A conversation with Emmelyn Gunawan
Our first encounter with Emmelyn Gunawan’s grounded, connected, and positive retail vision occurred by pure chance, during an afternoon spent visiting one of the few genuinely Balinese corners that are now left in Seminyak - The Katamama (now known as Potato Head Suites). In this tiny oasis, quietly tucked away beneath a low-rise, hand-pressed brick facade, lay Canaan - a boutique brimming with carefully selected, high quality Indonesian lifestyle and fashion wares that are interwoven amongst the earthy, wooden hues of its interiors.
Today, Canaanhas evolved into a multi-faceted concept that promotes a sustainable, slow, and local vision that supports crafts and wares of the highest levels. Since opening her first store in 2016, Emmelyn has expanded to open a second Canaan boutique and cafè (opened in partnership with Rou Coffee), as well as experimental space Niniveh in Jakarta, in collaboration with husband and photographer Chris Bunjamin. In 2023, she launched Le Bajo, a boutique in Bali that celebrates the art of tropical living.
Emmelyn Gunawan
Described by Condé Nast Traveller as one of the top 10 shopping gems of Bali, Canaan inspired a journey that has taken Emmelyn beyond the pure retail sphere to pursue an experiential vision. A stone’s throw away from the first Canaan boutique lies Escalier at the infamous Potato Head Beach Club. Here, Emmelyn champions premium fashion that is at once innovative and cutting-edge, introducing niche and recognised brands to the local market.
Canaan at Jalan Drupadi, Seminyak Bali
Emmelyn expands the Canaan philosophy into workshops, pop-up events and talks aimed at showcasing all that is beautiful and unique from the world of Indonesian craftsmanship.
We took our admiration for Emmelyn’s considered, value-based vision and sought to discover what drives her work, asking 10 questions inspired by the Proust Questionnaire - a questionnaire that has its origins in a parlour game that had been popularised by French essayist Marcel Proust, designed to reveal the player’s true nature.
1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I think nowadays, if I get a good 8 hours of sleep, I’m very happy - coupled with a quiet morning before I start working.
2. What is your current state of mind?
I think it’s always between a state of excitement because of the future projects, and a state of anxiety because I worry if I’ve given my all and whether everyone around me is happy with the work that I do.
3. If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, who or what would she/he/it be and why?
I think I want to come back as my mom and re-live her life - she could’ve achieved so much more if she wasn’t so restricted by her parents’ traditional upbringing. There are positive attributes that I learned from my mother but she does it twice better, so imagine what we could’ve done together :)
4. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I would take everything with a pinch of salt and laugh more.
Escalier at Potato Head Beach Club, Bali
5. What is your greatest regret?
I wished I trusted myself more and listen to my gut feeling more often. I have been consumed by greed a number of times and I have paid greatly.
6. What is your most treasured possession?
My health. I’ve struggled with depression before so I know that my health and my state of mind are the most important things.
7. What is the quality you most like in a man?
Loyalty.
8. What is the quality you most like in a woman?
A loving heart.
Le Bajo, Bali
9. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
With all the work that I do, if I were to lose everything tomorrow I think I’d be ok with it, as I would come to realize that those are merely ‘things’. I could wake up tomorrow and start all over again and it would be fine, because I’ve gone through it before. I have had something so dear to me taken, and having gone through the heartbreak, I am now able to say I’ve lived it and I can move on - wiser.
10. What is your motto?
Leaders are those who dare to make their dreams come true!
My mama wrote that for me.