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A definitive guide to men&#039;s premium fashion and lifestyle, as well as Hollywood celebrities.

DA MAN Magazine - Make Your Own Style!

<h2>CHALLENGING MASCULINITY. Soetjipto Hoeijaja, the founder and designer of <a href="http://daman.co.id/tag/No’om" target="_blank" rel="noopener">No’om</a>, is determined to create something different for men. <a title="Gabriela Yosefina" href="http://daman.co.id/tag/gabriela-yosefina/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gabriela Yosefina</a> chats with him to find out how he does it</h2>
A conversation with Soetjipto Hoeijaja, the founder and designer of Indonesian brand No’om, is both uplifting and eye-opening. As a creative soul whose designs aim to introduce a strikingly different style to the local fashion industry, Hoeijaja is quite aware of the challenges that await him. It is not easy to ask people—men in particular—to wear edgy clothing. But of course, the young designer shows no sign of hesitation or doubt as he elaborates on his vision and aesthetics.To him, his brand is all about challenging the boundaries of fashion. And there is no turning back. Whether it is a harness, a long coat with pom-pom details or a short jacket, No’om pieces are indeed refreshing to see and to wear. They have this sort of power to transform mundane outfits into brilliant getups without forcing a 180-degree change of style. Even Hoeijaja admits that more mature men are now into his out-of-the-ordinary clothes. So, could this be the local fashion industry’s answer to the global evolution of menswear? Well, there is only one way to find out.
Gabriela Yosefina: Hi, Nono! You’ve got quite a catchy brand name. Where did the idea for the name come from?
Soetjipto Hoeijaja: People have been calling me Nono since high school; maybe because my nickname, Tjipto, is not that easy to pronounce or to remember. And at the beginning of my design career I designed menswear only, so I added “Homme” [the French word for “man”] to my new nickname. Eventually, I came up with “No’om.”
GY: There aren’t a lot of designers who specialize in menswear, especially in Indonesia. Why did you decide to pick this rarely-taken route?
SH: I started creating clothes when I was still in college, and at that time ready-to-wear lines for women were blossoming. Even some of my friends jumped into the womenswear business, too. So I figured out that I wanted to design menswear to differentiate myself from the rest. Apparently the response was, and still is, positive: Men do want to wear something different and explore other styles.
GY: How do you formulate your design approach for those modern men?
SH: When I design, I put together something that I want to wear; that trick always works. Simultaneously, my designs are also fueled by the lack of options for menswear out there. Most of the clothes in shopping malls are rather monotonous and predictable, so I am motivated to create collections that stimulate men to try different styles. Quality is also an important factor when it comes to creating clothes for men.
GY: Where does the inspiration for those collections come from?
SH: Most of the time my design is based on my daily interaction with people. Real life has definitely become my main source of inspiration because my brand is ready-to-wear. I want to design something that people can wear on a daily basis but is, in a way, still striking.
GY: Such as wearing a harness every day?
SH: Precisely. The harness is one of my signature creations and the most challenging piece to make. I know that it is perhaps the last thing you will want wear on a daily basis, so I want to challenge that notion. People perceive harnesses as something kinky, something costume-y, but I design my harnesses to be versatile enough to be worn for work. You can mix it with a vest or a shirt; you can wear it in several different ways to get the best out of it.
GY: It sounds like you are challenging the very notion masculinity with your designs.
SH: You can put it that way. I mean, look at how most men in Jakarta dress. If one goes for a dandy style, everyone will soon follow. If one wears a certain kind of T-shirt, you will see more people wearing similar T-shirts. Why don’t we see men wearing  outfits with sequins, or something with pom-poms? After all, masculinity is all about the attitude, regardless of what you wear.
<a href="https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NOOM_1.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-29637 size-full" src="https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NOOM_1.jpg" alt="NOOM_1" width="600" height="900" srcset="https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NOOM_1.jpg 600w, https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NOOM_1-200x300.jpg 200w, https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NOOM_1-451x676.jpg 451w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></a>
GY: Do you have any advice for men who want to challenge their own masculinity by wearing statement pieces?
