The Malaysian and Indonesian duo Sean Loh and Sheila Agatha decided to join forces after graduating in 2012 with the creation of their own independent brand, but when they each won the Harper’s BAZAAR Asia New Generation Fashion Designer Award for their respective countries, it was a seamless decision to join forces and continue in stride along with a strong design philosophy that albeit producing and creating collections at a slower pace, quality was a characteristic they would never compromise. BAZAAR had a quick chat with both Sean and Shiela on their triumphs and milestone achievements since its early days of success and what to expect from their new collection.
Sean and Shiela, Autumn/Winter 2016
Being from different countries, what combines you in terms of chemistry and creativity to make the brand Sean and Sheila?
What combines us together is that we have the same vision for our designs, oriental influences have been a strong influence in the upbringing of our lives. The classic Kimono sihouette which has developed into a brand signature is influenced from the eastern world. Originally designed for our first collection, we took inspiration from the Japanese Yakuza and Kimono. We have also mixed this silhouette of a Kimono into menswear. It’s our best seller, so every season it is matter of reinterpreting the classic look to maintain our brand signature, just evolving the product.
Sean and Shiela, Autumn/Winter 2016
What can we expect for the Autumn/Winter 2016 collection as showcased in KLFW 2016?
The inspiration this season is finding light in a prominent theme of the collection which is the “Dark Ages”, as most of our clothes are mainly from a monochromatic colour palette, black and white – we are now incorporating more light-hearted shades of pink, blue and silver. It is in our mission statement to be able to evolve the brand with flexibility to remain relevant and also ahead of the curve.
BAZAAR had an interesting perspective of the new collection from behind the runway and into the holding room backstage where pastel hues made a comeback in the classic kimono form, chequered jumpsuits, belted waistlines and bombers with dragon fly motifs.
