Indonesian-born designer Liquica Anggraini is the brains behind cult womenswear label, Radenroro. Focusing on fashion forward design, whilst simultaneously retaining a timeless appeal, ensures each piece withstands fleeting seasonal trends.
Fall/Winter 2011 sees a collection full of beautifully executed, feminine designs, offset with unexpected elements. Demure, lady like midi dresses are backless, whilst separates come layered for a mix and match look.
As well the innovative collections which are being produced each season, the brand also display a refreshing take on the design process. With each step from design to manufacturing being completed in the heart of New York City, customers can be assured that each piece is of the highest possible quality.
After being featured on the new reality show, ‘All on the Line’, featuring Elle Magazines’ very own Joe Zee, the brand now counts Nordstrom as a stockist of their much-coveted line. Taking this into account it perhaps comes as no surprise that Radenroro are already enjoying a huge amount of, much deserved, success.
BTW Radenroro gave us an exclusive sneak peek at their new handbags! Don’t forget to check them out below!
Q: What were your influences for the Fall/Winter season?
A: The best way to understand our influence is to check out the editorial look book on our website. The phrase “Raden Roro” in Indonesian (Liquica’s native language) translates literally to “little princess”. With this in mind, you’ll often see our looks mix sophistication with playful and youthful touches. Our prints are a great example of this. Each season we’ve themed them around objects that are special or significant in a girl’s life. Last spring we did a diamond print that was really popular, this fall we did our Teddy Bear print, and for S/S 2012 we are continuing the theme with an abstract unicorn themed print. Working with Joe Zee on Sundance’s All on the Line show was also helpful as it encouraged us to really embrace these concepts and run with our ideas.
Q: What made you choose to keep production in New York?
A: There are many reasons why we continue to produce in New York, even as we’ve grown to a point where we’re producing several thousand units every season.
First and most important reason is quality control. Being able to walk just a block or two to our factories during production means that we can keep a close eye on every step of the production process and ensure that Radenroro products are always of the best possible quality. When the inevitable bumps in the road come up during production we don’t have to fly to the other side of the world or trust in an overseas assistant, we can just go next door and take charge until things are sorted out. We also know most of the workers who cut and sew our garments on a first-name basis and are friendly with all the factory owners. We trust them and go out of our way to be good business partners to them, in return they do great work for us, pay attention to the important little details, and give us fair pricing.
Another benefit of producing locally is that we can be a lot more agile and responsive to the needs of our customers. We can turn around re-orders and fulfill smaller quantity orders for specialized styles much more easily than someone who has all the overhead of international shipping and large overseas factory minimums. There have been many occasions when we’ve been able to say “yes” to difficult or last-minute customer requests because of this agility, and that’s something which is very important to us.
Finally, as long-time Manhattanites with a brand that got its start in the garment district, we want to see it continue to survive and prosper. It’s sad to see historic stores and factories that were open for 20+ years close down because all their customers started sourcing overseas. In addition to all the good business reasons mentioned above, the fact is that we live and work in NY and like to support our community whenever we can.
As we continue to grow and expand our international business there may well come a day when we do move some of our production overseas. If and when that ever happens, it will only be because we found a way to make the adjustment that does compromise the quality of our products or our ability to rapidly respond to customer needs.
Q: Do you have a specific muse who you envision when designing? Are there any celebrities you would love to see wearing Radenroro?
A: I mostly just design clothes I see myself wearing. This is not an egotistical decision or even something I do consciously… it’s just how my brain is wired. My creative process has always been very organic. I never lie awake trying to think of clever themes or outlandish muses to “inspire” my collection… my designs seem to evolve much more naturally than that. I’m sure many things subliminally influence them but the toughest thing for me is not coming up with ideas but rather pairing my many ideas down into what will work as a cohesive collection.
In terms of celebrities, I adore the Middleton sisters. I think it’s so wonderful that they’re bringing back tasteful, sophisticated style. They’re influencing women to get dressed up again which is great to see. Also since the name “Raden roro” is a royal title in Indonesia, I naturally love the fact that they’re stylish and classy royals who aren’t afraid to mix it up with their fashion. They’re a perfect match for our brand and I’d kill for a chance to dress both Kate and Pippa.
I’m also a big fan of the original Charlie’s Angels (from the 70′s). I watched the show when I was growing up in Indonesia and still love its style today. Some of the silhouettes worn by Jaclyn Smith, Cheryl Ladd Farrah Fawcett and Tanya Roberts have definitely inspired me.
In general, I think I like strong women who are confident in their beauty and style without being too over the top. You don’t need to wear a lobster on your head or dress like a man to make a fashion statement. Great style should appear effortless yet polished… anything that looks like it took hours of work to put together just feels ridiculous and silly to me.
Q: The label seems to be going from strength to strength! What’s next for Radenroro?
A: We have been enjoying some great momentum lately and are just trying to make the most of it. It’s taken us nearly 4 years of incredibly hard and exhausting work to get to this point and we’re not planning to slow down anytime soon. We launched in Nordstrom stores this past Spring and are excited to be working with them again for Fall/Holiday. That partnership is very valuable to us an they’ve been wonderful to work with.
Our Spring 2012 collection is coming along really nicely and we’re hoping that’ll be the season when we finally start breaking into some of the other large department stores.
On the design side, we’ve started exploring the idea of adding some accessories to our collections each season. I just designed my first handbag and sampled it in three different fabrics which was tons of fun and a new challenge.
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LUCY TOPPING
A fashion student, freelance writer and tumblr
addict, who is hoping to work in the wonderful world of fashion magazine
publishing in the very near future.
Blog: http://style-centric.blogspot.com
Twitter: @lucy_topping
