Popnicute is in National Newspaper Jawa Pos

Following the success of KHQA interview, this is my second mention in the media. Popnicute and I were honored to be featured in Jawa Pos, a major national newspaper based in Surabaya, Indonesia. The story revolves on my contribution to the celebrity gift bags that were distributed in GBK Gift Lounge for The 2012 MTV Movie Awards and my affiliation to The Artisan Group. It also tells a story about how did I get into handmade jewelry business and some blurb about my personal, cultural, and academic background.

Big thanks to my former teacher in college, Pak Obed, who forwarded my story to Jawa Pos. Otherwise this national media coverage would have never happened. I was humbled by his kindness. Glad to be his friend in facebook.

Too bad my website address is not mentioned in the article but hopefully everyone knows how to Google Popnicute! :))

Popnicute got 2/3 page feature! WOW!  Look how big the photos are ^_^

Photo credit goes to a friend in Surabaya, Rio, who kindly took this photo for me :)

My mom laminated this article for me! I will frame it once it gets here ^_____~

For you who couldn't get a hold of this newspaper, this is a copy of the text. English translation is at the bottom.

Indonesian Version

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Kharisma R. Sommers 

Owner Line Perhiasan Popnicute

Tembus Seleb Hollywood

Ada wakil Indonesia di ajang MTV Movie Awards 2012. Tapi jangan lantas bayangkan salah seorang pemain Twilight Saga yang menjadi pemenang movie of the year itu datang dari tanah air. Keberadaan Kharisma Ryantori Sommers lah yang membuat nuansa merah putih muncul di perhelatan bergengsi tahunan itu.

Hampir di semua even besar insan musik atau film AS ada sesi pembagian gift bags. Isinya macam-macam. Yang pasti semua merupakan produk pilihan karena akan diberikan kepada para selebriti yang datang. Untuk MTV Movie Awards 2012 yang berlangsung di Gibson Amphitheatre 3 Juni lalu, pemberian tas suvenir itu diadakan event company GBK. Sebuah momen khusus bernama GBK Luxury Gift Lounge pun dibuat pada 1-2 Juni di L’Ermitage Hotel, Beverly Hills.

Diantara barang yang dibagikan ada set perhiasan bertema Batik Glam Indonesia. Itu merupakan buatan Kharisma. Lewat line perhiasannya, Popnicute, perempuan kelahiran 1 April 1981 itu mengirimkan karyanya untuk diberikan kepada para para bintang Hollywood itu.

Bisa mengisi gift bags para seleb itu tentu menjadi kehormatan bagi Kharisma. Kesempatan tersebut datang setelah dia tergabung dalam The Artisan Group, sebuah grup eksklusif yang menyediakan collective sampling untuk selebriti Hollywood. ”Tidak semua orang diterima masuk organisasi ini. Setelah menjadi anggota, kita bisa berpartisipasi di segala even yang ditawarkan. Seperti menyediakan gift bags untuk MTV Movie Awards, Academy Awards, atau Golden Globes,” kata Kharisma.

Kharisma adalah orang Indonesia asli. Dia lahir dan besar di Surabaya. Bungsu dari dua bersaudara itu baru pindah ke Illinois, AS, pada September 2010 karena menikah dengan seorang pria Amerika bernama Steven Sommers. Bisnis jewelry yang sudah mulai dirintisnya sejak dari tanah air itu pun turut diboyongnya.

Perhiasan menjadi salah satu fokus utama Kharisma saat ini. Putri Ryantori, insinyur ternama Surabaya penemu konsep Konstruksi Sarang Laba-Laba bersama Ir Sutjipto, itu mulai tertarik dengan jewelry saat menginjak remaja. Ketika SMP dia menjual bandul kalung dari bahan clay. ”Lalu tante saya yang ada di Hongkong mulai rajin mengirimi buku-buku kreasi tangan sampai monte-monte dan kristal. Setelah itu saya membuat dan menjual jewelry on and off ketika kuliah karena tugas yang menumpuk,” ceritanya.

