BY YAM PHUI YEE
WHAT do BFFs (best friends forever) do when they grow up? They start a business, or at least, that’s what best friends Liyana and Lilyza Joehai, Tengku Liyana Tengku Ismail, Noorhaya Mohamed, Khafidha Adi Azahar, Sharifah Nadia Syed Sis and Nadeera Helmi did.
Last year, these seven ladies formed a business venture selling funky accessories to the trendy at heart. They called their “group” A Smack of Jellyfish because the friends tend to stick together wherever they go.
“Well, it sounds better than a herd of cows,” Khafidha, 24, jokes.
They may all be busy running their own lives but not too busy for one another. When they meet up to make the accessories, it is work, hangout and gossip time all rolled in one.
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Smack Of Jellyfish is (from left) Khafidha Adi Azahar, Tengku Liyana Tengku Ismail,Syarifah Nadia Syed Sis, Liyana Joehai and Noorhaya Mohamed. Two other members are studying overseas.
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The girls started selling handmade plastic silhouette necklaces and “pixel” accessories. Pixels are small bead-like plastic pieces arranged to form different shapes and then ironed to stick. These shapes are then turned into necklaces, keychains and badges with all sorts of funky designs.
“When Khafidha designs, she’ll go for anything related to Super Mario Bros and other arcade games from the 1980s. I do more animal designs,” says Liyana, 23, who claims to be the biggest accessories lover among the seven.
A Smack of Jellyfish also makes accessories from felt, an increasingly popular choice for craft makers in art bazaars. On the shelf of Wondermilk Shop and Cafe in Damansara Uptown in Petaling Jaya where their products are sold, pendants crafted from Scrabble tiles are displayed. Accessories are priced between RM8 and RM30.
Of late, the girls find small vintage-looking items for a new collection. Their Valentine’s Day collection features dual pixel pieces to form words like “love bug” and “love boat”. For their new collection, they are planning to work on wood or combining it with materials they have used previously.
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Colourful pixel and silhouette accessories from A Smack of Jellyfish.
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While some of them do have expensive tastes when it comes to fashion, every one of them simply loves all things pretty and affordable.
“The accessories we bought in Australia (where they went to visit Liyana for her graduation) were really expensive but pretty, so we want to make affordable ones for people,” says Tengku Liyana a.k.a Kuna, 23.
When they first started, the girls only had an average of four orders a month. No one really had the time to sell them by themselves so the accessories were sold online. Then, their friends at Wondermilk invited them to peddle their wares during special events and the numbers started to roll in.
From a small hobbyist group, the girls now have about seven orders a day. They are now close friends with the designers-turned-entrepreneurs at Wondermilk.
“We promised to be kawan pasar (flea market buddies) for life,” Liyana quips.
While selling their goods online reaches a market beyond their geographical boundaries, going for events help locals to connect their name to the products and the lively bunch of girls behind it. Liyana, Nadia and Khafidha handle the designing, Noorhaya does the bookkeeping while Kuna wears multiple hats helping out in accounts and publicity.
In a way, Nadia, as a fashion marketing student, keeps the balance in the group although she’s a girl of few words.
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Love bug and love bird, anyone?
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“Nadia is very important because when we have disputes or need approval she’ll give her nod,” says Kuna.
When there is an event, the group goes on overtime a week and a half ahead churning out the accessories.
“The tough part is designing and putting it together. We work until our mata juling (cross-eyed),” says Kuna.
But the girls don’t complain much, though, as all that hard work just strengthens their friendship. This year, the girls will celebrate their 11th year of friendship. And as of last year, they have a new date to celebrate.
“June 20 is A Smack of Jellyfish’s birthday,” says Liyana.
Visit the website at www.asmackofjellyfish.com
