INTERVIEW with BrisAsia Fashion Festival 2022 Designer - Fancynators
Sima wearing Fancynators. Photo by #TarangWaghela
Today I am interviewing Sima Mala - (the person behind Fancynators) and who is another talented designer for BrisAsia Fashion Festival 2022, which is a new fashion festival celebrating culture through fashion by showcasing labels and designers with Asian, Indigenous and International heritages.
SD: Hi Sima, for my readers who don’t know you yet, can you please introduce yourself?
SM: My name is Sima Mala Mrs Asia Pacific Universal 2019-2020 and I am from Fiji, have been living in Brisbane Australia since 2007 and was in New Zealand for 6 years before that. I am an Internationally published Model and an Award winning Accessories Designer specialising in Flower Crowns and I own my Label called Fancynators which was added to the Honour Roll for DV Awareness and Victim Support by Qld Government.
Photo by Kerry Lush
SD: What first led you in the direction of designing headpieces?
SM: My mum is a tailor and I always had an interest in Arts although my day job and Education has been in Science, Arts has always been part of my life creating a great balance allowing me to use both sides of my brain. I started designing headwear in my spare time in 2018 to be able to help generate funds to help Victims of Domestic Violence in Queensland and I launched my label Fancynators on October 2018 and all the proceeds from this business has been used to setup homes for DV survivors since then.
SD: Tell us about your design style. What makes your collections unique in the industry?
SM: I Reuse and Recycle old and broken accessories, cut-off fabrics and beads from my mums tailoring work, locally sourced flowers and feathers and all these gets used to create brand new designs such as, Flower crowns, Embroidered Headbands, Fascinators, hats, Feather and bead Earrings and necklaces. I make one off designs only to give my clients a unique look and I do a lot of custom made designs for people from all over the world.
SD: As a designer, where do you draw your inspiration from?
SM: I draw inspiration from things and people around me, nature, other designers, creatures, birds and anything that ignites my creativity. The biggest inspiration is off course the reason behind it all, my mission of DV awareness, prevention and victim support.
SD: What does a typical day look like for you?
SM: I am an early bird, so my day starts at 5 am each morning. I start my work at 6am and as a Forensic Toxicology Analyst and my day is full of scientific challenges which I absolutely love as it has been 17 years in this field now and I look forward to each day as I know that my work contributes to the justice system of Qld. I finish work at 3pm, house work and cooking takes over my afternoons; followed by 1 hr exercise of either spinning or running. I spend at least 1 hour each night before bed in my designing room and on weekends I attend fashion events, runways, photoshoots and modelling keeps me quite busy.
SD: What advice would you have for aspiring designers?
SM: You need to have a passion about a particular niche where you want to create your own style of designs and learn new techniques each day, keep on evolving and trying new things to gain skills and techniques. Network with other designers and fashion creatives, attend Fashion events and learn about trends and classic styles. Try to use your gift of creativity for the good of others which will make your work more meaningful and satisfying.
SD: How do you want women to feel when wearing your headpieces?
SM: My designs are a mode of carrying the message about my mission of Domestic violence Awareness and Prevention across the world. I make sure that each person who buys and wears my designs knows the reason behind creating these Accessories and where the money goes so they can feel proud each time they wear their crown as it had contribute toward helping someone in need. Each design is unique so the women who wear them will feel super special and happy to be contributing towards a positive change.
Tickets are selling fast. If you want to see Fancynators on the runway, get your BrisAsia Fashion Festival tickets here
BrisAsia Fashion Festival Website: https://fashionfestivalqueensland.com.au/whats-on-ticketing-1
BrisAsia Fashion Festival Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizgoldingstylist
BrisAsia Fashion Festival Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brisasia_festival_fashion/
Fancynators’ social media presence:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Fancynators
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/fancynators_by_sima/
Photo by Kerry Lush