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FROM THE FOUNDER'S LETTER.

February 21, 2019

STOP WORRYING SO MUCH

Welcoming the year 2019, I spent my 31th December reflecting on things that I have gone through, the mistakes I did and things I learned which eventually makes me a better ME.

To my surprised, I realized that I spent most of my time unproductively, because I worried so much. Sure, 2018 is not an easy year for me, I had to face some challenges in my personal life and in business. My dad got stroke, I had to deal with my own health issue, my daughter entered secondary school, which meant that she is in her “teenager phase” and I had to deal with lots of changes in her attitudes.

In business world, sure we managed to open up some more stores (Thank God and my team), however as more stores opened meant more responsibilities and more people to be built and manage. I love my team, we are where we are because of “all of US”, however to make sure everyone has the same visions, values, and work ethics are a big challenge for me. I was faced with unpredictable situations too, which forced me to make the best, but uneasy decisions for the whole company.

My mistakes were I let my problems (challenges) dragging me down. I worried over things that 80% will not happen, yet I let them steal my peace, joy and definitely my enthusiasm, confidence and creativity. I realized that sometimes the problem that we had to face at that time seems BIG because our own WRONG thoughts.

At the end of the year, when I flashed back, some problems were solved easily, some took longer time, but one thing for sure 80% I was worried about never happened.

I learned my lessons, I will definitely worry less in 2019, and I will TRAIN my mind to think positive instead of negative, I will focus on the things that I have, people that want to grow together and one vision with me, I will face whatever challenges bravely and last I will count every little blessing in my life and be grateful.

Thanks for reading my first story in 2019, and thank you all for being supportive to our Brand, and I wish you guys an amazing year cause’ I believe mine will.

XOXO

Maria Anggraini
THIS IS APRIL GOES INTERNATIONAL.

May 16, 2018

THIS IS APRIL NOW OPEN IN MALAYSIA

We are starting to spread our wings to international world, by opening our first branch outside Indonesia at Sunway Pyramid Malaysia on April 2018.

"We started as a web based store on April 2012 and now on April 2018, we already have 48 stores across Indonesia and 1 store in Malaysia,” explained Jasmine Jawie, Marketing Communications Manager THIS IS APRIL.

Focus on casual every day wear for female age 16 – 40ish, THIS IS APRIL always update on fashion trend, bring great quality and offer affordable price.

Left - Right : Eugenie Rachel (This Is April) - Jasmine Jawie (This Is April) - Tziaaa (Malaysian Fashion Blogger) - Maria Anggriani (Founder & Owner This Is April)

The name THIS IS APRIL was chosen because it was started at April 2012 and it is also identic with spring where everything is growing and blooming. “The wish is that THIS IS APRIL will always continue to grow and keep on blooming. April is also my birthday month, so it really is very personal to me,” said Maria Anggriani, Founder & Owner of THIS IS APRIL.

Maria Anggriani - Founder & Owner This Is April

Right now, THIS IS APRIL already has a huge name in Indonesia. They had collaborations with the fashion icon, Andien Aisyah back on 2016 and now THIS IS APRIL is collaborating with CHELSEA ISLAN, Famous for a Charity Collaborations, where some percentages of the profits were donated to produce and deliver 2000 shoes for childrens in Papua, Indonesia. Both THIS IS APRIL and CHELSEA ISLAN went to Papua together to gave the shoes directly to the children.

Forty Nine (49) stores in Indonesia and still growing, now we chose Malaysia as our first country to go international because Malaysia is a neighbouring country which still has the similar culture, target market and fashion style.

“This Is April always update on fashion trend, yet we also consider modest style as part of our collection. We believe with variation range of collections, from casual until modest, Malaysian fashionista will be comfort wearing and choosing This Is April as their personal style. For the future, we are planning not just open 1 store in Malaysia, but some several more stores here in Malaysia and also other countries like Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, etc,” said Jasmine again.

