namely Sabila Anjani Syahrul, Meutia Tasla Syahrul, and Cella Chintania. Since 2016, they have not only built a successful fashion business but also empowered women to create and collaborate in the fashion industry.

Luxxe Studio was born from a simple inspiration, starting from the personal experiences of the co-founders who often struggled to find formal clothing that matched their tastes. “We wanted to create clothes that we actually wanted to wear ourselves, fashion pieces that are not only stylish but also have the right cuts and reliable quality,” said Sabila Anjani Syahrul, one of the Co-Founders of Luxxe Studio. According to her, amidst the numerous fashion brands emerging today, having uniqueness is very important, yet it must remain relevant to women's needs for comfortable and functional clothing.

The journey of Luxxe Studio has not been without challenges, but they always seek the best solutions to continue advancing their business. One of them is by taking courses at one of the best fashion schools in Indonesia to keep up with the fashion industry, both in business and technical aspects. Learning about the clothing production process to how to view the industry from a business perspective.

On the other hand, another challenge they had to face was building all the foundations of Luxxe Studio from scratch, such as production, marketing, and gaining customer trust one by one. Because e-commerce platforms were not as popular back then, Sabila revealed that they had to conduct transactions one by one through messaging features on social media. To expand its business reach across Indonesia, Luxxe Studio decided to start collaborating with Shopee. After implementing new strategies and adapting to technological developments, their business has proven to be increasingly thriving.

1. Shopee's Contribution Boosts Luxxe Studio's Business Growth

Since joining Shopee in 2017, Luxxe Studio's business has experienced significant growth. Initially, Shopee was used as an alternative sales platform at the request of customers who felt safer transacting through it. However, over time, the majority of their customers have come from Shopee.

According to Sabila, the various features and programs introduced by Shopee have encouraged their business growth. The presence of Shopee Live and Shopee Video has helped them interact directly with customers and introduce products in real-time, while also showcasing product details to enhance customer trust. One of Shopee's programs, namely Shopee Affiliate, is also said to help expand Luxxe Studio's reach.

In addition, she mentioned that there is also a surge in orders during twin date campaigns such as 9.9, 10.10, and 11.11, where the number of orders can skyrocket up to 3 times compared to regular days. This is driven by the various promotions, vouchers, and free shipping features offered by Shopee, which are highly sought after by customers.

“In the end, our revenue increased by 20-30% each year thanks to the Shopee platform. Every year, as we approach the festive season, our average sales increase can reach up to 200%, thanks to our participation in campaigns like the Shopee Ramadan Fashion Bazaar,” added Sabila.

On the other hand, Luxxe Studio also acknowledges that there is another reason why its products are often in demand. They design clothing by combining traditional elements with a modern touch. One of them is the “Raya Collection 2025,” which draws inspiration from the elegance of Indonesian women's attire. They believe that local products must have a strong character while maintaining quality, appealing designs, and packaging that captures customer interest.

2. The Realization of Kartini's Spirit: Successfully Empowering Women Around

The spirit of Kartini is not only manifested by the three of them through business innovation but also through the economic benefits brought to the surrounding community. Sabila, Cella, and Meutia create job opportunities for local people, especially housewives. Through a strong management system and a supportive environment, Luxxe Studio successfully formed a special beading detail team filled with mothers, ensuring their welfare and work-life balance.

“One of our teams, the special beading detail team, is assisted by mothers from our surrounding community. We arrange their working hours until around 4 PM, so afterwards they can still go home, take care of their children, and fulfill their roles as mothers at home. With this approach, we not only focus on product quality but also on the social impact of the business we build. This concept is upheld because for us, Luxxe Studio is not just a fashion brand but also a platform to empower and inspire the community, especially women,” explained Sabila.

For them, the figure of Kartini in this modern era is represented by extraordinary women who have a great capacity to bring positive change to society. Women are also encouraged to dare to dream, take risks, and innovate. Therefore, young people, especially women, who want to start a business in the fashion industry can follow these three recipes. The first recipe is, don't be afraid to fail; execution is the key to all business ideas.

"Just try it first, whatever the idea, the important thing is to test it in the market right away. From there, we can know what works and what needs improvement. Don't wait for perfection before starting, because it's actually the process of falling and getting up that helps us grow," said Sabila.

The second recipe is a strong brand identity. She stated that every brand must know and understand the message they want to convey as well as their target market. Once this second recipe is in hand, the third and final recipe is to be consistent and transparent. In the midst of a constantly changing world, Sabila said that adaptation is the key to surviving in the Indonesian fashion industry.

"The world keeps changing; trends, shopping methods, even the way we communicate with customers also changes. So it's very important for us to remain adaptive, to want to learn new things, and not to be easily satisfied. Enjoy every process, and continue to take lessons that come through every step we take,” he concluded.

(kpl/glo)