Redefining Malaysian Wear For The Modern Day Woman
Mimpikita is popular for its bridal and ready-to-wear collections with fine craftsmanship and quality fabrics. Modernity and functional sensibility are jazzed up with exquisite detailing and colours. Since its establishment in 2008, the label continues to grow leaps and bounds. It all started from selling clothes via its blogshop and weekend bazaars in 2008. The business now runs via its website and social media platforms, serving like-minded fashionably chic, young women, especially the hijab-wearing crowd. Their collections are also on e-commerce fashion platform Fashion Valet as well as Isetan, Suria KLCC and at independent boutiques in Singapore and London.
The brand is also slowly building its trail in the United Kingdom following its debut at Fashion Scout, London Fashion Week in September 2015. Bound by passion and a constant pursuit of excellence, the Zulkifli sisters – Nurul Afidah, Amirah Hanis and Fatimah Ani Syairah – are three women with one aim: to ensure when you become the Mimpikita woman, your dream becomes "our dreams".
Share your story on the beginning of Mimpikita
There's something so special about running Mimpikita from scratch. We started off with RM3000 back in 2008 and we got to pull the best of what we have learned in growing the company to what it is now. We are bound by our passion for fashion. Our upbringing has sparked interest and creativity in fashion. Our mother Rabiah Suleiman, was a seamstress. She used to sew clothes and dressed us up, experimenting with styles.
Due to our lack of related educational background and experience in the fashion industry, our parents were reluctant to give the green light to start the venture. Eventually, we managed to convince them when our blogshop business picked up. From selling outsourced clothes, mainly batik and kaftan for the festive season, we came out with bridal wear and ready-to-wear items in our own designs. Our dream was starting to materialise when our first official flagship store finally opened in the heart of Kuala Lumpur – in Bangsar - in 2010.
What makes your brand different? Describe the passion and inspirations behind it.
A lot of what we design comes from our distinct personal styles. This is where I believe we get our most valuable "intel" and naturally what makes our designs unique.
As a woman, you can't help projecting yourself into your designs. Being a woman designing for women, it's important to speak to them and to understand what they are feeling, whether they would wear something and feel beautiful in it. The Mimpikita woman is all about a kind of nonchalance, effortless elegance.
With every collection, the overall theme at the end of the day is always the ready-to-wear functional essence, while pushing the envelope in terms of our innovative cut and techniques.
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This interview appeared in Enterprise Issue. To continue reading, you can buy digital copy here. Print is sold out.