Talking about style of THIS IS APRIL, Maria Anggriani looked very excited, “It is casual, so every women can wear it every day. Chic but simple. Comfortable yet still very fashionable,” she explained. The price is very affordable for a great quality and up to date fashion collections. “For now, clothes that we sell are priced between MYR 65 to MYR 80. For accessories like bags, wallets, shoes, scarfs, etc, it ranges from MYR 45 to MYR 105,” explained Jasmine.

The Grand Opening of THIS IS APRIL Malaysia which was held on Friday, April 27^th, 2018 at their first store in Malaysia which is located at Sunway Pyramid LG1-80 was filled with beautiful Malaysian Bloggers such as Dior Yaw, Tan Tzia, Chloe Leong, Sharifah Rose, Dyana Dyanaf, Karen Kho, Stephanie Lim, Shivani Balraj, Careen Tan and many others.

Tziaaa Beautiful Malaysian Blogger

Chloe Leong & Dior Yaw (Beautiful Malaysian Bloggers)

Yvonne Chua (Beautiful Malaysian Blogger)

Careen Tan (Beautiful Malaysian Blogger)

Shivani Balraj & Kelly Chin (Beautiful Malaysian Bloggers)

THIS IS APRIL TEAM

Written by Jasmine Jawie
Pictures by Sry Wahyuni & Kiki Amalia
THIS IS APRIL SATIN LIP STOCKING #BeautyIsNotJustAboutLook.

April 5, 2018

Fashion and cosmetics are inseparable in a woman’s life. That is why we are expanding our business to cosmetics starting from lip products which we call THIS IS APRIL SATIN LIP STOCKING.

On April 6^th, right on our birthday month, we are launching 7 shades of Satin Lip Stocking which was inspired by the qualities of a millennial women.

#BeautyIsNotJustAboutLook is the tagline of This Is April Satin Lip Stocking. We are trying to remind all women that beauty is not only what it shows on the outside but more to what we have inside. We are trying to amplify that Being Independent, Compassionate, Confident, creative, Fierce Bring Good Vibe and Being Fearless are also beautiful.

We are having 7 successful millennial women to represent each shade and name each shade by their beautiful qualities.

SHAHNAZ SOEHARTONO, News Journalist & Independent Women representing Shade 01 INDEPENDENT #IAMINDEPENDENT

MATTE FORMULA – NUDE EVERYDAY COLOUR – LONG LASTING & VERY COMFORTABLE TO WEAR ON THE LIPS

Since i was a kid i always want to do something differently. Being a follower is never an option. Revolution will never happen if everyone thinks and act exactly the same – Shahnaz Soehartono

I always and always try to be my true self. I don’t need a mask to cover up because being independent also means you are free to live without nothing to hide – Shahnaz Soehartono

For me, one of many importance of being independent is for sure about being secure with who you are and what you believe in. It is extremely empowering knowing that you are in control of your own life and your own choices, yet remaining respectful to others who are different from you - Shahnaz Soehartono

An independent woman for me is a woman who’s not afraid to stand for what she believed in and can rely on herself, both physically and mentally without seeking for approval from others. And that is indeed beautiful – Shanhnaz Soehartono

So yes, #beautyisnotjustaboutlook Independent is beautiful

I AM SHAHNAZ SOEHARTONO and #IAMINDEPENDENT

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GWEN WINARNO, A Natural, Healthy Food Practitioner and Pure Foods Company owner also our very own Compassionate Women representing Shade 02 COMPASSIONATE #IAMCOMPASSIONATE

MATTE FORMULA – NUDE EVERYDAY COLOUR JUST A TAD DARKER THAN INDEPENDENT – LONG LASTING & VERY COMFORTABLE TO WEAR ON THE LIPS

When i was younger, I was very into fashion. Nowadays, i am still into fashion. But, beside fashion world, i also am interested in healthy living and women empowerment. For me, compassionate is an action. It starts with a feeling and then hopefully followed by an action of doing something kind based on the feeling – Gwen Winarno

I see a lot of women with self-hate and not being kind to themselves and I’m speaking of my younger self too. But then as i get older, i become more aware of this and able to practice self-love – Gwen Winarno