Begitu menyelesaikan kuliah di UK Petra jurusan Design Komunikasi Visual, Kharisma bekerja di beberapa perusahaan sebagai desainer grafis. Tapi kemudian dia mengambil keputusan jika bekerja untuk orang lain bukan panggilan hidupnya. ”Saya pilih bisnis jewelry dan freelance graphic designer kecil-kecilan. Sampai pada 2008 saya mengenal teknik membuat perhiasan bernama wire wrapping dan itu saya lakukan sampai sekarang,” tutur perempuan yang tidak pernah mengenyam pendidikan formal tentang jewelry itu.

Label Popnicute lahir ketika Kharisma sudah siap untuk menjual karyanya melalui internet. Ketika itu dia sudah mulai menggeluti teknik wire wrapping dan beranggapan hasil-hasilnya layak dijual secara internasional. ”Karena itu saya butuh brand. Dan kemudian terciptalah Popnicute yang merupakan singkatan dari POPular, uNIque, and CUTE. Saya ingin nama saya unik karena saya tidak mau calon pembeli salah beli di perusahaan lain karena nama yang mirip,” jelasnya. (ayi)

Seniman Yang Juga Pengusaha

Kharisma dengan tegas menyebut dirinya adalah keduanya. Ini menjawab pertanyaan apakah dia itu sebenarnya seniman atau pengusaha. ’’Jika saya bukan keduanya, maka Popnicute tak pernah ada,’’ tandasnya.

Menurutnya, sangat penting bagi seniman untuk mempunyai jiwa pengusaha. Jika tidak, maka kecil kemungkinan dia bisa menjadi seniman yang sukses secara finansial. Dalam bisnis pop, sangat penting untuk menjaga sebuah karya dan penampilan. Dan untuk itu, juga perlu dana untuk mendapatkan nilai lebih.

Melalui sentuhan berkelas, pernak-pernik yang ditawarkan oleh Kharisma mempunyai harga yang cukup lumayan. Mulai dari USD 19 (Rp 178 ribu) untuk simple copper ring hingga USD 890 (Rp 8,3 juta) untuk set perhiasan perak Argentium houte couture.

Kharisma tak pernah asal-asalan membuat perhiasannya. Ketika masih di Indonesia, Kharisma menggunakan electrical wire dari bahan copper dan perak sterling dari Bali. Tapi, ketika sudah berdomisili di AS dia menggunakan Argentium sterling dan juga copper and brass. ’’Tapi untuk silver beads-nya, saya masih impor dari Bali,’’ terangnya.

Untuk batu-batu alamnya, Kharisma mengaku mengumpulkan yang terbaik dari berbagai negara. Mulai dari Indonesia, India, Tiongkok, hingga juga meminta bantuan dari sesama desainer perhiasan dari AS. Dalam proses pengerjaannya, Kharisma mengaku jarang sekali mensketsa awal dengan begitu detail. ’’Sebab, biasanya ide berkembang saat proses pengerjaan,’’ terangnya. Untuk menjaga mutu, Kharisma mengaku mengerjakannya sendiri. Mulai dari mendesain, memotong metal, hingga finishing. ’’Saya tak punya asisten,’’ tambah dia. Selain mendesain sendiri, Kharisma juga menerima order dari para klien. (ayi)

Kata Kharisma

• Semua perhiasan Popnicute handmade tidak ada yang cetakan jadi produk sangat eksklusif.
• Butuh waktu 20 menit untuk membuat sebuah cincin dan maksimal 20 jam untuk 1 buah kalung.
• Lewat The Artisan Group sudah mengirimkan perhiasan Popnicute ke Drew Barrymore.
• Internet menjadi sumber inspirasi tanpa batas dalam mencari ide.

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English translation

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 Kharisma R. Sommers

Owner of Popnicute Artisan Jewelry

Going Hollywood

There was a representative of Indonesia at The 2012 MTV Movie Awards. But don't imagine it was one of the actors of the winning MTV Movie of the Year, The Twilight Saga, came from our homeland. It's the existence of Kharisma Ryantori Sommers that made the shades of red and white appeared in that prestigious annual event.

