The journey of growing a brand
View(s):By Shanali Fernando
“You can have it all, just not all at once,” says Sarah Illyas at her newly opened boutique store, House of Janaan.
Sarah who balances multiple roles as loving wife, devoted mom, dedicated employee and now strong entrepreneur, believes the key factor is, compartmentalising. “Being present and giving my full undivided attention to the task at hand.” Be it spending time with her husband and kids or leaving them to attend work, she gives a part of herself to everyone while making sure she doesn’t lose herself in the midst of it.
Known for a strong presence on Instagram with her effortless transitions from one fashion look to another, she says that with the right content any brand or person can create awareness and in turn convert it into selling a product or an idea. With the ‘see now- buy now’ concept she believes that in the new year, online advertising and social media will replace a lot of the conventional types of advertising.
The rebellious eldest daughter in a traditional Muslim family came with a lot of pressure to be the ‘good girl’ and Sarah says it was her parents’ push that led her to Malaysia for university. University life in Malaysia and the UK redefined her, as she stepped out into a world of new possibilities and loved the newfound independence! The East meets West culture in Malaysia opened her up to new ideas, and expanded her horizons. It is also where she met her husband, and they began their journey of making Malaysia their home.
An internship at Zalora – Asia’s largest e-commerce platform was what steered Sarah into the fashion industry. From sourcing to fashion shows to buyer meetings to marketing, she practically grew up with the brand, a great foundational experience when it came to building her own brand.
Her transition to becoming an entrepreneur started when she made her first trip to Pakistan and “fell in love with food and fashion.” Being married to a Pakistani her trips slowly turned into introducing the beautiful ethnic occasion wear she saw overseas to the Lankan market.
Her first effort was a pop-up store at her home back in 2018. Post-COVID, she moved to retailing at the Design Collective, where the collection always sold out in a matter of hours.
Sarah opened the House of Janaan in Colombo last month, in response to customer requests. Janaan (meaning soul) named after her daughter Arissa (meaning beautiful) is all about celebrating the beautiful souls that enter through the doors, Sarah says. She aimed to create a space that she would love to walk into as a customer, a space that would create an experience for anyone who walks through the doors.
House of Janaan specialises in hand-embellished kurthas, three-piece shalwars and shawls. You can also find a limited edition luxe collection for your special day, rich velvets and silks tailored into modern silhouettes with intricate bead and thread work. From the woodwork to the brasswork of the railings at the store to the beadwork in each garment, every item is a mix of traditional and modern, catering to women of all ages.
The journey of growing a brand comes with its challenges. When to push herself just a little bit more, determining the perfect time to take the next big step, and most importantly finding the right team to carry the brand’s ethos forward. “I turn to prayer during these times,” Sarah says; turning to God has always helped her navigate through any challenge.
Three principles she would offer a young entrepreneur are: first, hard work, secondly, work in a corporate environment before you venture out on your own – it will teach you and mould you for the future and finally, financial literacy is a must!
House of Janaan is at No.1, 3rd Lane, off Bagatelle Road, Colombo 3, open from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.| Find them on Instagram: @houseofjanaan
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