Every little things that happen in your daily life is a chance to practice self-love and compassion. Compassion towards yourself and towards other being. Being compassionate is important. It reminds us that we are all essentially the same. Life is pretty much a cycle, what goes around comes back around. So for me it is always good to be able to help others – Gwen Winarno

My goal in life is to share knowledge. When you are blessed with knowledge, sharing them is the most beautiful thing, which for me is also an act of compassion. And a women who is compassionate is indeed beautiful – Gwen Winarno

So yes, #beauty is not just about look. Compassionate is beautiful – Gwen Winarno

I am Gwen Winarno and #IAMCOMPASSIONATE

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LALA KARMELA, Young Talented Musician, Artist & Confident Women representing Shade 03 CONFIDENT #IAMCONFIDENT

MATTE FORMULA – MEDIUM DARK PINK FOR YOUR EVERYDAY COLOUR– LONG LASTING & VERY COMFORTABLE TO WEAR ON THE LIPS

I am a musician, an actress and i also have a law degree. If i am not confident i won’t be where i am today. I feel most confident when i’m on stage, owning my music. I also feel it takes a lot of guts and confident to do my law degree at my age when everyone else were a decade younger – Lala Karmela

Being confident is essential. It is a surviving kit. A tool to receive respect from one’s surrounding when used well – Lala Karmela

A confident woman is a woman who is owning every action with class and grace. Who takes care of oneself and comfortable in their own skin and that is indeed beautiful – Lala Karmela

So #beautyisnotjustaboutlook . Being confident is beautiful – Lala Karmela

I am Lala Karmela and #IAMCONFIDENT

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MARTHA PURI, The creative brain behind @Idekuhandmade representing Shade 04 CREATIVE #IAMCREATIVE

MATTE FORMULA – MAUVE PINK FOR YOUR EVERYDAY COLOUR– LONG LASTING & VERY COMFORTABLE TO WEAR ON THE LIPS

I’ve always been making craft since i was a kid. I always make something myself for a gift when my friends were having their birthdays. I feel that if its handmade by me, there’s an extra touch to it – Martha Puri

I used to work as a graphic designer for a tv station but working for a corporate for me wasn’t creative enough. I couldn’t be able to explore my creativity more – Martha Puri

I started @idekuhandmade purely out of hobby with 500.000 rupiahs and it goes really well from there. My business also empower woman around my area, so they can have added income and still have a whole lot of time for their family – Martha Puri

A creative woman is a woman with endless energy and always try to make everything better and more interesting. And that is beautiful – Martha Puri

So yes, #beautyisnotjustaboutlook , Creative is beautiful – Martha Puri

I am Martha Puri and #IAMCREATIVE

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NICOLINE PATRICIA MALINA, The world class professional fashion photographer representing Shade 05 FIERCE #IAMFIERCE

MATTE FORMULA – DEEP RED FOR YOUR FIERCE LOOK– LONG LASTING & VERY COMFORTABLE TO WEAR ON THE LIPS

I started as fashion designer, makeup artist also model. I also tried being a painter. But somehow i felt it wasn’t fierce enough for me – Nicoline Patricia Malina

I learned photography as an autodidact. I didn’t have lights and other professional equipment and i shot pictures with whatever i had. But that didn’t make me feel small, It somehow made the photographs very personal. I think that’s fierce – Nicoline Patricia Malina

One of the most fierce moment of being a photographer is when i took pictures of tigers. I was inside the tiger cage and although there were guards, the tigers were not really tamed. The best shot was actually the last picture when the tiger jumped at me and i fell down. It was unforgettable – Nicoline Patricia Malina

A woman who are fierce is a woman who is passionate, who will try their best in what they do, with whatever they have at hand. And most of all they love what they are doing – Nicoline Patricia Malina

So yes #beautyisnotjustaboutlook . Fierce is beautiful – Nicoline Patricia Malina

I am Nicoline Patricia Malina and #IAMFIERCE

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KAREN CARLOTTA, Pastry Chef & Owner Union Brasserie representing Shade 05 GOOD VIBE #IBRINGGOODVIBE

