Sejoli Sejauh: Dara Effendi & Aldy Rizaldy

Sejoli Sejauh explores how  sustainable living intersects with fasshion through the story of Dara Effendi and Aldy Rizaldy . After discovering Sejauh Mata Memandang, they became more aware of the profound impact the fashion industry has on the environment. This realization led Dara Effendi and Aldy Rizaldy to choose Sejauh's collection for their engagement ceremony. The couple, who recently tied the knot in December, is here to share their story with us. Let's dive into the love story of Dara and Aldy.

Sejauh (S): Tell us, how long have you guys been dating?

Dara (D): We’ve been dating for almost four years. On October 16th, we’ll celebrate our fourth anniversary. Last December, we took the next step and got married. 💕🙏🏻

S: Where did you guys meet?

D: We first met on January 3rd, 2018, at Wisma BNI Jakarta, specifically at the NTT Indonesia office. We worked in the same office and happened to sit across from each other. So, whenever either Aldy or I weren’t looking at our computers, we could make eye contact, hehe…

S: Tell us about your first date!

D: Honestly, we don’t really know what our first date was, but we’ll try to recall the first time we went out and did something just the two of us. This might still be during the getting-to-know-each-other phase. It was my last week at that office, and I was unsure what to do after a meeting. Being the spontaneous and restless person I am, I decided to text Aldy and asked him if he wanted to take a night walk to Setiabudi One. We went there because a friend of ours was in a meeting and invited us to hang out afterward. Surprisingly, Aldy agreed, so we ‘walked’ from Sudirman to Setiabudi, hahaha… It was completely random and unplanned. Our journey was so much fun, walking through alleys we usually passed alone when heading home or going in that direction. That night, we laughed at everything we passed. We even stopped at a small coffee shop to grab a coffee. The walk was quite long, but we didn’t feel tired at all. From that night on, we both thought, “Wow, this could be fun doing random things together,” hehe…

S: How well do you know your partner?

D: After almost five years of getting to know each other, we feel we know each other pretty well. Yet, there’s still a lot to discover within us in the future. :)

S: Any relationship tips you want to share?

D: Keep having fun together!

S: What are your matching couple items?

D: We really love collecting matching shoes. Maybe not too many, but we have a few pairs that are the same. We also have matching woven bracelets that we both wear on our hands and feet.

S: How did you know Sejauh Mata Memandang?

D: Initially, we came across it on social media, and I immediately fell in love. The first time I bought Sejauh’s product was when I went out with Aldy back then.

S: Why did you opt for the Sejauh Mata Memandang brand?

D: We’re also drawn to SMM’s vision and mission of making the fashion industry more sustainable by recycling old clothes/fabrics into something that can be used for much longer. It feels great to contribute to preserving ecosystems and passing on this knowledge to future generations.

S: What was your first impression of the Sejauh Mata Memandang brand?

D: It was love at first sight—everything from the design and materials to the story behind each series. SMM offers versatile products that can be worn on various occasions. Their items are easy to mix and match with different styles, making them timeless (slow fashion, made to last). Wearing SMM has been a delightful experience, with many compliments and interest from people around us in SMM’s products and their sustainability values.

S: Which item is your favorite?

D: The Ombak Laut collection, as it was what we wore on our engagement day. :)

S: What do you know about responsible fashion?

D: To us, responsible fashion is an initiative and commitment from both consumers and manufacturers/suppliers to use/create products that are ethically and environmentally sustainable. Given the increasing threat of global warming, we hope responsible fashion (and all other sustainability initiatives) can evolve from being a trend to becoming a lifestyle.

S: Who inspires you to live a more sustainable lifestyle?

D: Aldy, being a social studies graduate with a major in environment and sustainability, has learned a bit about sustainability principles, which raised awareness about sustainable living (though not everything has been applied yet, hehe…). This awareness started unconsciously with his hobby and preference for thrifting, especially when it comes to clothes. To Aldy, thrifting is a tangible action in caring for sustainability. As for me, SMM was one of the first to inspire me in adopting sustainable living through fashion. When we first attended the SMM exhibition at Pacific Place, we learned much more about the significant impact of the fashion industry on the environment.

S: #SejauhManaKamuPeduli to help our planet?

D: We care deeply about the future of the earth and strive to contribute more to its preservation. We hope more people realize the importance of sustainability, and that local governments can implement policies to support the success of our shared mission. It’s a lifelong learning process, and let’s try to do better each day. :)