Shentel and Sereni with their latest season lookbook “Cabin Fever in Paris”.
MIRI – When my friend Michelle invited me to do a photo shoot on headbands, I had no idea that I would be meeting Borneo’s very own homegrown celebrity designers Sereni and Shentel.
Internationally-acclaimed brand, the “Sereni & Shentel, Made in Borneo” was launched in 2009 by Sereni Linggi and Shentel Lee from Kuching.
The dream label began, as I read their lookbook, as a craft project. Two years later the prestigious label has stockists in Kuching, Kota Kinabalu, Miri, Sibu, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Penang, Sydney and New Zealand.
A big breakthrough came last year when Lancôme Malaysia commissioned the girls to create exclusive headband designs for their Spring Summer 2011 Collection by makeup guru Aaron De Mey.
Catapulted in the mainstream media by the giant cosmetics company, the girls described the contract as a surreal experience to see their faces staring back at them at every Lancôme counter.
As predicted, the Lancôme special edition headbands were sold out in weeks which prompted more engaged collaborations.
For an ignorant, un-fashionista like me, surely a headband is only headband?
No, no, says Michelle. I can vouch that this headband can be worn all day with comfort.
Nothing new too, customized headbands.
Apparently I was wrong too.
The unique design that stands out from the crowd is the Blair.
Created and named after the ever popular New York’s Upper East Side fictitious Gossip Girl character, the Blair can be customized to the customer’s whim and fancy.
Shentel helps a customer to explore the design of a custom Blair
The beautiful part is, the customer can mix and match any headband base, ribbons and stones to any color of their choice. The possibilities are of course, quite infinite – certainly acceptable to any woman and her vanity.
So tell me what more could a woman want?
(A worthy note – Sereni & Shentel created National gifts for Miss Universe Malaysia 2011 Deborah Priya Henry at the Miss Universe Pageant held in Sao Paolo, Brazil on Sep 12, 2011.
S & S headbands are available at Lot 2.35 – 2.36, 2F, Bintang Mega Mall, tel +6085.417896, 98000 Miri.)