METALLIC MATTE FORMULA – NUDE BROWN COLOURED WITH A TOUCH OF GOLD GLITTER TO ADD A SPARK OF GOOD VIBE – LONG LASTING & VERY COMFORTABLE TO WEAR ON THE LIPS

Before i worked as a pastry chef, i worked in a bank. But it did not bring the joy in me. I got sick because i didn’t love what i do. You know that if you do something that doesn’t bring you joy, you will not be happy. So, i realised that i have to follow my passion – Karen Carlotta

It was not an easy road. But those experiences made me sure that pastry & bakery really makes me happy. And it is not only me who is happy. My family is happy, people that enjoys my cake also happy. Everybody is happy. I mean, who doesn’t love cakes and sweets? – Karen Carlotta

So, I am happy being a pastry chef and i bring good vibe to others around me and also to those who enjoy my work. What can be better than that? – Karen Carlotta

And a women who is happy and bring good vibe is indeed beautiful – Karen Carlotta

So yes #beautyisnotjustaboutlook . To bring Good vibe is beautiful - – Karen Carlotta

I am Karen Carlotta and #IBRINGGOODVIBE

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MARISCHKA PRUEDENCE, Travel Blogger & Happy Diver representing Shade 07 FEARLESS #IAMFEARLESS

METALLIC MATTE FORMULA – BRIGHT RED COLOUR WITH SHEEN OF GOLD FOR FEARLESS LOOK – LONG LASTING & VERY COMFORTABLE TO WEAR ON THE LIPS

I was a hard news journalis. I mostly dealt with politics and natural disaster. It took a lot of bravery and guts to do my work. And honestly i enjoyed the adventure, the knowledge, the experiences, the adrenaline. And then i started diving and got involved in travel programmes. That is the moment when i feel like i found my true passion, which is diving and travelling – Marischka Pruedence

I quit my daily job as a news reporter and journalist and pursue my dreams to travel more. It is a huge decision to make, but i don’t regret it – Marischka Pruedence

I do not believe that there is a certain path that everyone should walk on. Because everyone is unique. And to pursue your dream and to follow your passion is simply fearless – Marischka Pruedence

A woman who is fearless is a women who is not afraid to show who she really is, what she really wants and not afraid to go after it. And that is indeed a beautiful women – Marischka Pruedence

So yes #beautyisnotjustaboutlook . Fearless is beautiful – Marischka Pruedence

I am Marischka Pruedence and #IAMFEARLESS

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This Is April Satin Lip Stocking is priced IDR 119.000 and can be found in all of our 45 stores (except our Factory Outlet Store at Ciputra Mall Jakarta). This can also be purchased through our website, instagram, line, wa, bbm and also our official store at Shopee Mall called This is April Indonesia Official Store.

We are also collaborating with some reputable online beauty shop. You can also get our SATIN LIP STOCKING at : Bilik Ayu, Love By April, TWL Cosmetics, Makeupuccino, Frontcover dan Houseofmakeup.

Written by : Jasmine Jawie
Pictures by NickNock_28, Sry Wahyuni and Kiki Amalia
THIS IS APRIL X CHELSEA ISLAN GOES TO PAPUA TO DELIVER SHOES FOR CHILDREN IN WAMENA AND SENTANI.

March 12, 2018

October 2017, This Is April launched a new collaboration with Chelsea Islan called This Is April X Chelsea Islan Charity Collaboration. Some percentages of the profits were donated to produce and delivering shoes for children in Papua.

February 8th - 13th 2018, This Is April team (Jasmine & Ayu) and Chelsea Islan went to Papua to deliver the shoes directly to a few student centres. Two thousands shoes were produced and delivered to 20 student centres at Wamena and Sentani.

We managed to visit 3 places to deliver 300 pairs of shoes. Those three places were Tunas Harapan Student Centre at Potikelek, Gunung Susu Student Centre and Yosua Student Centre at Sinakma. All located at Wamena.

Let’s start from day one. We went at 22.45 WIB from Terminal 3 Soekarno Hatta by Garuda Airlines. It was almost a six hour flight. We took a direct flight to Sentani and arrived at 06.10 WIT. Sentani is two hours ahead Jakarta, so it was still 4 am Jakarta time when we step our foot at Papua.

