Despite Whimsigirl being a prominent label, founder Syazana Sukiman, 38, who started it in 2013 as a kidswear brand, prefers not be in the fashion limelight. She has less than 10,000 followers on Instagram and does not post much fashion content.
At the brand’s headquarters in Ulu Kelang, she still designs each piece and is instrumental in choosing fabrics. She makes sure her designs flatter women of different sizes and the silhouettes work for every height.
“The whole idea of Whimsigirl is to celebrate everyday women. Which is why I’m more comfortable working behind-the-scenes to make sure we don’t waver from what we set out to do in 2017.”
Your childhood exposed you to being different – you are tall (she stands at 175cm), dark-skinned and with a different Malay-girl look. How did that experience shape your fashion business?
When I was in Standard One, I was taller than the boys. Being part Sinhalese and part Malay, I was also darker than most Malay pupils. And as a teenager, I was tall, brown and flat-chested.
I had always been different but never once did I feel that I should not be anything else than myself. And that is exactly what I want for women – to love the skin they are in. If there’s no place for you at the table, that means you just have to make a new table for yourself.
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I believe certain traits are intrinsic. I’m naturally driven, so when I want something, I will work until I get it.
My mum has always been a supportive pillar. Ever since I was a child, my mom has never once dismissed any idea or project that I had in mind. She never said anything is far-fetched and she would even stay up at night to help me complete something.
Her support taught me that all my ideas were worthy. This year, she wanted to help, so she wrote those thank you cards we sent out with every Hari Raya order.
You elevated the baju kurung Kedah to become a chic ensemble. Why was the top chosen as one of your debut womenswear lineup in 2017?
Baju Kedah was the conduit for me to come to terms with my own skin, following pregnancy weight gain that didn’t go away after delivery. It was something I did for myself to learn to love my new body. And that resonated with so many women.
While choices are aplenty now, back then, there was a need to represent everyday women with clothes to help them carry out daily tasks, instead of restrictive clothes that demand wearers to perform in a certain way.
We elevated the baju kurung Kedah and it became our staple until now.
A lot of dark-skinned girls see you as their representation in fashion. Are you comfortable with that?
To be honest, I didn’t even realise it. I think somehow, it’s not the person, but society that makes such a big fuss about skin colour and weight.
As a child, I grew up listening to people telling me that dark skin doesn’t go well with bright colours so my wardrobe only had certain hues until those colours became a part of me.
My sister Sara Athira, who was also dark-skinned, wore boisterous shades as a child and I think she looked amazing. I think we need to embrace the idea that what looks good on you is what you are comfortable in. You should wear the hues and the clothes, not the other way round.
What’s an important lesson you have learnt about business?
That you need to stick to a decision if you believe strongly in it. When I first started, our children’s clothes came in a box with confetti. I love beautiful packaging and confetti speaks of the joy of getting new clothes.
Many people told me boxes and confetti were not scalable, and they pose extra cost and effort, but I love them! Today, however, most brands have boxes as packaging.
Is local fashion truly inclusive?
I feel the market is healthier now. There is something for everyone, whatever your preference.
The landscape has improved so much but as a brand, we still have things to work on. We want to extend our sizes, and this means not just grading the size but making sure the design is good throughout the size spectrum. What’s the point of having size 22 if it doesn’t look good on the wearer?
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Whimsigirl’s clothes are pricier than other local brands’. Are the tags justified?
Yes, we are not fast fashion and we are fastidious about our fabrics. We pay close attention to the quality of the materials and stitching to ensure the clothes last long and can be passed down. They also get snapped fast in the secondhand market so we know our clothes have longevity, both in design and quality.
Will you go back to making children’s clothes?
Never say never, but for now it’s not physically possible since I design everything. Making kids’ and adults’ clothes require the same amount of effort and resources. Maybe if we have the resources, we might do it again. And then, we will have come full circle.
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