Nico Novito

A fanfic—or at least, that’s what I think it is?

It’s past midnight and they are finally inside the car, a chauffeur driving them to Timmy’s place in East Village before dropping Armie at his hotel.

“Someone was making a scene,” Armie says with a smirk on his face. Timmy knows what his friend is referring to and instantly blushes.

“I’m telling you, that chair was so unstable!” he laughs, covering his face with both hands in jest.

“Well, that wouldn’t be the first time you fell in front of me,” Armie replies. His playful blue eyes suddenly rest on Timmy’s face.

“Ah, of course. That eventful day in Crema.”

Months ago, they were shooting an outdoor scene where they had to bike around the city, and in one take, Timmy lost his grip.

“I’m glad you’re okay, though.” Armie lets out a chuckle.

“The pasta dinner that night at Il Ridottino did help alleviate the embarrassment.” Timmy steals a glance to the imposing man beside him. “And, um. That thing afterward, too.”

They look at each other with a faint smile, as if trying to conceal a secret.

“I can do that thing again if you want,” Armie teases. He takes a look at his watch. “But maybe it’s a bit too late now for that.”

The car takes a left turn and stops in front of Timmy’s building.

Timmy hesitates a bit before saying, “No. There’s no such thing as too late.” He grabs Armie’s wrist and leads him out of the car. “Okay, Timmy, if you’re not tired...”

“You know, Arm,” Timmy says as they climb the building’s exterior stairs. “If I have to fall in front of you so that we get to do this, I’d do it every day.”

Before they enter, Armie stops Timmy on his track, placing his both hands on the young man’s shoulder.He looks at his dear friend with a warm gaze. Timmy, the one who has changed the course of his life. 

“You don’t have to do that, Tim” he smiles, strengthening his grip on Timmy’s shoulders. “I think we have fallen for one another too many times. And it’s reason enough.”

Armie pauses and looks around the sleepy neighborhood. “Okay, Tim, chop chop. Let’s get upstairs.”

A piece of film score that has been seared into my memory recently is this Max Richter composition, which Jóhann Jóhannsson used as part of his scoring for Arrival. 

Alas, Jóhannsson’s decision to do so exempted him from being eligible to be nominated for an Oscar. Regardless, the song’s placement on the two bookends of this marvelous sci-fi drama—at the beginning and the end, both equally heart-rending—has rendered it even more powerful and nuanced. 

"Honey, we gotta go now."

"Okay, Mom. I'll be out in a minute."

She scanned her room, what was soon to be her old room, to make sure nothing important was left behind. The décor was old, and she wasn't allowed to change the demure floral wallpaper when she first moved in. But there was one framed photograph she cherished, the one she had hung above her study desk when it was clear that she was going to spend another four years living in this building.

It was of her and her father when she was about to turn six. They were staying at a rental in Hawaii when her dad, still young with nary a gray hair on his head, read a Roald Dahl story to her in the living room. The book was Matilda and she remembered the way Dad animatedly told the tale. She still remembered all her favorite parts and how they reminded her of those long vacation days of her childhood when she would read many, many books:

"The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went on olden-day sailing ships with Joseph Conrad. She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India with Rudyard Kipling. She travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village."

Her mom just returned from the beach with her sister and, finding her husband and daughter bonding over a book, she felt moved to get the film camera from her tote and discreetly took a picture.

The photograph was now lodged inside one of the big moving boxes scattered around her, and she couldn't wait to give it a proper new placement in the family's new home. 

“For the Balenciaga Fall 2017 Mens fashion show in Milan, creative director Demna Gvasalia sent models down the runway in a sartorial tribute to Bernie Sanders. The designs featured a logo that closely resembles that of Bernie's campaign: the only difference is it read 'Balenciaga 2017' instead of 'Bernie 2016.'”—Teen Vogue

Bernie Sanders: So, Demna. Those were some interesting clothes you showed yesterday. I particularly take a liking to that dark blue, um, bomber jacket—is that what you call it?—you know, the one with the...

Demna Gvasalia: The Balenciaga logo? Yes, yes. It must look familiar to you, no? [faint laughs]

BS: Of course! I mean, I’m not familiar with fashion, especially the high fashion thing you people do. I’m not Hillary! But when my assistant pointed out your collection to me yesterday, I was surprised. And quite flattered, I must say.

DG: I’m glad you think so. At first, I was quite hesitant to sort of copy your campaign logo, but it fits the collection nicely. You know, with the whole conversation about how people dress to the office right now—is it too casual now? should we bring back the formality?—and I thought, we might as well take a page out of someone who actually ran for the office! 

