Malaysia’s visionary entrepreneur known for introducing exquisite products to the Gulf, Sakinah Sheikh Osman launched her new modest fashion brand, Sakinah for the modern and on the go powerful and glamorous women looking for traditional yet timeless easy to manage scarves.
The ambitious brand aims to meet the needs of the modest wear clientele globally, starting with the Middle East market by introducing a design of scarves that are easy to manage and yet look elegant.
The concept gave birth when Sakinah started wearing scarves and realised how difficult it was to get scarves that looked great and yet felt comfortable, stayed on and came in colours that are easy to combine with different outfits.
According to Sakinah, it was necessary to start the project with conventional styles and use embellishments such as the use of Swarovski crystals to appeal to the Arab region.
Sakinah was inspired by the fashion sense of the confident, career minded and yet sensual Muslim woman who valued simplicity, practicality and comfort combined with elegance and glamour. Combining Sakinah scarves with existing modern and traditional attire in the wardrobe helps the wearer make a fashion statement for all occasions.
Sakinah is also the Group Managing Director for Gemba Group of Companies, which is a combined effort of all its subsidiaries; Gemba Holdings (M) Sdn. Bhd., Gemba Marketing Sdn. Bhd. Gemba Import Eksport Sdn. Bhd., Intissar Baraqah Sdn. Bhd. & Intissar Baraqah Enterprise.
From humble origins of manufacturing as well as import and export of food products, Sakinah was pivotal in familiarizing the Malaysian brand name in the Middle East, Europe, USA and other parts of the globe. She played a crucial role in providing consultation and mediation services to new burgeoning and established entrepreneurs, becoming an eminent figure in the trading world, particularly in Malaysia.
Sakinah developed a powerful web of network and alliances with various entities through her business trips, specifically in the United Arab Emirates. Her frequent visits to the UAE resulted in the formation of an organization and a great rapport that eventually resulted in introducing a high profile Middle East investor to Malaysia.
Through various entrepreneurship programmes, Sakinah has guided a large number of local entrepreneurs to penetrate the global market by encouraging local products and brand names to break barriers.
Sakinah received numerous awards during the course of her career. Recently, in 2017, she was the recipient of the ‘Masterclass Women Entrepreneur of The Year’. In the same year, she was commissioned to hold the esteemed title Ste. (Assoc)/ Er. (Assoc), which mirrors the honorary Industry Title from the National Association of Teachers & Specialists in Malaysia. This title enables Sakinah to be a mentor to young entrepreneurs looking to do business locally and abroad.
The prestigious Award for Leading Brand Achievement was next in Sakinah’s list of accolades for the Middle East. The year 2018 began with the Award for Excellence conferred upon Intissar Baraqah Sdn Bhd for being the exclusive Malaysian importer of LT Foods India.
Sakinah lives her life by the motto, “You practice what you preach and if you follow the ethical way, you will never go wrong.”
Sakinah scarves are available at all Lulu stores in various colours including green, maroon, purple, black and brown. A video link on the styling of scarves is available online.
By, Shereen Shabnam, Editor In Chief, Executive Women
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