SH: It’s simple: Just be confident. For beginners, try something more understated before really pushing your boundaries. Don’t hesitate to try something you have previously avoided.
GY: Let’s discuss your current collection, “Time Outs.” What’s so special about it?
SH: First and foremost, I don’t do designs based on the seasons. I decide on a theme once a year, usually around June. Then, for the entire year I will release a monthly collection following that theme. “Time Outs” is the theme from June last year, and a new theme will be launched this June. For “Time Outs,” I’ve incorporated a lot of sporty nuances because people are now very much into healthy lifestyles. I want the collection to somehow appear energetic.
GY: So, what’s your next theme going to be?
SH: I can’t really speak too much about it right now, but it will still focus on the sporty lifestyle. I draw my inspirations from the dynamic city of Los Angeles; there will be a myriad of details such as pom-pom applications and various mixes of fabric. But you have to wait until June to check out the entire collection!
GY: Do you think that you have moved forward since starting out in 2010?
SH: The men who buy my clothes have certainly changed. For the first three years, most of my customers are people who work in the creative industry. They usually want something different that helps them stand out. Now, there are more mature customers. Since my prices are also relatively higher, those who can afford my clothes are also those with stable incomes and refined tastes. They know what they want. Additionally, I also have a womenswear line now: No’omi. The aesthetics are in line with the menswear: seductive, strong and a little bit dark.
<h3 style="text-align: center;">“After all, masculinity is all about the attitude, regardless of what you wear”</h3>
GY: What about all the challenges you have had to face so far?
SH: Doing fashion in Indonesia is not easy. There are a lot of challenges, but without those I will not improve myself and work harder. The most common problem is availability. I still have to import some of the fabrics in order to get the best ones.
GY: Reflecting back to when you were younger, have you always been into fashion?
SH: I am from Makassar, and back then there wasn’t much in the way of fashion-related stuff to look forward to, other than magazines. As I approached college-age, I wanted to pursue an education in fashion design, but my parents pushed me to go into business instead. I didn’t finish my degree in business, and eventually my parents let me study fashion— but not designing, unfortunately. I had to study fashion business. I learned everything from concept preparation, budgeting, pricing and so on. All of those lessons have proven to be extremely useful when eventually I started my own brand.
GY: What advice would you give to budding designers looking to get into the industry?
SH: Fashion is hard. From the outside it may look glamorous, but it actually involves a lot of hard work.
GY: And who do you look up to in life?
SH: My mother. From when I was very young, she has always been working. She is one of toughest ladies I know. I always look up to her and hopefully I can do better than her. Inspiration-wise, I have always been a fan of Tim Burton. He can exude beauty in darkness through his works, and perhaps unconsciously those aesthetics influence my own work, too. In the fashion industry, I admire Helmut Lang and Dries Van Noten for creating something different but still in line with a lot of people’s expectations.
<a href="https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NOOM_3.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-29638 size-full" src="https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NOOM_3.jpg" alt="NOOM_3" width="600" height="842" srcset="https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NOOM_3.jpg 600w, https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NOOM_3-214x300.jpg 214w, https://backend.daman.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/NOOM_3-482x676.jpg 482w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /></a>
Outfit and harness by No&#8217;om
<h3>Designer Talks: Soetjipto Hoeijaja</h3>
<iframe loading="lazy" width="610" height="343" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wV8V7aNFtYI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Photography <a href="http://daman.co.id/?s=Haruns+Maharbina">Haruns Maharbina</a> 
Styling <a href="http://daman.co.id/?s=Peter+Zewet">Peter Zewet</a> 
Styling Assistant <a href="http://daman.co.id/?s=Triska+Putri">Triska Putri</a> 
Videography <a href="http://daman.co.id/?s=Dimas+Anggakara">Dimas Anggakara</a> &amp; <a href="http://daman.co.id/?s=Fickar+Hajar">Fickar Hajar</a> 
Video Editing <a href="http://daman.co.id/?s=Fickar+Hajar">Fickar Hajar</a> 
Grooming <a href="http://daman.co.id/?s=Ria+Sambuaga">Ria Sambuaga</a>

Designer : Soetjipto Hoeijaja is Determined to Create Something Different for Men and therefore Created No’om

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Soetjipto Hoeijaja