in Bali

Ten days of prep, and we were still adjusting the night before we flew. 

The idea was simple. Go away. Somewhere with a little farm energy, a little countryside, a little playfulness — but still Hertape at the core. No specific film or era we were pulling from. Just a feeling we kept coming back to on the moodboard. Boots, farming hats, gardening gloves. Small things that would help build the whole world. 

By the time we landed, most of it was already sourced. Some from Varen's own closet, some from the existing Hertape collection. But mostly new — pieces we hunted down specifically for this campaign.

The first day was freezing. Actually freezing.

The models were literally shivering between takes. The whole wardrobe was giving Bali beach — super light, thin, nothing built for cold weather. We hadn't planned for this at all. 

So we adjusted. Longer breaks, robes between setups, coffee on rotation. You can't fight the weather, you just work with it.

Then the sun came out.

It was the farming scene. We flew in with fifteen kilos of sayuran from Jakarta as props — tomatos, greens, the works. Sounds crazy but that was the whole point, we wanted it to feel lived-in. 

The light shifted mid-morning and suddenly everything was warmer, brighter, more alive. The styling clicked, the location made sense, the mood settled. It was finally coming together the way I'd been picturing it all along. 

You plan for everything on a shoot, and then one scene lands better than the rest. That's always the one you remember.

Between setups, I kept coming back to the same pieces.

The Airylex Long Sleeve in black. Then in white. Then in black again. It honestly didn't matter which one — it just worked with everything. 

The Basic 20 Contrast Camisole. I already own two of them and I still want more. The fit is so flattering, and it's surprisingly warm and comfortable too — which mattered more than I expected on this trip. 

Styling for me is always the same instinct. Chic and current, but never overstyled. Trends can come in, but subtly. The brand's essence has to stay at the core — that's always a must for me.

Hertape is honestly so easy on set. Easy to steam, barely wrinkles, holds shape. I didn't bring an assistant this trip, so managing that many looks by myself was already a miracle — and the pieces did half the work. 

You notice that fast on shoots. Which pieces make your job easier, which ones don't.

After we wrapped in Bedugul, we came down to Canggu. The focus shifted from campaign to content — softer days, slower calls, more room to breathe. Still working, but the kind of working that doesn't feel like it. 

We finally tried Copenhagen for brunch — I'd been meaning to for months. An afternoon at The Lawn. A night out somewhere loud, because we needed one. 

Ten days of prep. A shoot that started freezing and ended in sunlight. Fifteen kilos of sayuran flown in from Jakarta. A farming scene that came together exactly the way we'd been talking about for weeks — and a slower few days after, in Canggu, to remember why we started. 

Some trips are about the place. This one was about the pieces, the people, and one very good afternoon on a farm.