KUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — If you were a fan of the American TV series "Gossip Girl," you would know that the character Blair Waldorf wore a different designer headband in almost every episode. But did you know that her beautiful headbands were made by Kuching-based Sereni & Shentel?
Since that celebrity endorsement, the brand has gained a cult following locally and internationally. Personally, I know someone who has 200 of their headbands! Founders Sereni Linggi and Shentel Lee also do bespoke designs so there is a headband for every occasion.
Recently, Sereni & Shentel collaborated with Lisette Scheers of Nala Designs to come up with the Nala collection which features two types of headbands (Lolita and Mini Block Party), Eton bow ties and a buttonaire. All the items are decked out in Nala Designs' signature bold prints, which pay homage to the Malaysian melting pot of different cultures.
The limited edition range is made from handprinted silkscreen fabrics in three patterns, namely Peacock Pride, Willow Wishes and Pretty in Peranakan. The Peacock Pride pays tribute to the peacock, a symbol of awakening, with a variety of vibrant colours. The Willow Wishes is based on the intricate Blue Willow chinaware patterns, and the Pretty in Peranakan buttonaire uses motifs from Straits Chinese porcelain.
“We have always loved Nala Designs and felt that her Asian-influenced prints would look amazing as headbands and men's accessories. Lisette's love of colour and zest for life was a perfect fit for our band,” said Linggi and Lee.
Scheers sent her handprinted silkscreen materials to the Sereni & Shentel workshop in Kuching where artisans crafted each piece by hand.
“The whole idea of collaborating came from Sereni & Shentel…at least they put it into motion. That's what I love about them — there's no time to beat around the bush — if you have an idea you just get it done. They totally live up to the concept that a good idea must be realised within 24 hours,” said Scheers.
Part of the collection also includes Eton bow ties emblazoned with the Nala Designs print. Despite the bold colours, there have been many pre-orders for the bow ties.
“I showed it to my agent (a French man) who currently promotes our products in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. He wanted to order them all immediately! So I think they will go like hot cakes,” said Scheers.
You can buy individual items or choose the gift sets for loved ones. “The bag and headband gift sets would be our best-seller. Every girl needs a good quality tote for work or play and it's a real bonus when you have a headband to match as well,” said Linggi and Lee.
“The pre-orders have been overwhelming. Nala prints have injected a retro element to our products and our customers are just mad for them,” they added.
On whether Nala Designs and Sereni & Shentel will have more collaborations, Scheers is optimistic but prefers to take things one step at a time. In future, Scheers would love to design a collection of fabrics exclusively for Sereni & Shentel.
The Nala collection can be found at www.sereniandshentel.com, DR.Inc, 8 Jalan Kemuja, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur and The Playground, FK-05, First Floor, The Gardens Mall, Kuala Lumpur.
