CUCA, the brainchild of Priscilla Aliwarga, a certified yoga teacher, offers eco-friendly products, from a chic activewear range to comfortable yoga mats. As well as being in Indonesia, CUCA goods are also available in many other countries, from Australia to Zimbabwe.
CUCA, whose name is derived from Kuka, the Incan goddess of happiness and well-being, is a brainchild of Priscilla Aliwarga who designs all of CUCA merchandise, from the yoga mats to the activewear. “I have been doing yoga since I was in high school, in 2002, which began as the type of exercise I preferred, but it gradually grew to be a way for me to feel stronger mentally,” says Priscilla.
Priscilla is a trained mathematician from the University of New South Wales in Australia, whose professional background includes stints with a boutique investment firm in Sydney, and a leading life insurance company in Jakarta. In 2011, Pricilla who received her teacher certification from the SBC Yoga Sydney and Heritage Yoga School New Delhi, left her steady job to become a full time yoga teacher and today this mother of a toddler teaches private classes as well as corporate clients in Jakarta.
The story of CUCA started when Priscilla became dissatisfied with the fact that all the proper, high-quality yoga mats available in Indonesia were the American-made ones which bear hefty price tags, while the only other alternative was low quality yoga mats which post a serious risk of injury. “Those imported proper yoga mats were priced between Rp 1,500,000 and Rp 2,000,000 here,” says Priscilla, so realistically were unaffordable for the average yoga enthusiasts – even the ones who actually could afford to pay premium prices were generally put-off by the high price point of those imported products, thus they opted for the not-so-good lower priced ones, ignoring the risk of injury.
As a seasoned yogi, Priscilla understands that to practice yoga safely, practitioners must always use quality, non-slip yoga mats, as one tends to get sweaty during the class, so a slippery mat will surely prove to be dangerous, particularly when it comes to doing inversion poses.
As a teacher, Priscilla wants her students to practice yoga safely and a proper yoga mat, which provides proper balance to the practitioner on the ground, is invaluable. She established CUCA in 2012 and through her company, Priscilla aims to offer proper yoga mats with a price that is affordable for the average yoga enthusiast here.
Priced at Rp 699,000, CUCA yoga mats are still not the cheapest ones in the local market, but these candy-coloured mats feature a dual-sided surface for reversible usage, hence you can extend the life of the mats by using both sides.
As eco-friendly materials are a natural choice for yogis, all of CUCA yoga mats are recyclable and naturally decomposable. Moreover, those biodegradable yoga mats are SGS tested and certified for eco-friendliness (as stated on sgs.com: SGS, a multinational company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is the world’s leading inspection, verification and certification company) – the mats use cutting-edge Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) fabric that stays clean after repeated use and eventually biodegrades hence they are not harmful to the environment.
They are also non-toxic, completely PVC and chlorides free ,and because CUCA mats are non-porous, so they do not absorb sweat or dirt, and are naturally antibacterial. With a length of 183 cm, a width of 61 cm, the thickness of 6 mm and weight of 1.3 kg, CUCA yoga mats are thick enough for comfort and support but light enough to be easily carried. “When you practice yoga, you will use your knees and hands; the right thickness on proper yoga mats will definitely soften the stress on your joints,” says Priscilla.
“All of CUCA products are made in Indonesia, except for its yoga mats; they are manufactured in Taiwan by a renowned material research foundation. Actually, I wanted to produce our yoga mats in Indonesia, but I could not find the proper materials here yet,” says Patricia.
After winning the hearts of many yogis with its yoga mats, CUCA has enthusiastically introduced CUCA activewear range, which consists of yoga-inspired and running-inspired collections. “They are called as activewear, instead of sportswear. While sportswear refers to clothes specifically designed for sports purposes, activewear clothes are designed for the purpose of transitioning from exercise attire to casual wear,” says Priscilla.
As CUCA’s mission is to provide eco-friendly products; the activewear is produced by using biodegradable material, namely viscose. Made of cellulose from wood pulp, as said by Priscilla, viscose is ideal for sweaty work out, as it does not insulate heat, absorbs perspiration, and allows it to evaporate away from the skin.
CUCA activewear, which is prefect for women with an active lifestyle, enables the wearer to move from the yoga studio or running paths to other places (say, malls or cafes) without changing her clothes while still looking stylish. While most of the tops on offers look chic and sexy, however for those who prefer to cover up while being active, there are also loose fitting long sleeve tops, which do not hug the contour of your body tightly.
As for prices of CUCA merchandise, CUCA activewear range is priced between Rp 349,000 and Rp 549,000, yoga pants bear price tags from Rp 629,000 to Rp 649,000, while waterproof yoga bags cost Rp 399,000 each.
Priscilla’s passion for yoga inspired her to establish CUCA in 2012. Today, besides in Indonesia, CUCA goods are also available in Australia, Malaysia, Philippines and Zimbabwe. Priscilla’s business that grows little by little, proves that by being consistently producing quality merchandise, one is able to turn passion into business.
CUCA GOODS ARE AVAILABLE AT:
Jakarta: Seibu (Grand Indonesia), Metro (Pondok Indah Mall, Pacific Place, Mall Taman Anggrek & Plaza Senayan), MG Sports & Music and Kettler (for the stores’ addresses please visit www.cuca.me).
Bali: Yogabarn (www.theyogabarn.com) and Bali Yoga Shop (www. Baliyogashop.com).
The goods are also available in Australia, Malaysia, Philippines and Zimbabwe – for the stores’ addresses please visit www.cuca.me.
Priscilla’s WhatsApp: +62 812 1036 7056
NOTE: Priscilla cheerfully answers the calls & replies to your text messages personally.