BS: Why me, though? Why not the other candidates?

DG: Just as you are not familiar with fashion, I don’t know that much about American politics, either. But during the presidential campaign, early last year, one of our summer interns started to wear your pin to the office every day. The swirls beneath your name kind of intrigued me—it’s not out of the ordinary, but there’s something unique about them. So I asked her, the intern, about you and she told me about what your campaign stood for: your fight against inequality, your education initiative, your support for LGBT rights. You sound like a great guy! As someone who grew up in a small town in Georgia—the ex-Soviet Georgia, that is—I can see why many young people in America liked you so much and gave their support to your campaign. And so your name kind of stuck in my mind for a while, and when Donald Trump won in November, I sensed the frustration among my friends. So maybe it’s fitting to pay a tribute to you in a way. We then decided to tweak your logo and made some changes to it and incorporate our take in the collection. Bernie, Balenciaga, they’re maybe worlds apart, but sometimes as a designer, you just gotta do what you feel right and in the moment.

BS: Wow, that’s quite a story. Thanks, Demna, for talking with me. By the way, how much will the jacket be sold for?

DG: I had to check with my business person for the exact retail price, but I guess, around $2,500? We’ll send you a free one, though. Just let me know your size.

BS: You can send a kid to public school for probably half a year with that money! But sure, I’ll have my people contact your people. Thanks again, Demna.

The suite is calm, with one or two people coming in and out quietly every five minutes. She studies her reflection in the full-length mirror set up in the middle of the grand room. 

"Just the usual. I guess..." she has told her makeup artist, unsure of what to make of the packed schedule ahead. A slender purple coat envelops her, acting as a shield that should protect her from the winter winds outside. 

An hour earlier, she was still alone. Sipping her morning green juice, she glanced through the window and peered at the crowds building up many stories below her. Surrounded by a ring of policemen, many of the congregants were carrying large signs that she couldn't read from above. 

Then she saw her. A little girl with curly hair who was propped up on her mother's shoulders, waving a tiny pink banner around her head. She probably wouldn't see that girl again, but the image—of a five-year-old freezing in the cold for something she probably didn't fully understand yet—stays with her until now. 

In the meantime...

As we are approaching 2016 soon, here are some of the most memorable stories—memorable for me, that is—that I wrote this year. 

Happy New Year, everyone!

CREATIVE INDUSTRY 

Jakarta Rising

A look at Jakarta’s burgeoning scene of creative entrepreneurs in the fields of fashion and food. I wrote this for an independent magazine based in London called Protein Journal—my first international publication!

FASHION

Local Designers Going Global

How some Indonesian designers steal the spotlight in fashion weeks and retail spaces abroad—and even the Hollywood red carpets.

Vinora Ng’s Relaxed Foray into Fashion For Women and Men

A supremely talented young designer who genuinely stays true to her vision.

Talking Sustainable Fashion With Writer, Environmentalist Lucy Siegle

During a coffee break in the middle of a jam-packed Jakarta Fashion Week this year, I sat down with this brilliant Observer writer who executive-produced a documentary about the fast fashion industry called The True Cost.

MUSIC

With New Album, Carly Rae Jepsen Is All Grown Up

Perhaps one of the best moments in my journalism career to date—interviewing the Canadian pop star hours before she hit the stage of MTV World Asia 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Taylor Swift Shakes It Off With Fans in Singapore

The 1989 World Tour. Enough said.

White Shoes & The Couples Company Take a Jolly Stroll Down the Memory Lane

A joyous night at the group’s whimsical concert—their first after many years.

ART & DESIGN

Nurturing the Future of Art with Hermawan Tanzil

A chat with one of the most influential figures in Indonesia’s contemporary art and design scenes.

Kinez Riza’s Soul-Searching Quest in New Exhibition

Photographer, artist and archaeology enthusiast Kinez Riza created works that blew my mind.

The Expanding Meaning of Curation Amid a Rapidly Growing Creative Industry

Everything seems to be “curated” these days, so I investigated this curious semantic trend. A fun experimental (and NYT Styles-esque) piece to write.

Tactile Homegrown Designs With Soul

Admirable product designers who take “handmade” to the next level.

FILM

Sequel to Beloved ‘AADC’ Announced at Popcon Asia

When a press conference of sorts turned bizarre, thanks to an impromptu auction of a t-shirt signed by the film’s stars.

LITERATURE

Eka Kurniawan Lights Up Indonesian Corner of World Literature Scene

A Q&A with this year’s most celebrated Indonesian writer.

