Maybe you agree that one way to describe personality is through appearance.
We choose clothing colors, models, and accessories that represent our personality. Are you a feminine woman? Or tomboyish? Are you a man who likes to wear jewelry that makes you look masculine and elegant? Imelda Widjaja, a jewelry designer from Jakarta who has worked in Bali for 13 years, has succeeded in depicting personality through the jewelry she creates.
By giving a summer feel, Jewel Rocks by Imelda Widjaja has been used by consumers to represent their enthusiastic personalities and high curiosity about trying new things. Imelda Widjaja's consumers come from various countries, from Hawaii to Africa. Come on, check out Imelda Widjaja's exciting story behind the variety of jewelry she presents!
The Power of Word Of Mouth
Before entering the jewelry business, Imelda Widjaja, who is familiarly called Mel, had tried starting various businesses. But, nothing matches Mel's enthusiasm when she creates jewelry. Starting with selling jewelry to friends at the office, to receiving orders to make corporate gifts from companies like Loreal, Mel was finally convinced to be consistent in the jewelry business. After spending the first three months back and forth from Jakarta to Bali, making samples, connecting with suppliers and interacting with buyers, Mel chose to stay in Bali and run his business there. In one corner of Seminyak, Jalan Drupadi number 8 to be precise, Mel opened his shop called Jewel Rocks.
Arriving in Bali, Mel tried to find suppliers who could make deals with crafts. Bidding is the process of inserting beads into a rope, one type of rope that Mel chose was kenur. For the previous 3 years, Mel studied jewelry autodidactically. When Mel arrived in Bali, Mel didn't stop studying. Mel went from shop to shop on the side of the road, until she asked one of her friends who worked in garments. The learning process made Mel understand that she had to create something that she liked, that she wanted to use. Don't follow trends.
When the trend on the market was pearls connected using wire, Mel didn't join in making similar products. Mel makes something more charming, but doesn't lose the funky and streetwear impression. Mel chose bold colors. Her decision not to follow market trends actually brought Mel together with customers who had the same tastes as Mel. From there, Mel became more confident in trusting her intuition.
At the start of Mel's move to Bali, Mel was immediately busy with orders for 2000 necklaces for 2 weeks. The order came from Loreal. A friend of Mel's sister who works at Loreal was interested in the jewelry that Mel made and asked Mel for help in making a corporate gift. Since Mel accepted the challenge, his products have spread and their excellent quality has made Mel's reputation even brighter. Positive testimonials from Loreal employees continue to spread. A uterine bar customer comes to Mel. This makes Mel confident that the word of mouth strategy has proven to be effective in helping her in business. At that time, Mel said, social media wasn't even popular yet.
"Positive testimonials from the word of moth strategy have proven to be effective in helping businesses."
Determining a Signature in the Middle of Market Trends
As we know, design continues to evolve. As creators, we are required to be able to adapt while maintaining our identity. How did Mel initially discover the signature? Mel sets herself as a benchmark. Mel sharpens her imagination to be creative. What Mel likes and doesn't like is then used as a benchmark. His liking is also not permanent. For example, at first Mel likes a certain ingredient, but the quality of the ingredient weakens after being used for a certain period of time, Mel will quickly change her choice.
In this process, Mel tries to build connections with his customers. Mel tries to find ways so that his customers can experience the values that Mel includes in the products. Namely full of spirit, desire to explore and freedom. By creating jewelry that contains these values, Mel connects with his customers emotionally, so that his customers also feel strong brand values when using the products that Mel makes. That's how Mel maintains good relationships with her loyal customers.
Apart from that, to enrich his design collection, Mel also diligently digs into his memories. When she was little, Mel and her friends had friendship bracelets with rainbow colors. Mel's bracelet, whose model and color is currently hard to find, finally created it herself. To create original products, Mel modifies her memories and experiences about a product. The philosophy of continuing to wear a friendship bracelet until it breaks is what touches him. This also reminded Mel of a culture in India.
Another culture that inspires Mel is the fashion style in Japan. Mel liked every detail in anime in Japan, then Mel adapted those details into his products. One of the projects that Mel is promoting this year is Japanese On The Moon, about Japanese people who go to Japan. Mel admits that he really enjoys his exploration of combining various styles in culture and pouring them into a new, original work.
Full of spirit, desire to explore, and freedom, are Jewel Rocks' signature values.
Success Starts From Imagination
Mel is actually quite open to customer requests. Sometimes, Mel accepts orders based on customer tastes, starting from materials, colors, to models. However, Mel never strayed from the soul of her brand, Jewel Rocks. Mel always provides alternative options so that the products he makes, even though they are based on customer requests, still contain the life that Mel has brought to life.
So far, Mel has used 60% of her focus on her own brand, Jewel Rocks, then the remaining 40% of her attention has been used by Mel to work on products from other labels. The model that Mel created was certainly not haphazard, it was based on a mature concept. Therefore, one model collection can be used by Mel for 2-3 years, because producing it also requires complete time and attention.
What does Mel do so that she never runs out of inspiration for creating jewelry? Mel suggests immediately jotting down ideas that come to mind. Be it design ideas, materials, models or colors. Usually, after having a design sketch, Mel will put together all the material options. Mel will collect the alternative materials on the table and then arrange them according to the concept he has designed.
If Mel has made a choice, the process itself will not take long. Searching for ideas and the process of combining materials requires most of Mel's time. That's the secret behind Mel's quality products; Mel determines everything selectively.
Not only in the production process, Mel also plays a role in the marketing process. During a photoshoot, for example. Mel will help determine the model, even mixing and matching the setting, property and objects. Mel understands the message he conveys through his products, and that message must be successfully conveyed in the content he publishes.
Mel's selective decisions in every step of his business have attracted many customers from all over the world. Before starting Jewel Rocks, Mel had the imagination to sell her products in a hotel on the beach. That way, visitors can use it while enjoying the beach atmosphere, or as a souvenir. Now, it's not just beaches in Bali, there are also customers from beaches in Hawaii and Africa. Mel enthusiastically said that this would not have happened if Mel had never imagined it before.
Just like Mel, maybe we shouldn't be afraid to imagine our dreams. If necessary, visualize the imagination. As long as we have high determination to make it happen, whatever our dreams are, we can definitely achieve them. Of course with consistency and hard work. What kind of imagination have you dreamed of and wanted to make come true?
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