About

5th & BATAVIA: THE MISSION

5th & Batavia is a fashion media house that takes a unique approach towards advocating renowned and emerging global designers by telling their stories and presenting their creative minds and artistic work. By leveraging our network of industry talent, 5th & Batavia connects with, interviews and produces international mixed-media pieces that bring a new spotlight to many of the individuals who are driving fashion forward today.

We have interviewed and written numerous articles covering designers, runway coaches, models, production houses, the fashion industry, as well as NGO’s looking to leverage fashion to promote humanitarian global causes.

In addition, 5th & Batavia provides published articles, features photographic contents, and collaboration to New York Fashion TV and S&D Fashion Academy, an organization offering all-things-fashion expertise and networking on a global basis.

5th & Batavia also collaborates with the Indonesia Fashion Gallery (IFG), a New York City-based fashion center delivering expertise and networking for Indonesian and New York clothing and accessory designers, cosmetics brands, and fashion production talent. Through this relationship, 5th & Batavia provides fashion event promotions, facilitates photo shoots, and provides articles that highlight their designers.

As the creator of 5th & Batavia, I find incredible value in uncovering artistic and talent aspects of the fashion industry that normally would not surface organically. The journalistic passion, understanding and social network needed to navigate the fashion industry is currently in short supply, high demand, and to this, 5th & Batavia has shaped its mission.

5th & BATAVIA: THE CREATOR

Irene Simbolon is a native-born Indonesian who has been in the online media business for 12 years with the latter years focused on fashion media. She came to the United States when she was 16 years old to enroll her last two years of high school at a prestigious boarding school in the state of VT. She continued her undergraduate education at an all-women's college in Western MA studying Business Administration. With her inner entrepreneur on the media space, love of New York City and its entirety, fashion, and writing, Irene's inspiration ultimately led to the foundation of 5th & Batavia.

5th & BATAVIA: NAME'S FUN FACTS

  • The metropolitan city of Jakarta in Indonesia used to be called "Batavia" during the Dutch colony in the country.
  • When you take a yellow cab in New York City, you tell the driver to go to the cross streets of your destination. Instead of saying "350 5th Avenue," you would say "5th ave and 34th street, please."