A Creative POST at Pasar Santa

I sat down with Maesy and Teddy, two amazing people behind this bookstore-slash-creative community center located amid the hustle and bustle of Pasar Santa.

FOOD

Food With an Artistic Flair on Instagram

Yes, they take photos of food on Instagram like all of us—but, as Anna Wintour said in The September Issue, they “lift it.”

TECH

Blink and You’ll Miss It as App Users Share Their Stories

Snapchat is the biggest social media phenomenon this year—in my opinion, at least—and I talked to the app’s early adopters in Jakarta.

Wedding Startups Say Yes to the Dress and No to the Stress

Last Saturday, I had a chance to interview pop phenomenon Carly Rae Jepsen in Kuala Lumpur prior to her performance at MTV World Stage Malaysia 2015 that night! It was a pretty surreal—and memorable—experience, considering it’s my first time interviewing a legit international artist.

Anyway, I spoke with her about her fantastic new album Emotion, her obsession with music from the ‘80s, and her acting stint as Cinderella on Broadway last year (yes, she very much would like to go back to theater in the future). 

If you really, really, really, really, really, really like her, you can read my profile of Carly here. 

The Weeknd’s performance of “Can’t Feel My Face” is hands down the best one in MTV Video Music Awards 2015 last Sunday night. Energetic presence, great vocal, minimal yet awe-inspiring showmanship—Abel Tesfaye got ‘em all.

Just ask Kanye:

It was a fun, busy week last week!

I tried out an indoor cycling class at Ride Jakarta, checked out some snazzy leather wallets and clutches by Viél, visited illustrator Ruth Marbun’s small yet moving exhibition, watched White Shoes & The Couples Company’s magnificent solo concert, and witnessed Mira Lesmana and Riri Riza announcing that, yes, there will be a sequel to Ada Apa Dengan Cinta? at Popcon Asia 2015. Not to mention, I had to write about all of them. PHEW!

I also paid a visit to IdeaFest 2015 and ended up listening to interesting panel discussions on, among others, YouTube celebrities, the Muslim market, and microfinance. There were also Ahok (governor of Jakarta, for those uninitiated) and Jusuf Kalla (Indonesian veep—come on, guys!) speaking on stage. Pretty surprisingly each mentioned and praised GoJek, which I took as votes of confidence from the government for the ojek-hailing app.

Also, at IdeaFest, the first issue of PARAF was launched! It’s a new bi-annual publication highlighting the influential creative players in Indonesia who propel the creative economy scene here forward. I helped edit and contributed several articles for its first issue, ranging from a profile about photographer Nicoline Patricia Malina to a survey of luxury brands’ socially-driven programs and campaigns nowadays. 

My editor posted the photo below recently—so thrilled that this man is reading it, too. ;)

I was shocked and saddened to hear the news of Ingrid Sischy's passing.

The former editor-in-chief of Interview and prolific critic and writer might not wield an influence like that of the Annas and Carines of the world. But her always incisive takes on topics as wide-ranging as pop culture, contemporary art, and fashion—revealing new facets of such storied subjects as Madonna or John Galliano—constantly broke boundaries of what a piece of writing could achieve. 

She would be dearly missed.

An obituary by Vanity Fair's Graydon Carter can be read here: “She could write about anything, but what interested her most were art and fashion, and she traversed those two hothouses like a bemused empress.”

I profiled Hermawan Tanzil, the driving force behind Indonesia’s emerging art and design scenes—he’s the founder of LeBoYe design firm and Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace, an art gallery in Jakarta—for The Peak Indonesia’s June issue.

I’m not a beach person (nor a mountain person, really—I have no idea why such favorite-travel-destination binary exists). But was I transfixed by this view!

I took this image about two weeks ago at my friend’s wedding at the southernmost tip of Bali. The venue was situated atop one of those vertigo-inducing cliffs with ocean view in the Uluwatu area that are equal parts romantic and conducive for suicidal thoughts. (Just kidding, but those cliffs were steep, for sure.) 

As the sun almost set, I rested on a wooden railing and tried to be present—i.e. as present as I can be with Snapchat at my disposal—and enjoy the cool breeze of the Indian Ocean. While the wedding crowd was chatting and sipping their mojitos behind me, I felt a sense of calm I rarely experienced in the city. My phone’s camera sucked, yet as evident here, the view was so majestic that the photo came out beautifully

A review/interview hybrid I wrote on Kinez Riza’s solo exhibition (which I mentioned in the previous post) for The Jakarta Globe can be read here.