We had breakfast while we were waiting for our next flight with Trigana Air to Wamena. The earliest flight from Sentani to Wamena by is at 7.45 and 8 am. But we took the 10.20 flight by Trigana in case our flight from Jakarta got delayed. It took around 40 minutes to get from Sentani to Wamena by jet. If you use ATR plane it would take 15 minutes longer.

We arrived at Wamena at 11 am and the temperature was nice. It was a bright day but the temperature is certainly cooler than Sentani, which was around 24 degree celsius. We got to our hotel which was not far from the airport. We put our luggage and had the chance to rest for 30 minutes and again get ready to visit the first school to deliver the shoes.

The first school that we visit is called Tunas Harapan Student Centre at Potikelek Wamena. We were greeted with traditional dances. The children were outside, lining up and dancing when we arrived and gave us flower necklaces that they made themselves. It was a mix of paper flower and Plastik Flower which is a real flower that looks like plastic and is commonly found in Wamena.

It was such a touching moment, some of the kids came only with sandals or not wearing any sole at all. Chelsea Islan and us were helping them to tied up there shoes and had a little chat.

Some 12-14 years old girls came up to us and gave us a Noken. Noken is what we put on our head. It is a multifunctional knotted or woven bag native to the Papua. It is usually hung from the head to bring various goods from carrots, potato, woods even children!. Can you imagine how strong their heads are? Amazing. These girls handmade the noken and gave it to us. It was very personal, it was truly sweet.

We were there until it gets quite dark and some of the children were running with our cars as we left. They were so happy. The spark on their eyes were priceless. That was the first spot and the first day. We have delivered 100 pairs of shoes out of 2000 pairs that we have spread along Wamena and Sentani.

Our hotel had no air conditioner in it. We did not need it though, since the night was always raining and it was around 15 degree Celsius every night. It was one of the best night ever since we did not get enough sleep on the plane the night before and the beyond happy feelings we got after visiting Potikelek.

We went to two different schools on the next day. It was Gunung Susu Children Centre dan Yosua Children Centre at Sinakma. A hundred pairs of shoes were given to each of the children centre. It was as touching as the first one. Some of the children came without shoes or sandals and they wanted to go home bringing the shoes on their hands. They were not wearing it home. When Chelsea Islan asked them why, they said because they don’t want the shoes to get dirty because they love the shoes so much. That statement hit us. For most of us, shoes we care about are those branded and hyped shoes, while for them, they just love the shoes because they do not have any. After we talked to the children that the shoes were given to be worn to protect their shoes, they were willing to wear it. Another deep thoughts came to us.

Chelsea couldn’t stop her tears from flowing. We surely were very touched. Urban city life sometimes move too fast that makes us restless and overlooked little stuff in life which we should be grateful for, little stuff that really matters. That moment, we realized that we have been blessed and it was such a blessing to be able to share the happiness with the children in Papua.

There are in total 2000 pairs of shoes that were produced from This Is April X Chelsea Islan, but we visit three places only and delivered 300 ourselves. The other 1700 pairs were delivered by Compassion which was collaborated with Langkah Kasih.

It was raining after we left Yosua Children Centre at Sinakma Wamena. So, we decided to stop by to have some warm coffee. Schop Coffee Shop which was located at Irian Street was said one of the best. It was a small coffee shop, they serve Wamena Coffee. It was one of the best moment as well. Good coffee, good people and we were at Papua. If you plan to visit Wamena, you might want to try another coffee shop too called Mukoko which is located just on the front of Wamena airport. They also sell Wamena Coffee Bean. There is also another place worth to visit called Hotel / Kafe Jerman, but we did not get the chance to visit because it took around 1.5 hours from central Wamena to get to the place. The view is great they say, but than we did not fully regret that we did not go because we went to a place which we can say Paradise.

