If you are huge fan of Indonesian Islamic fashion, the brand Casa Elana would ring sweet bells in your ear. Casa Elana is well known for their comfortable wear with pastel yet playful colours. Recently, they have also released a line for breastfeeding moms. Isn’t that great? ;)

We must not forget that the sisters behind Casa Elana are also the ones behind Hijab Scarf, one of the most well known Indonesian blogs on muslim fashion. One of the sisters is the beautiful mother of baby Lola, Fifi Alvianto.

Blogger turned fashion designer, Fifi Alvianto has indeed reached a milestone in her life.
Here, on #HijUpTalk, we had the oppurtinity to chat with Fifi Alvianto herself.
Let’s check out the interview, shall we? ;)



First of all, please tell us, what are your current activities at the moment?

Now I am busy being a mother without a babysitter of Lola (9 months old) and also managing my clothing brand called Casa Elana.

Wow, though busy raising a child, FifiAlvianto still manages her clothing line Casa Elana. Her collection is available at HijUp.



We would like to take a flashback. Among blogging, photography, modeling,and web design, which one did you start out in?

I started blogging in early 2006, and then I liked photography because I wanted to create good photographs that I could post on the blog. Because I posted photographs of myself on the blog, eventually there were offers for modeling and voila I was in the modeling scene.

I have had a passion for web design since I started blogging. Coincidently, it is also my major back at university. I studied Multimedia at the Institute of Technology Bandung.

Since I became a mother, I have stopped being a model to focus on my brand and my daughter, which takes up a lot of my time.

Indeed, so it all started from blogging. This is proof that hobby can generate achievements. Generate income to be exact :))



The Hijab Scarf blog has 2 million visitors, that’s amazing! Tell us about that. :)

Back then, hijab bloggers were rare in Indonesia. At the time, I just started to wear the hijab and needed a style reference. Due to that I didn’t find a hijab media that was suitable. In the end, Hanna Faridl and I made a media to facilitate it.

The aim of Hijab Scarf blog is to be a free informative media of fashion and beauty for hijabers which, at the time was difficult to be found. I didn’t expect and was very surprised that from the year 2010 until now, we have had 2 million pageviews though we took a break for 1 year because of other activities and Casa Elana.

It feels great that there are lots of fashion bloggers emerging and that we have been a part of this growing media. Hopefully, we could be active again, because this year there will be a big project which started from Hijab Scarf itself.



Where did you learn photography? You have really good photographs.

I self-taught photography through experience and lots of browsing on techniques and editing.



Since when did you wear the hijab? Where did the inspiration come from?

I have worn the hijab since 2009. At first it was my parents’ wishes. At the moment I wasn’t sure but I decided to wear hijab when I got married. When I wear the hijab, it turns out that it feels very comfortable and it is also such a great experience.

I regret that I didn’t wear it beforehand. Ever since I have worn the hijab, the doors of fortune have been opened to me and I have also grown wiser in manner.

The point is that the hijab is goodness and brings goodness. In each goodness there will be more goodness from Allah SWT. That is my hijab principle.

Subhanallah, it appears that ever since you wore the hijab, the doors of goodness have opened up to you…Hopefully for us too dear. Amiin.



During the talk, 3 questions were asked from our followers.

The first question is from @merdhalialatief: Hi Fifi, how do you organise your time between family and your career? Thank you.

I usually manage my time: in the afteroon I play with my daughter, even for meetings I bring her along. At night I work on my laptop and weekends I go out with my husband.

I am also used to driving with my daughter in the car seat wherever I go, wherever my job needs me. The most important part is to have fun with it.


Second question is from @meshahab: Were you able to design clothes because of learning multimedia or what?

Actually, designing does not need schooling. What you do need is imagination and a personal character and style.


The last question comes from @hari_oktavia: I want to be able to do web design like you. What are the basics that beginners should have?

The basics of web design is how to work with HTML code. Yes, all of it is self-taught. I learnt from tutorials on the internet. The key in being able to do something is ‘curiosity’. If you like to fiddle with it then your knowledge will eventually increase.

The most important asset of having a business is not money but believing in your potential and skills ;)

That’s a very nice quote indeed. Let’s keep learning and enhancing our skills everyone ;)


Lastly, the final question from HijUp. You have been a model and also a designer, what aim that you have not achieved yet?

My aim is to be a mother my child can be proud of. Whatever the profession, no matter how successful, nothing beats the process of being a mother.

When I was single, I only thought of my career, when I had my child, now I only think of how to raise an extraordinary child.

Wow, how noble of you. Hope that we can all be great mothers. Amiinn. Alhamdulillah…thank you FifiAlvianto for your time for #HijUpTalk. We hope it will inspire us all.


PS :
Also check out the latest interview from Fimela.com [here] :)