The BIG Group recently debuted their first Women on Wednesday (WoW), a round table where female personalities come together with their guests to celebrate their achievements, goals and lifestyle stories with one another at Botanical in Bangsar Village II.
The first roundtable was kick-started by Sazzy Falak and her team to celebrate the success of being a local celebrity and her recent street fashion collection ‘Street Fashion by SazzyFalak’. After dining on some delicious meatless cuisine at Botanical, we had a little chat with Sazzy over dessert to discuss some of her style philosophy and what she has planned for her clothing brand at New York Fashion Week in September.
Life under the limelight can be exhausting. How do you juggle a healthy lifestyle with your busy schedule?
Staying healthy and keeping fit is something I make sure I do. It’s one of my top priorities in life because I feel that if I’m not fit or healthy, I can’t do work properly or feel that I’m not a good mom or wife. No matter how busy I get, I always make sure I work out. But I also know that working out doesn’t only cut it. It’s also about eating healthy, so I’m working on both of that.
What’s the first thing you look forward to when you’re done with your duties as an actress and businesswoman?
Going back to my kids! I love being busy and I don’t think I could ever be one of those stay-at-home moms where I just wash, cook an clean. But I love having a career, goals and dreams, and I love being busy because it gives me that feeling of satisfaction. Then when I come home to my kids, it gives me that feeling like I truly appreciate having my family around. And what’s great is that the Street Fashion office is in my home, so it’s a great way for me to stay close to my kids.
What’s your secret to work life balance?
Two words – Google Calendar! I start my week by looking at Google Calendar because everything is in there. What’s great with Google Calendar is that you can sync it in with everyone else like my manager, friends, colleagues, so we all know what each other’s doing. Google Calendar is how I know what I’m doing so I don’t double-book myself. But as a mom, I try my very best to keep my weekends free for my kids. So I try to say no to jobs or events when I have to. It’s really all about prioritizing.
What inspired the birth of Street Fashion?
For years, my husband’s been telling me to start my own fashion line because I have a love for fashion. I was working with a company at the time doing training and artiste management, and he still kept insisting that I should do something with fashion. When I was pregnant, I did some online shopping and I thought it was amazing. So that’s when I decided that I would do something with fashion and put it on the internet. But I only started it about six months after I gave birth.
What is your style philosophy like, and do you implement it in the designs of Street Design?
Yes, it does. The brand I create should be somewhat similar to the styles that I like. My style philosophy is using different pieces and layering. So you’ll see a lot of layering in my items like kimonos, skirts or pants. The point is that you don’t have to buy a dress worth a thousand ringgit, but you can buy a few items and mix and match with other things.
Street Fashion is all about casual wear, but without sticking to just a pair of t-shirt and jeans when you go out. Instead, you can top that outfit with a nice kimono on top to style up your look.
What inspires each collection?
The older collection was just me trying out different things I wanted to see. But I like using Batik prints on chiffon and more flowy designs.
This year, we’re doing New York Fashion Week in September and because of my love for Batik, we’re putting a lot of Batik in our designs for the collection. We’re only featuring 25 designs in New York. We’re taking Batik prints and then turning it into something edgier.
Are there any new designs or trends you’d like to include in Street Fashion in the future?
Thing thing about Street Fashion is that it’s not just about me as a designer, but I also like including other budding designers to create something new, edgy and different ready-to-wear pieces for young stylish people. I’d also like to dabble in menswear too!I I’d love to pull in other designers with fresh ideas.
What are your favorite items from Street Fashion?
It has to be the first item I designed – the Lily Kimono in Yellow. It’s a top-seller and it and sold out in just a matter of days and we had to keep recreating more.
Any style tips for our readers?
Know your body shape! Just because you see something in a magazine and it’s in-trend, it doesn’t mean it’ll look good for you. So, know your body shape and figure out what styles complement your figure!
Shop Street Fashion by SazzyFalak here.