The next day, we started early at 6.30 am and heading to Habema Lake, the highest lake in Indonesia located at 3225 meter above sea level. It was more than two hours drive, but it certainly was not boring at all. The view was literally breathtaking. We first stopped at an army basecamp at Napua District. We had to report our journey for safety reason. After that we drove to Habema Lake. We couldn’t help but to stop the car and enjoy the scenery. The clouds were like a blanket beneath our feet. It felt like the world above the clouds. Nothing really beats the beauty of nature.

Along the way, we see greens and trees and rainbow too. First time we thought Papua would be dry, but we were wrong. Papua is very fertile and has a lot of green scenery. We stopped at a landscape on 3300 m asl where we could see the whole Habema Lake below us. Habema Lake is 224.35 ha wide and 9.79 km in circumference. From here, we can see the peak of Trikora Mountain, which is the third highest peak in Jayapura Mountains after Puncak Jaya and Mandala.

We took a few pictures and shot some videos before leaving to another breathtaking spot. Oh yea, there is no toilet here. So, you have to go to behind bushes and rocks if you need to go to the toilet.

We drove another hour to Batas Batu or Papan Batu. The place is even higher up. If you can reach Habema with any car, to Batas Batu you need a 4 wheel drive cars. The place is very remote, we met some native Papua walking around wearing koteka and bringing a huge knife. It is common for them to bring knife around when leaving the house. Perhaps, like us always bringing our phone when leaving the house.

After an hour of super bumpy road and amazing view we arrived at 3400 meter above sea level, Batas Batu. It was 7 degree Celsius freezing, the wind was chilly which makes it feel even colder, yet the sun was shining fiercely. Most of us got sunburn, but you know tans and burns fade but memories last. So, it was beyond worth it.

We went up to the mountains of grey and white rocks. It was not hard but tricky since the rocks were so sharp. Once we got to the top, the view was oh so out of this world. The white and grey rocks looked like covered in snow from pictures taken. It actually does snow sometimes when it gets really cold.

We didn’t want to leave but we had to. We went back to our hotel and packed our things to fly back to Sentani the next morning. Our flight was supposed to be at 8 am by jet but there was a delay so we had to switch to a turboprop plane. The plane was a small non jet plane and the boarding pass was manually written. Some of us got a little nervous, but thank God the weather was great.

The ride was unexpectedly smooth and we arrived safely at Sentani after an hour flight. We had to wait for our luggage to arrive, which was sent with another plane. After our luggage arrived, we checked in at our hotel in Sentani. We went to this one place called Love Lake. It is called by the name love because it is a lake with a heart / love shape surrounded by green hills. It feels like you are in Teletubbies Hills. Its green grass and blue sky as far as your eyes can see. You need to experience it yourself to understand the magical feelings we felt inside. Even great pictures don’t absorb the beautiful vibe. We felt like little puppies who run around happily on green fields. For you who loves green landscapes, this is a must visit. You can just lay down and enjoy the grass scents. It is that beautiful.

We stayed there until dark and drove to Jayapura for dinner. We had dinner at a seafood restaurant by the Yos Sudarso Bay. It felt like you were in mini Hong Kong since there were buildings and pretty city lights surrounding the sea. It was very different from Wamena which we experienced the day before.

We flew back to Jakarta with an early flight the next day. We bought Roti Abon and Wamena Coffee bean for souvenirs. For those of you who loves to travel, Papua should be in your bucket list.

We went to Papua to fulfill the mission to deliver 2000 pairs of shoes for children in Papua from This Is April X Chelsea Islan, but we came home with more blessing from the humbling and amazing experiences we had.

"Spread love and compassion. Not hate and ignorance. Together let's make the world a better place"

Written by Jasmine Jawie
Picts by Sri Wahyuni, Bruno Oktavian DS, Adi Chandra and Jasmine Jawie

Blog

FROM THE FOUNDER'S LETTER.

THIS IS APRIL GOES INTERNATIONAL.

THIS IS APRIL SATIN LIP STOCKING #BeautyIsNotJustAboutLook.

THIS IS APRIL X CHELSEA ISLAN GOES TO PAPUA TO DELIVER SHOES FOR CHILDREN IN WAMENA AND SENTANI.