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Jakarta, March 30, 2024 – Starting from her interest in fashion and seeing the opportunity for high-quality Indonesian leather products, Adinda Sheila began her leather handbag business under the brand "Adisher Leather" in 2012. Adinda noticed that the leather craftsmanship produced by local artisans was comparable in quality to high-end bag products.
At the time, Adinda, who was still an Architecture Engineering student at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta, collaborated with leather craftsmen to produce various bags from her designs. Each product was hand-made to maintain the quality of the stitching. Adinda also incorporated Kawung batik fabric into the lining of her leather bags to create an exclusive product.
"Kawung batik is known as an exclusive batik that was once only used by the Yogyakarta sultanate and is one of the oldest batik motifs in Indonesia. Every Adisher leather product is produced by hand, making each product different with quality stitching," said Adinda.
Despite not having financial support from her parents, Adinda chose to prove the success of her business. Her decision to ask her parents for time to demonstrate her business's potential was the first step in a challenging journey. After graduating in 2012, Adinda moved her workshop from Yogyakarta to Jakarta in 2014. She then opened a new and larger workshop in Depok, West Java, in 2017.
Adinda successfully obtained her first foreign buyer through LinkedIn. Initially, Adinda tried offering her products by posting a product catalog in various international LinkedIn groups.
"A buyer from Switzerland replied to my post, interested in purchasing a card holder for their event. The buyer bought the card holder as a sample for USD 350. The buyer provided feedback with a very good review, competitive with other European products. Although the buyer did not place an order for their event due to the long shipping time from Indonesia to Switzerland, the positive feedback gave me confidence to continue the business," she said.
Adinda's perseverance and love for fashion, combined with her focus on product quality, began to yield results. Adisher Leather products received many positive reviews from foreign buyers. After Switzerland, Adinda received an order from the Netherlands for 100 leather waist bags for a festival souvenir requirement.
In 2018, Adinda participated in the Coaching Program for New Exporters (CPNE) to increase her knowledge and insights in the export field. This program helped her in attending various export training sessions and finding new buyers in various business matching events and exhibitions like the Trade Expo Indonesia (TEI) 2018.
The CPNE program from LPEI opened up great business opportunities for Adisher Leather. Supported by 10 workers in the workshop located in Depok, various Adisher Leather products have penetrated 10 countries, with the largest market in the United States, followed by Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, various countries in Europe, and Brazil.
To maintain product quality, Adhiser Leather only produces 500 units of each type of product per month, such as leather bags, leather wallets, and other leather accessories. According to Adinda, the key to the success of starting Adisher Leather is always conducting market research and design that follows the evolution of the times. "The process of making bags is not just about choosing fabric, sewing, and making the desired bag. But we also must conduct market research and design following the trends that are developing, even we must know what colors are trending in our buyer's country," said Adinda.
Adinda prefers the export market because it appreciates the originality and quality of products without a price war. "Buyers for the export market do not see price as the main factor; they prefer to become business partners and discuss to develop better products," she said.
The success story of Adinda Sheila and Adisher Leather is real proof that with perseverance, quality, and the right strategy, local Indonesian products can compete in the international market. "I hope Adisher Leather can continue to work and bring Indonesian products to dare to go global," she said.
Media Liason:
Chesna F. Anwar
Corporate Secretary – Indonesia Eximbank
Ph. : (021)39503600
Email: corpsec@indonesiaeximbank.go.id
Web: http://www.indonesiaeximbank.go.id
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