Earlier this month, online fashion retail IAM Archives officially went live. But their journey began four months prior, when founders Brianca Bachtar and Metta Jayanti hustled to assemble a lineup of ten local brands, Aesthetic Pleasure, Bluesville, ANW x LUA, Jan Sober, Tanah Le Sae, BYO, IKYK, Jessica Priscilla, Walk With Christin Wu, and Metta’s very own St. Yarra, to create an exclusive collection that would set the tone for IAM’s debut and direction beyond an e-commerce fashion platform.
To celebrate the launch, IAM hosted a two-day pop-up preview, bringing together distinguished guests, media, and the participating designers for an immersive first look into IAM’s vision. The launching event, held at Urban Forest’s amphiteater, showcased a mix of brand-new collection, limited-edition pieces and reworked existing designs, all coming together under IAM’s debut campaign, ‘Obscuring Overtures’.
Striking a balance between exclusivity and everyday wearability, the collection follows a ‘post-archive’ ethos, which turns familiar forms into fresh silhouettes by combining each brand’s distinct identity with IAM’s creative direction. “It’s very much a synergy between us and the designers,” raved Brianca. “We’re thrilled to work with designers who embrace openness in the creative process. Because that’s exactly what IAM strives to be—a top-of-mind name for local brands to explore and do something fun together.”
One may notice Aesthetic Pleasure’s usual monochromatic leather bags adapted in new colourways of light blue, dark green, and choco nappa. IKYK, known for its modern modestwear, plays around with a larger style of pleats. Tanah Le Sae, celebrated for its emphasis on texture and romantic imagery, explored new material with the creation of the Joyce Layered Lace Blazer—the brand’s first full-lace design.
For menswear, Bluesville taps into their classic items and previous collection—namely the ‘Nurture Plenitude Kinesis’—and modified them through exploration of pattern and fabric, resulting in pieces such as bottomwear inspired by 40-50s military pants with eye-catching embroidery, and their signature patchwork shirt remade with leftover cotton fabrics, featuring a customised IAM logogram embroidery on the button placket.
“I’ve always believed that the dynamic evolution of Indonesia’s fashion ecosystem thrives when new platforms emerge with fresh perspectives,” commented founder of Bluesville, Direz Zender, on the collaboration with IAM. “With IAM, we also have a shared ethos where craftsmanship and luxury mean minimal disruption to our design philosophy. So alignment with partners who value that vision felt effortless and organic.”
With its collaborative and fluid approach, IAM is off to a promising start, offering both designers and customers a new space to engage with fashion. If their debut project signals anything, it’s the potential for e-commerce to go beyond retail—cultivating an environment where creativity, collaboration, and ease of access can enrich the local industry forward.
