Dian Kuswandini - Lifestyle

Dian Kuswandini

Down with kids

7/26/2010

Yummy, edible beauty treatments at BabySpa

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
| Wed, 07/21/2010 8:53 AM | Feature

A sign read: Spa Baby. Furbished with soft-colored decorations, the place was full of children that weekend. The young customers lounged, staring at mini laptops on cozy sofas.

Some were having their nails done. Others had their faces covered with edible yoghurt masks.

Next to the beauty outlet, located at Plaza Indonesia, Jakarta, a gym had opened to welcome other young customers. A sign on there read: I Like Gym.

There, kids happily exercised with instructors (some with their parents), using mats, balancing bars, monkey-rings, trampolines and a wall-climbing pad painted in kid-friendly colors.

Today’s children’s world doesn’t only revolve around chic clothing and expensive toys. It has become more interesting, more fashionable, and more beautiful, partially thanks to gyms, salons and spa services.

“Even young children deserve to look and feel good,” says 27-year-old parent Marita Eka, who often takes her five-year-old daughter for creambath and hairstyling sessions. “I sense that she was more excited about getting her hair than getting a new doll. She tells her friends, ‘my hair is clean and smells nice’.”

Moments to cherish

7/25/2010

Courtesy of Agnes Kiki

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
| Mon, 05/03/2010 11:00 AM | Feature

When Demi Moore bared her naked pregnancy on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine 19 years ago, sexualizing pregnancy in a revolutionary way, the actress sparked a craze for celebrities to pose while pregnant.

Fast forward to today, and more and more mothers-to-be are posing in the buff to make a statement, namely that they are grateful to be pregnant and feeling beautiful as well as sexy in their new body.

“You’re not pregnant all the time,” says young mother Agnes Kiki, explaining why she had pictures of herself taken during her pregnancy last year. “Having a ‘bloated body’ like this is momentous. It’s something you should remember for the rest of your life,” she says.

While Kiki (and perhaps other people who saw her) thought her body was “bloated”, it didn’t stop her from feeling like the sexiest woman on Earth. Wondering why some pregnant women were not confident about their new figures, Kiki had the idea of capturing her figure underwater. Wearing a simple piece of clothing, she went below the surface, reflecting her inner freedom and gratitude as a pregnant woman.

The man in the mirror

7/20/2010

Courtesy of MenScience

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Having his hands and feet soaked, wrapped and massaged in a spa that evening, Yanuar Yahya looked very relaxed. For the 20-year-old, pampering himself with manicures and pedicures — once considered “women only” territory — is nothing new at all. He’s been enjoying the monthly ritual for the past year.

That’s right, ladies. Don’t be surprised if one day a man sits down next to you during your “mani-pedi” session at the salon. These days, men agree with what women have been saying for years: It’s important to take care of yourself.

And Yanuar is ready to testify to it.

“Actually, it’s not only about making my hands and feet look good or anything,” Yanuar says. “Rather, mani-pedi for me is relaxing and stress relieving. It makes me feel good.”

Well, why not? Who doesn’t want to feel — and look — good? These days, men too want to have great-looking skin and overall appearance. Gone are the days where men just lathered themselves with a bar of soap and went out to face the day.

Today, there’s more to a beauty treatment for men than just a shower and a shave.

Say it with T-shirts

6/11/2010

Team Jolie vs Team Aniston (The Superficial)

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Once upon a time, it was the epitome of cool, the symbol of rebellious youth. Today, the T-shirt makes even more of a statement, and that statement is, well, whatever you want it to be, really.

Anything can be printed on a T-shirt, and with new technologies meaning anyone can be a designer, the T-shirt, is now, more than ever, both a collective and an individual mode of expression.

T-shirts say - or shout - something about their wearers in a way no other fashion item can, boldly or subtly displaying feelings, attitudes, beliefs and loyalties. What T-shirts do is create a connection between fashion, experience, social role and status.

"The T-shirt has evolved into more than just comfortable daily wear," says cultural observer Seno Gumira Ajidarma. "It's a medium of expression and to show one's identity."

Who could forget the great T-shirt battle between Hollywood hotties Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie over Brad Pitt? Aniston may not have openly declared war with Jolie during her divorce from Pitt, but when people started showing up wearing T-shirts printed with either "Team Aniston" or "Team Jolie", everyone knew the heat was on.

That was 2005, and when the Jolie/Aniston T-shirts appeared in People magazine, people all over the world got caught up, taking sides in the celebrity battle, including young Indonesian fashionistas, who were easily able to get hold of copies of the T-shirts in local distros (underground clothing outlets).

Hollywood and Jakarta are thousands of miles from each other, but the situation showed that through a simple item of clothing, a single idea or cause could be shared and expressed by huge numbers of people.

Dazzling exotic bling

6/10/2010

Courtesy of Astana Megrania

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
| Tue, 06/08/2010 9:07 AM | Feature

Gold is bold; silver is forever. Under an expert’s exotic touch, those metals are being recast with new souls.

Jewelry, a treasured fashion staple for decades, has long been associated with beauty. However who says that beauty is the only thing that defines jewelry? Contemporary designers find inspiration everywhere, and jewelry made today combines haute couture with personal stories and philosophies.

Designer Meike Sahala, 46, infuses her creations with nostalgia and pride. At first glance, Meike’s designs are beautiful. At second glance, looking at the jewelry in detail, we see something more than gemstones and pearls set on gold and silver. Meike has captured the spirit of Indonesia in a lovely form.

Meike has reached the international market with her company, Astana Megrania, which is based in Semarang, Central Java.

