In the heart of SUKKHACITTA

We get up close and personal with Rolex Awards for Enterprise Laureate, Denica Riadini-Flesch, on her expansive vision of her "farm-to-closet" brand, Sukkha Citta, and how winning the Rolex Awards will enrich the lives of the artisans and farmers in her homeland and across the globe.

-  AI LIM

Denica Riadini-Flesch is unstoppable. With her wide smile and kind eyes, she speaks with earnest and enthusiasm as we take our turns asking questions she has probably heard before. But she remains professional and patient, answering with confidence and passion about her "farm-to-closet" social enterprise, SukkhaCitta. Founded in 2016, Riadini-Flesch's social enterprise is more than just a fashion statement. Since its founding, the brand, which focuses on creating high-end clothing through traditional and sustainable techniques, has seen a 60 percent average increase in earnings for the women working with SukkhaCitta and with it, an improvement in the quality of life of the communities within the villages. In an in-depth interview, Riadini-Flech opens up about her synergistic relationship with the women in the village, whom she endearingly refers to as ibus, and her global ambitions for SukkhaCitta ...

What motivated you to establish SukkhaCitta and how did you discover the ibus? Why did you feel compelled to help and empower them?

I guess it has something to do with my background; I’m actually a development economist by training, so my life had a lot to do with rural development. What really motivated me to do this was seeing the reality of women in rural Indonesia—how they had all these remarkable skills that were passed down for generations but unfortunately, there was no access between us, the consumer, and the artisans.