How does Jakarta compare to other Indonesian cities?
It’s definitely got the biggest fashion scene. There’s a lot of money and that helps. But you can’t buy good taste. Lots of rich people here will buy something by Louis Vuitton or Prada just to show off their wealth without caring whether it actually looks good. For artists, Bandung is much better. Jakarta’s mostly a business city. How easy was it to fit in here? Actually, quite difficult. For one thing, I have fewer female friends here. It’s as if I intimidate Indonesian women. Also, Jakarta’s very cliquish and there are hangers-on who are only interested in you because you’re famous. But I live with a good friend and his family and they’ve introduced me to some very nice people. Do you ever hang out with other models? Not really. A lot of them view me as a rival, and frankly, I can’t really talk with them on the level that I’d like. In Holland, most models are also students. Some girls here are bright, but most seem shallow. Forget talking about anything serious. Do you have any favo
