Suitably Bespoke
Forbes Indonesia|October 2018

Four generations on, Wong Hang Tailor rebrands itself and moves into high gear.

Ulisari Eslita
Suitably Bespoke

Fashion-wise, Joko Wido-do (Jokowi) may be the most flexible to be suited up among all of Indonesia’s male presidents. According to Samuel Wongso, the fourth generation of the family that owns Wong Hang Tailor, Jokowi is the only Indonesian president bold enough to try different suit styles. “We’re quite surprised when we saw Pak Jokowi wearing our all grey-plaid suit, shaking hands with the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, who wore a navy-plaid suit that day,” says Samuel proudly.

Wong Hang’s relationship with Jokowi began since Jokowi was governor of Jakarta. In the beginning, Wong Hang offered Jokowi suits in primary hues such as navy blue and black, but gradually it offered him a wider selection of colors.

“We also offered our very own water-proof fabric to Pak Jokowi. We told him that the next time King Salman comes to Jakarta during the rainy season, he wouldn’t get wet if he uses this fabric,” Samuel said with a laugh.

The tailor shop was set up 85 years ago by Samuel’s great-grandfather, Wong Hang, in Surabaya. Initially, Wong Hang only served clients who lived nearby his house. His clients then widened to include the Dutch and the Japanese, who then helped him to expand his business to as far as Jakarta. Taking on the Jakarta market is another story altogether. One of Wong Hang’s early customers, Sudomo, the late former coordinating minister for political and security affairs during the Suharto era, helped him grow the business in the capital city.

“Pak Sudomo was very satisfied with our suits. He asked our family to enter the Jakarta market and introduced Wong Hang Tailor to many VIPs,” Samuel recounts.

Denne historien er fra October 2018-utgaven av Forbes Indonesia.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra October 2018-utgaven av Forbes Indonesia.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA FORBES INDONESIASe alt
BACK ON TRACK
Forbes Indonesia

BACK ON TRACK

Collective wealth gets a 21% boost to a record $162 billion amid an economic uptick.

time-read
10+ mins  |
December 2021
Championing Locals
Forbes Indonesia

Championing Locals

The wave of social commerce is enabling inclusive digital economies beyond urban areas.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2021
Boys in the Bubble
Forbes Indonesia

Boys in the Bubble

Startups are supposed to specialize, but OPENSEA’s founders thrived by building a wide-open market for creating and trading all manner of NFTs, whether art, music or gaming. Now that they’re centimillionaires and poised to become billionaires, they have other worries: competitors, fraudsters and the next crypto crash.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2021
Enduring Relations
Forbes Indonesia

Enduring Relations

The implementation of IA-CEPA amid the pandemic signifies the Indonesia-Australia’s commitment to recover and counter future challenges together.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 2021
Sweet Success
Forbes Indonesia

Sweet Success

Steven Erwin envisions Unifam to become a major global player in the confectionery and F&B industry.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2021
Marathon Man
Forbes Indonesia

Marathon Man

Across America, scores of municipal pension funds remain scandalously underfunded. But not the pension fund of Tampa’s police and firemen, thanks in large part to JAY BOWEN, whose no-frills approach to stock picking has protected and served them for more than 45 years.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2021
Gold Rallies on Inflation Fears
Forbes Indonesia

Gold Rallies on Inflation Fears

During September the price of gold rallied to $1,868 per ounce following the release of figures on US inflation by the Bureau of Labor Statistics which indicated that, as of September, CPI inflation had rocketed to 6.2%, above the 5.8% which economists had been predicting.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2021
Set Off to A New Start
Forbes Indonesia

Set Off to A New Start

Bank Aladin has two main ingredients for success: establish trust and offer better customer experiences.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 2021
The Daily Intake
Forbes Indonesia

The Daily Intake

YOUVIT plans to invest further into marketing and grow into one of the leading vitamin brands in Indonesia.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 2021
THE CROESUS OF CRYPTO
Forbes Indonesia

THE CROESUS OF CRYPTO

FTX COFOUNDER SAM BANKMAN-FRIED BUILT A $22.5 BILLION FORTUNE BEFORE HIS 30TH BIRTHDAY BY PROFITING OFF THE CRYPTOCURRENCY FRENZY—BUT HE’S NOT A TRUE BELIEVER. HE JUST WANTS HIS WEALTH TO SURVIVE LONG ENOUGH TO GIVE IT ALL AWAY.

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 2021