Talita Natalia began developing the KLAR accessory range in 2013 before launching with great success in May this year. (Photos courtesy of KLAR)
At only 20 years of age, Talita Natalia can already look to an impressive list of achievements; establishing her own accessory brand is only one of them.
Talita, who graduated from Lasalle College Jakarta majoring in fashion business last month, initially wanted to be a fashion designer, yet seems to have found her true calling in creating clean-cut and eye-catching accessories.
Her brand KLAR was recently nominated by CLEO Fashion Awards 2014 as a finalist for Most Promising Accessory Brand.
Now acting as the creative director for KLAR, Talita talked to the Jakarta Globe about her passion, inspiration, and why she chose a German name for her Indonesian accessories.
When did you first become interested in fashion?
I have loved fashion ever since I could remember. As a kid, I loved clothes so much, I was excited to dress up for special occasions like Christmas or a friend’s birthday — and I also love to shop. I decided to pursue fashion as a career when I was in junior high school. I started sketching clothes because at that time I thought if you want to work in fashion industry then you have to be a fashion designer — a very narrow vision back then.
I learned how to sew in high school and entered several fashion design competitions. I managed to get some achievements but after a while, I felt like making clothes was tiring. I like to design them but I don’t really enjoy making them, especially the patterns; it’s so hard! It was difficult for me to stop in the middle of achieving my dream, since I was very determined to be a fashion designer, but I had to be honest with myself and just face the fact that this might not be for me after all.
I have never thought in my life that I would be an accessory designer. I am a fond of accessories but just never had a vision of becoming involved with it. But in college
I was required to start developing a new brand, and I decided that I wanted to do something different, so I took a risk and chose accessories.
When and why did you decide to create KLAR Accessories?
KLAR was developed in 2013, and officially launched in May 2014.
I always felt that accessories are special. It is like a finishing for your look and has a special connection to the person who wears it; an accessory is a very personal object.
I follow my instincts in designing and wanted to produce accessories that strike a balance, so it can blend with an outfit but at the same time also has the chance to be a standout in that look.
I started exploring materials and finally found acrylic to be the perfect material to represent my design vision. Acrylic has become the main material and identity of KLAR.
What is the mission of KLAR?
I want KLAR to carry a complete accessory assortment, from jewelry to carry goods, shoes and more — for everyone. We have a particular target market, but we are excited to share the vision of our design to a larger group of customers.
What does the brand name mean?
KLAR is the German for clear. A lot of people thought it means ‘kelar,’ which in Indonesian means ‘finished.’ It’s very funny, and I can’t believe it never crossed my mind that people will think of it that way when I chose the brand name!
I chose the word ‘clear’ because it represents our main material, acrylic, which is known for its transparent entity.
I chose the German language because my father was a huge fan of Germany, especially of their football team. It is the thing I remember the most about him when I was a kid, so I chose to use German language because I wanted to add something personal to the brand name.
Indonesia has seen a lot of start-ups recently, particularly in the fashion industry, so I guess the competition must be high. How do you manage to deal with this?
I actually never planned for my brand to be a ‘stand out.’ I have always wanted it to be different but there are a lot of Indonesian accessory designers in the market already who all have a very distinct signature style of their own.
However, I design based on my feelings and am usually inspired by very personal things, and that might be what makes KLAR different to other accessory brands. I often hear from my friends and customers that my strength is the pricing, as they see that the pricing of my products is affordable and suitable.
Talking about inspiration, where do you find yours?
Mainly by my current mood, my ambition, my emotions — it’s all quite personal.
But since feelings are obviously unseen, I also look for inspiration in architecture and interior design; I adore minimalist, contemporary, and innovative buildings and interior designs.
My father was an interior designer and I used to spend hours in his office looking at interior magazines and books when I was still a kid. This is perhaps why interior and architecture influence me. I am also influenced by graphic design.
If I want to buy KLAR accessories, where can I find them?
Currently, in Jakarta you can find it at The Goods Dept, whereas in Bandung we are available at Happy Go Lucky, and soon we will also reach Surabaya.
For online purchase, you can find us at ETCLO and TheGoodsDept online.
Where are you planning to take KLAR in the future?
The brand is still new, so for now I simply hope it will last long and we will continue to create new things. I also look forward to provide a complete range of accessories to our customers, as I believe that the design vision of KLAR is not limited to necklaces, bracelets and rings, but could also be adapted to other ranges of accessories.
Find KLAR on Instagram @KLAR_access
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