| Lyna Mohamad |
SINGAPOREAN celebrity Norfasarie binti Mohd was recently in Brunei as a participant in the D’Fest Islamic Designer Festival, and to see her clothing line on display at the local fashion store Bajoo Boutique.
In an interview with the Bulletin, the stylish mother-of-three said that she intends to make more of an impression on her Brunei fans soon through the launching of her very first shoe collection, ‘TuMeet by Norfasarie’.
“I started my business venture with the opening of ‘Spa by Norfasarie’ six years ago,” she said. “Two years later, I decided to develop my business venture further by opening my own clothing line, ‘The Style’.”
Norfasarie also revealed that TuMeet was her answer to the challenges and demands of the fashion industry.
“One of them is the tight competition in Singapore, as there are so many celebrities in the clothing business, particularly Hari Raya clothes,” she said.
Singaporean celebrity Norfasarie binti Mohd Yahya with her daughter and Jacqueline of Bajoo pose for a photo at the boutique. – PHOTOS: LYNA MOHAMAD
So Norfasarie decided to diversify her business by coming up with her own collection of ready-to-wear shoes, the first celebrity in Singapore to do so.
Norfasarie’s previous visit was 10 years ago, and on her recent trip, she was anxious to see how her brand would be received in the local market. “I have a lot of Brunei fans, who brought presents for me and Moza my daughter, during my first two days at the International Convention Centre,” she said. “It really made us feel very welcome.
“I can see the potential for my brand in the Brunei market, judging from the encouraging responses that we received from the local people here. I feel glad to bring something new to them, as most of the items on offer are hard to find in Brunei.”
Norfasarie and Jacqueline at the Bajoo Boutique
Norfasarie poses for a photo
Her brand offers a mix of casual and traditional wear, while her Hari Raya collection leans towards traditional Baju Kurong, named after popular Malay actresses of the past, such as Saloma and Maria Menado.
On her collaboration with Bajoo, Norfarsarie was delighted to mention that the owner, Jackie, had given her an outfit from the boutique, which she wore during last year’s Hari Raya festitvities.
She shared a picture of herself wearing the outfit on Instagram, which drew compliments from her followers. “That’s how my friendship with Jackie started, which eventually gave way to business collaboration,” she said.
“We have a good market as well, in Malaysia, as I also have a lot of followers there who can purchase the items online. As for Brunei, I have yet to launch a platform for online purchases and deliveries, so this collaboration is a good opportunity for us to bring our brands to our Bruneian fans.” Norfasarie is also looking at TuMeet to be available here through Bajoo, once she has launched her shoe collection in her native Singapore, on May 21.
“After the Singapore launch, then maybe I’ll be back here before the fasting month with some TuMeet designs. I am confident they will sell, as most of the first batch designs are definitely for my Raya collection,” said Norfasarie.
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