The trendy trio

THE ladies behind Samantha Sherina by Thian (SSBT) prove that fashion unites. Founded in 2014 by local designer Teresa Thian with sisters Sherliza Samantha Aslie and Hasliza Sherina Aslie, the label is a testament that passion does bring people together.
After all, it is their love for fashion that transformed their relationship from mere buyer-seller to friends and now business partners.
“SSBT was created purely by accident. I was telling Teresa that although her designs were nice, they were inappropriate for the Malay consumers because they were quite revealing. As such, I asked if she was interested to collaborate and that was how it all started,” explained Sherliza, before adding that the brand’s name was derived from their middle names.
This joint-venture has since resulted in a modest clothing line that is suitable for every woman. With six collections to date, each is as romantic, whimsical and sensible as the next. In this personal interview, Sherliza and Thian gave us an insight into the label.
Has it been easy transitioning from friends to business partners?
Sherliza (S): It has been relatively easy because we’re quite alike. In fact, Teresa’s birthday is one day after mine so we are 90% similar I’d say.
Teresa, you already have an established label (Bythian) under your belt. Why then did you decide to set up SSBT?
Teresa (T): It wasn’t a difficult choice to make because essentially I’d still be designing. Hence, it wasn’t a deviation from my normal job. Be it for SSBT or Bythian, my main task is to come up with the collections for two different lines and two contrasting markets. Although SSBT varies from Bythian, the style and idea are the same.
Can you walk us through the designing process for SSBT?
S: Generally, we’ll input Teresa with our ideas and she’ll conceptualise it into designs.
T: That’s true, we normally bounce ideas off each other then I’ll sketch it out.
S: Nevertheless, everything is her aesthetic as she’s ultimately the designer.
Who would you say are the SSBT women?
S: The SSBT ladies are women who want feminine clothing with a twist. Teresa always adds a little quirk to a normal design. It can just be a subtle detail – such as scalloping elements on baju kurung sleeves – but it makes us special.
Fashion is often a delicate balance between creativity and commerce. How does SSBT find an equilibrium for this?
T: I think the most important thing is to know what consumers want and then apply it in the designs. As I’m a ready-towear designer, I already have a grasp on what buyers are looking for.
In your opinion, what exactly are consumers looking for ?
T: They want something that looks good on them, makes them pretty but not overly outrageous. S: Malaysians are more conservative in their dressing. They want to be different, yet they do not want to stand out too much. Thus, subtle uniqueness is generally what they’re looking for.
It’s been said that local consumers aren’t that supportive of homegrown brands. Is this also the case with SSBT?
S: No, this isn’t true because we do have our loyal supporters.
T: Malaysians are supportive but you need to know what they want. In terms of our designs, we have to consider the local climate and culture before we come up with the collections. If you only produce avant-garde pieces, then they definitely won't sell.
Lastly, what’s in store for SSBT fans this year?
T: We’ll be rolling out a Raya series, as usual, and also a short capsule collection. It’ll be something different.
S: Nonetheless, they will still retain our core fashion values.