It’s the pink month of the year once again! This year’s Pink Project sees a collaboration with seven of Malaysia’s most prominent designers to promote awareness for breast cancer. Sonny San for Eclipse, Sereni & Shentel, Bowerhaus, InnaiRed, Celest Thoi, Alia Bastamam and Melinda Looi have all been incredibly supportive on our journey to pledge breast cancer awareness nationwide. BAZAAR speaks to the designers on their style and what the colour pink truly means to them.
Innai Red
What does the colour pink mean to you?
It shows femininity, gentleness and delicate.
How does your design/creation also represent your style as a local designer?
We designed our signature Rosa flowers that usually adorn INNAI RED’s bridal pieces. Made of silk organza with embellished cluster and rose quartz crystal in the centre. The Rosa brooches are driven by our design philosophy of creating timeless and contemporary femininity.
Wear your ribbon loud and proud in support of breast cancer! Don’t forget to hashtag us on Instagram/FB with #PledgeInPink!
What were you thinking of when designing the pink ribbon for the campaign this year?
The inspiration derived from a classic flower, rose. Rose represents that softness touch of a woman, that gentleness that is both strong and delicate. Its tender petals contrasted by thorns make the rose a lovely balance of tenacity and grace which are the characteristics of a woman.
How should a woman feel when wearing your design?
We want to convey confidence with our Rosa brooches. A woman should have strong willpower and inner strength despite our gentle appearance. After all, confidence overcomes any challenge. So we would like to encourage women to be part of educating future generations on breast cancer awareness.
Do you have any close friends/family members who’ve encountered breast cancer? How did it feel providing support and egging them on?
Izrin Ismail : My grandmother died of breast cancer 14 years ago and watching her battle the disease was painful. Thankfully, she was granted strength to keep calm while she endured the pain and redha (acceptance that she was afflicted with this illness). That doesn’t mean she didn’t fight cancer, she did. She went through a mastectomy, and medical treatment. She fought the disease with real grace. Our family provided support and stood by her during this difficult time. Looking back, it was everyone’s dedication of time, care and love, that made my grandmother’s cancer battle easier.
Arene P. Khairudin : Giving emotional support is never easy for me. I was always worried of what to say – I’m very conscious of offering wrong advice and hurting someone’s feelings as a result. However, someone’s presence can mean a lot at times. If you are unsure of what to say, it’s equally helpful to offer to be someone’s sounding board.
Juliani Jamal : My mother is a breast cancer survivor. It’s been 21 years and counting. I was very young when she was first diagnosed and had her lumpectomy done. I do remember my father being her rock, helping her cope with the surgical recovery and radiotherapy sessions. What I’ve learned is that early detection is crucial for survival. Women should speak openly about it to help prevention and raise awareness.
