The Pink Project designer collaborative sees five of Malaysia’s top fashion names working with BAZAAR to design limited edition pink ribbons to be given away on our citywide mission to increase breast cancer awareness. Celest Thoi, Sonny San for Eclipse, Izrin Ismail for Innai, Khoon Hooi, and Sereni and Shentel have been wonderfully supportive in their creation of unique pink ribbons that are the signifier of the breast cancer awareness campaign. BAZAAR’s Pink Project that started 9 years ago with the Nick Munro for Royal Selangor jelly mould has grown from strength-to-strength with the support of Malaysian celebrities like Bernie Chan, Jojo Struys, Asha Gill, Elaine Daly, Stephanie Chai, and many more. These phenomenal women have always come together in gorgeous editorial shoots styled by BAZAAR Malaysia’s creative director, Kenneth Goh where they have shared inspiring messages with BAZAAR readers. This year, BAZAAR strengthens the project in encouraging women to do their monthly self-examinations and to schedule their annual mammograms — because early detection of this disease saves lives!
Please join us on our Pink Crusade, post a picture of yourself on Instagram, wearing pink and with the pledge to do something in your community to raise breast cancer awareness. Use the hashtags #BAZAARPinkProject and #PledgeInPink, and tag three of your friends to make their own Pledge in Pink. Be creative, have fun and inspire with your pink pledge, let’s make a difference with every post!
Sereni and Shentel
Harper’s BAZAAR: Have you personally been touched by breast cancer in your life?
Shentel: Sereni’s mum passed away years ago from cancer almost 10 years ago but while she was in remission, she met the actress and great supporter of the cause, Elizabeth Hurley, who appeared at a Breast Cancer Awareness event for Estée Lauder in Harrods, London. She told one of the sales assistants she was in remission and the lovely sales assistant insisted she meet Hurley and have a chat with her. Sereni’s mum was chuffed over the whole experience!
Sereni: We both know that it is important to check any breast lumps with a doctor no matter how small they may be. It’s always best to get lumps professionally examined to erase any doubts. But it starts with self-examination, of course.
HB: Tell us about your pink ribbon design, which certainly goes outside the box!
S&S: The idea was to keep the original pink ribbon design as it is an iconic shape, but we added a pink polka dot tulle pinwheel behind it. We wanted something fun and feminine, inspired by an 80s Madonna vibe!
Sereni and Shentel’s #BAZAARPinkProject 2015 limited edition ribbon
HB: A significant part of beating any illness is attitude and staying positive. What are some of the things you can share with our audience that you do to stay positive and upbeat despite life’s constant challenges?
S&S: Laughter is wonderful medicine. We’re both big kids at heart and love to laugh. It’s more fun than being mad or sad. Also not to sweat the small stuff. That’s the key to our success as a duo. Our friendship is more important than our business so if any of us disagrees about something, we have a rule to not do it and move on. Fortunately, we are on the same wavelength about most things.
HB: A fundamental design principle of Sereni and Shentel?
S&S: We have a company mantra – be seen or go home! We always try to design something that stands out with quirky cool.
HB: What is the one thing you know Now, that you really wish you knew Then?
S&S: Back when we were creating crazy head gear and costumes for ourselves, we wish we knew that a hobby could be turned into a full-fledged business. Our brand evolved on its own and eventually became an accidental business for us both. We are glad that it did but we still wish we could have foreseen that.
The Sereni and Shentel limited edition designer ribbon will be distributed with the BAZAAR Pink Project x Breast Cancer Welfare Association (BCWA) Mobile Unit. Catch us throughout the month of October 2015 at KLCC, MidValley Mega Mall, Uptown 7, The Mandarin Oriental and Pavilion KL. Also available as a special set with the October issue for RM10 at Kinokuniya @Suria KLCC from Oct 2. Proceeds to go to BCWA Malaysia.
