Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine May 2019 | Page 82

Lifestyle / Interview
interview
’From zero to hero’ is an ideal
phrase to describe the career path
of Rinaldy A. Yunardi, the well-known
Indonesian accessory designer.
The 48-year-old admits that he never
dreamed of joining the fashion industry,
let alone becoming a famous designer.
As a teenager, even going to fashion
school did not occur to him.
Born in Medan to parents from Aceh,
upon finishing high school Rinaldy
turned down an offer from his brother
to sponsor him to go to university. “At
that time, my brother already had his
own family. My parents were retired.
So, I didn’t want to burden them,”
he explains.
The designer, known for his fondness
for wearing black, began his working life
as a marketing officer for a car company.
His job was to answer phones and take
care of orders, but he was often
assigned to another division, which
taught him a lot about company
management.
After resigning from the car company,
Rinaldy’s career took a different turn
when he met Kim Thong, a famous
wedding dress designer. Rinaldy was
assigned to sell Thong’s imported tiaras;
coincidentally, it was the first time he
had set eyes on a tiara. “It was 1994,
and the fashion industry in Indonesia
was not as developed as it is today.
People at that time preferred to buy
tiaras from abroad. Since it was rather
difficult for me to sell them, I finally
resigned,” he says.
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From answering
phones for a car
company, Rinaldy A.
Yunardi has risen to
become an international
accessory designer
sought out by the likes
of Beyoncé, Lady Gaga
and Madonna.