She has had exhibitions in Spain, the Netherlands, the US, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Australia. The designer has won awards from President Susilo Bambang Yudho-yono, Industry and Trade Ministries and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Saying ‘I do’… the lavish way

4/25/2010

JP/ Dian Kuswandini

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
| Fri, 04/23/2010 9:21 AM | Feature

If newlyweds could wish for anything on their wedding day, then perhaps it would be to see people leaving their reception profoundly impressed and uttering: “This is the most memorable wedding!”

For some, an unforgettable wedding is one that is simply remembered as “beautiful”. For others, however, luxury has become the “it” factor, and all they wish for is to seal their everlasting love with a lavish and stunning wedding.

“And why shouldn’t they go for that [kind of wedding]?” says renowned wedding organizer Emil Eriyanto, who has put together many high-end nuptials. “Their wedding is a once in a lifetime moment. If you can afford a lavish wedding, then why not?

“Make it the most stunning one,” he adds.

Emil recently organized the sumptuous wedding reception of actress Nia Ramadhani and Ardie Bakrie, the son of Aburizal Bakrie — the Golkar party chairman and one of the country’s richest men. Rumor has it that the wedding — said to be this year’s most spectacular — cost up to Rp 100 billion. Emil, who organized the three-day celebration in Jakarta, however, refused to disclose the exact cost of the wedding, out of respect for his clients who do not wish to discuss the matter.

Kitchen goddesses say it loud and proud

4/16/2010

Career women during a Mom Can Cook session

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
| Fri, 04/16/2010 8:46 AM | Life

These days, it’s quite rare to hear a metropolitan woman confess: “I’m happy to be in the kitchen and cook for my family.”

Judging by the 21st century’s women emancipation mantras, it would appear that women associate doing domestic chores with being trapped in certain gender stereotypes. Besides, nothing seems fancier than depicting modern womanhood as a woman in a suit working on a challenging office assignment.

So, do aprons and cooking utensils still stand a chance of making modern women feel proud today? Well, for some women, who think it’s fancy to be a kitchen goddess, they definitely do.

“I know most metropolitan women today don’t really cook anymore,” says 32-year-old Dilly Kanwar. “So, knowing that I am a good cook would really make me proud. I would say, hey, I can cook!” she laughs.

Just like Dilly, 41-year-old Arke Nurdjatni Scharringa believes cooking can bring her a sense of pride as it allows her to share enjoyable moments with her only daughter.

“I love cooking because my daughter likes eating so much,” says Arke, vice president of state-owned PT PNM Investment Management. “For me, nothing is more rewarding than finding out she appreciates my cooking — although it’s not as tasty as her grandmother’s,” she adds.

With a packed five-day work schedule at the office, Arke is one of a growing number of modern women who realize that cooking isn’t necessarily a home chore. Instead, it’s a perfect way to bring the family together.

`Tis the season to be jolly

1/5/2010

Courtesy of Dailymail

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
| Sat, 12/19/2009 1:06 PM | Life

It's that time of the year again! Time to wrap up presents, bake some cookies and gingerbread men, sing Christmas carols and best of all, decorate your home.

Every December, we find ourselves enmeshed in the spirit of Christmas - happy and jolly. So why not reflect this festive spirit by sprucing up our home sweet home with decorations? Christmas, after all, is the right festivity to get those creative juices going.

Not to mention it's one of those activities that involves the whole family. So decorating our home for Christmas also reflects the spirit of closeness within our family.

"We decorate our home at Christmas to feel the hype of the festivity," says former badminton champion Alan Budi Kusuma. "My children just love doing the decorating, so as parents, we feel it is one of those precious moments when we get together as a family and work as a team to decorate our homes.

"So, it's about teaching my children how to cooperate as a family," adds the husband of former badminton athlete Susi Susanti.

Wrapping Christmas

1/4/2010

Courtesy of GivingGiftPro

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
| Sat, 12/05/2009 1:47 PM | Life

Celebrating Christmas without thinking about giving gifts is hard. Just as hard as not having bright packages beneath the Christmas tree or colorful socks filled with presents.

The Christmas festivity may vary from one place to another, but in this modern world, where the Christmas culture has evolved into a tradition of gift-giving, we can see people hit shopping centers or e-retailers to fulfill this seasonal "obligation".

The tradition of gift-giving might have been criticized as part of consumerism that takes the essence out of Christmas. Yet, it doesn't stop people from buying and exchanging gifts.

"Christmas for my family isn't only about celebrating religion," says television presenter Rebecca Tumewu, or Becky. "It's also about celebrating the festivity and exchanging gifts reflects this."

But of course, as she points out, showing the festivity spirit is only at the surface of the tradition. She says the tradition is more about showing love to family and friends.

"People might ask why we give gifts at Christmas" Becky says. "First of all, we want to express our love and care, and second, we want to see others happy."

Driving in the direction of design

11/19/2009

Toyota's hybrid car RiN - JP/ Ricky Y.

Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
| Thu, 07/30/2009 10:27 AM | Life

Driving a car can be an adventure. Most days, it’s humdrum; other days, frustrating. But whatever the state of the roads, a beautiful car design can ensure any journey is a pleasurable one.

With the cars in each class having the same function, the same build, the same durability and the same engine power, design is what can make the difference. And because every automaker wants to stand out, they are striving to put out sexier-looking cars to attract buyers who once may have been sold on performance, power and after-sale service alone.

After all, it’s time-tested: Fashion sells, so car designers today seek to create something fashionable – inside and out.

“Over time, cars have become like clothes,” says Achmad Rizal, marketing and communications manager of Toyota Astra Motor. “They’re all about fashion that fits our lifestyle.”