In most major events like music or movies awards in the U.S.A., gift lounges are always present. They contain all kinds of products. Exclusive products that will be given to the celebrities who are attending. For the 2012 MTV Movie Awards that was held at Gibson Amphitheatre on June 3rd, one of them was by GBK. A special GBK Luxury Gift Lounge was created on June 1 to 2 at the L'Ermitage Hotel, Beverly Hills.

Among the distributed items there was a set of themed jewelry called Batik Glam Indonesia. They were made by Kharisma. Through her jewelry line, Popnicute, this girl who was born in April 1st sent off her handiwork to be given to Hollywood stars.

To be able to participate in the celebrity gift bags was an honor for Kharisma. The opportunity came after she joined the The Artisan Group, an exclusive group that provides a collective sampling for Hollywood celebrities. "Not everyone is accepted into this organization. Once a member, we can participate in all events offered, such as providing gift bags for the MTV Movie Awards, Academy Awards, or Golden Globes,"said Kharisma.

Kharisma is a native of Indonesia. She was born and raised in Surabaya. The youngest of two sisters recently moved to Illinois, USA, in September 2010 to marry an American man named Steven Sommers. Jewelry business that she has founded in her homeland also moved along with her.

Jewelry is currently Kharisma's main focus. The daughter of Ryantori, the famous civil engineer, co-inventor of the concept of Konstruksi Sarang Laba-Laba (Cobweb foundation construction) with Ir Sutjipto, became interested in jewelry making as a teenager. She started selling pendants made of clay materials in high school. "Then my aunt who lived in Hong Kong began to diligently sent how-to books and materials like beads and crystals. When I was in college I made and sold jewelry on and off due to heavy college tasks," she said.

Once completed the course at Petra Christian University in Visual Communication Design department, Kharisma worked in several companies as a graphic designer. Later on, she took the decision that working for someone else was not for her. "I chose to work as a freelance graphic designer and jewelry maker. Until in 2008 I was introduced to a jewelry making technique called wire wrapping and that's what I do until now," said the woman who never received a formal education in jewelry making.

Popnicute label was born when Kharisma is ready to sell her work through the internet. At the time she had begun to cultivate the techniques of wire wrapping and thought the results were sellable internationally. "Therefore, I needed a brand. And she created Popnicute which stands for POPular, uNIque, and CUTE. I wanted my name to be unique because I did not want any potential buyer to be misguided," she explained. (Ayi)

The Artist who also an Entrepreneur

Kharisma unequivocally calls herself as both to answer the question of whether she was actually an artist or entrepreneur. ''If I was not both, Popnicute would never exist,'' she said.

According to her, it is very important for artists to have the entrepreneur spirit. If not, there is little possibility that he/she could be a financially successful artist. In the pop business, it is crucial to maintaining creation and image. And for that, greater funds are needed to get more value.

With a touch of class, handmade jewelry offered by Kharisma has a pretty good price. Starts from USD 19 (Rp 178,000.00) for a simple copper ring to $ 890 (Rp 8,300,000.00) to set of houte couture Argentium silver jewelry.

Kharisma never crudely created her jewelry. When she was in Indonesia, Kharisma used material like copper electrical wire and sterling silver from Bali. But when she domiciled in the U.S., she started using Argentium silver, besides copper, and brass too. '' But for silver beads, I'm still importing from Bali,'' she explained.

For natural stones, Kharisma admitted collecting the best from various countries. Starting from Indonesia, India, China, to asking the help from fellow designers from the United States. In the course of the work, Kharisma rarely sketched a design in detail. ''Because, more often than not, the ideas are developing in fabrication process,'' she explained. To maintain the quality of her jewelry, Kharisma made everything herself. From designing, cutting metal, to the finishing. ''I don't have an assistant,'' she added. In addition to designing her own jewelry, Kharisma also accepts custom orders from clients. (Ayi)

Kharisma Says

• All handmade jewelry by Popnicute are exclusive because no mold are used.
• It takes from 20 minutes to make a ring to a maximum of 20 hours for 1 piece of necklace.
• Through The Artisan Group Popnicute jewelry has been sent to Drew Barrymore.
• Internet is a limitless source of inspiration.

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