I was thoroughly enthralled by this particular series of photographs, where Kinez would take an image of a landscape and apply an exposure trick—resulting in a bright-white void in the middle of the image. 

The work above was captured inside a cave in Maros, South Sulawesi, which also happened to be the excavation site where some of the world’s oldest cave paintings were found. It’s magical to see this contrast—where the mysterious darkness of the cavern mingles with the unknown, illuminating space outside.

Kinez told me that the blank white space in the photograph represents “the time that has passed and the ‘unknown,’” and that it “reflects the nature of transience, the unknown, and all the things that unrepresentable, which correlates to the human experience.” 

Culture Vulture #5: Kinez Riza

Had a great time tonight at the opening of Kinez Riza’s solo exhibition, “Selubung Hening” (”Veil of Serenity”), at Ruci Art Space. 

Culture Vulture #4: Swifted Away

There is no point in denying it. Admit it: You. Like. Taylor. Swift.

Three years ago, when Vogue put her on the cover—long hair, cowboy hat, and all—I protested to the editors via a reader's letter that, I'm quite ashamed to say now, got published. "She lacks pizzazz," I proclaimed in it. 

Maybe at that time, my view was not entirely inaccurate. She was a 22-year-old singer, who was prominently known for both her country bent and penchant for creating either lovey-dovey or heartbreak songs based on her legendary paparazzi-documented dating life. Her albums did launch some catchy singles, but they fell flat most of the time. 

It was not until her fourth album, Red, came out in late 2012 that I started falling for her songs. It was inherently a country album as proven by the title track, but Swift began dabbling on other musical—forgive the pun—styles. In "I Knew You Were Trouble," she experimented with dubstep, while "22" is a fun poppy, peppy tune that you can't resist to sing during karaoke. 

However, I was still ashamed to say, "I like Taylor Swift." Different from other big pop stars like Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, or Madonna, Swift still gives off a whiff of a teenager's taste. And what grown-ups would want to admit to that?

It all changed when, two years later, Swift released 1989 to a big fanfare (a Yahoo! globally live-streamed event included). In many interviews, she always said that this new album is a big departure, that it is fully a pop album. The change doesn't stop there, though. She cut her blonde hair short, moved to a huge Tribeca apartment in her new adopted city New York, and—happily single—surrounded herself with female friends/power-players: Lorde, Lena Dunham, Karlie Kloss, the Haim sisters, and others. Oh, and she turned 25 by celebrating it with the world's most enviable guest list (hi, B and Jay).

Why do I bother describing her personal life? Because, like it or not, this rejuvenated spirit of the New Taylor Swift very much informed the new album. "Shake It Off," produced with Swedish hit makers Max Martin and Shellback, is a full-on pop track with an unapologetically whimsical video. There are much better tracks, though.

Enter "Blank Space," a song that has been invading my (and my friends') ears incessantly for the last couple of months. Accompanied with a cinematic video that stars heartthrob model Sean O'Pry, the single has become the ultimate New Taylor Swift song. Cheeky and self-deprecating lyrics ("Got a long list of ex-lovers/They'll tell you I'm insane," she sings), catchy tempo, well-shot video—what's not to like?

And then, there is "Style." Many people have compared this track with the original soundtrack of Drive or Miami Vice, due to its noir-inflected funk melody. But I found myself attracted to the very visual lyrics:

You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye And I got that red lip classic thing that you like And when we go crashing down, we come back every time 'Cause we never go out of style We never go out of style

It might be a sly nod to Swift's relationship with One Direction's Harry Styles, but in all honesty, who cares? It's an edgy, sensual song that showcases a different, more grown-up side of Swift. (Just take a look at the video for more proof.)

There are other great tracks in 1989, of course. “Clean,” featuring Imogen Heap’s haunting sound, is another favorite of mine. But both “Blank Space” and “Style” have become the apotheosis of the New Taylor Swift. And now I no longer feel the need to be ashamed about liking her — as a singer, a songwriter, a Vogue cover girl, and a (very nice) person in general.

Exciting news! I recently got published by Protein Journal, a London-based magazine about global innovation and ideas.

For their latest issue—dubbed The Gender Issue—I wrote a feature about the new face of Jakarta's retail and hospitality scene. You cannot deny that there are many young creative talents in the city who are creating new things out there and challenging the status quo of how one does businesses, especially in the realm of food and fashion. 

For this piece, I interviewed several owners of innovative boutiques and food establishments in the city, from Escalier to ABCD School of Coffee at Pasar Santa, to find out what they think about the excitement—and challenges—of introducing new perspectives and concepts to customers in Jakarta.