The leading Bahasa Malaysia newspaper, Berita Harian, in Malaysia features Ethnic Borders. The original article can be found at this link.

Anggun Menawan: Sutera, sari cetus kelainan
Oleh Shaidah Shafie
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2010/06/19

Fesyen terpilih hasilkan cantuman tiga cita rasa, unik 

KEUNIKAN cita rasa dan selera berfesyen dimiliki penduduk Malaysia kadang kala menjadi sesuatu unik kepada masyarakat luar yang melihat kepelbagaian busana di negara ini. Lebih-lebih lagi, busana itu dihasilkan daripada sari, sutera, batik mahupun fabrik lain yang indah dan bermutu.

Paling mengujakan apabila menyaksikan baju kurung turut disarungkan oleh individu bukan Melayu dan sebaliknya, manakala cheongsam mahupun sari turut digayakan masyarakat Melayu. Bertitik tolak daripada senario inilah, baju kurung daripada sari India tidak asing digayakan pada majlis rasmi atau pagi lebaran.

Sehubungan itu, sempena hari raya yang bakal muncul tidak lama lagi, pelbagai koleksi bertema hari berkenaan ditawarkan pereka dan pengusaha butik bagi memenuhi cita rasa pengguna yang semakin rencam dalam berfesyen. 

Koleksi Aidilfitri 2010 ditawarkan butik Ethnic Borders amat mengujakan kerana menggunakan fabrik kapas dan sari bermotif cetakan cita rasa tempatan masyarakat tempatan di India, tetapi diperincikan dengan manik dan jemeki yang begitu sinonim dengan cita rasa Melayu. 

Percaturan pemilik butik berkenaan, Justina Dionisappu memberi citra Melayu terhadap koleksi berkenaan ternyata berhasil kerana ia kelihatan begitu asli dan unik sebagai persalinan hari raya untuk si jelita atau wanita yang gemar kepada busana tradisional. 

Baju kurung daripada fabrik kapas India misalnya, diberi sentuhan berbeza apabila belahan panjang pada bahagian tepi memperlihatkan pemakai kelihatan langsing. Tambah molek apabila ia digayakan dengan sarung batik bermotif warna hitam, tentunya anda tampil unik dan anggun. 
Baju kurung moden berpotongan sendat, tetapi sopan juga menampakkan kelainan apabila dihasilkan daripada fabrik bermotif bunga besar dengan dua warna. 
Padanan sari India sebagai kain memang aneh, tetapi fesyen sentiasa menerima pakai walau apa sekalipun digayakan anda selagi ia tidak menjolok mata. 

Berani bereksperimen, busana seakan blaus kontemporari dengan motif cetakan bunga penuh tampak serasi dengan gandingan legging. Meskipun legging agak menampakkan bentuk kaki, tetapi labuh blaus menutup kelemahan berkenaan. 

Fabrik polos sentiasa menjadi perhatian walau apa jenis busana dihasilkan kerana ia amat sesuai digandingkan dengan semua bentuk potongan dan boleh digayakan untuk sebarang acara. 

Baju kurung polos daripada sutera India yang diberi perincian halus pada bahagian leher menampakkan santun pemakai ketika melangkah ke majlis keraian atau acara santai sekalipun. 

Begitu juga dengan sutera tempatan motif berjalur, ia menyerlahkan keunikan fabrik tempatan, sekali gus meletakkan batik sebagai antara fabrik yang tidak pernah hilang serinya walau zaman berubah dan masa beredar. 

Dihadirkan sebagai busana baju kurung moden dengan leher potongan V, teknik berkenaan membuatkan pemakai kelihatan tinggi lampai dan anggun. 

Kelebihan busana Ethnic Borders adalah perincian jemeki pada kebanyakan helaiannya. Jahitan jemeki yang halus dan berseni menaikkan kekuatan busana berkenaan daripada aspek potongan dan penampilan pemakainya. 

INFO 
Ethnic Borders 

Pemilik: Justina Dionisappu 
Lokasi: Lot F11, Aras 1, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Bukit Bandaraya, 285 Jalan Maarof, Bangsar. 

Selain menawarkan busana tradisional seperti baju kurung, Ethnic Borders juga menyediakan jubah, selendang dan kelengkapan aksesori wanita. 

Ethnic Borders have made it in the news since 2007. Here''s the article from The Star.

The original article can be found at this link.

Sunday May 6, 2007

Defining her own borders

Eight years ago, Justina Dionisappu took a bold step and has not looked back since.

TO LEAVE a secure five-figure salary job and start a business in the fickle world of fashion is not a move that many would make. But Justina Dionisappu, owner of Ethnic Borders boutique, did just that and found happiness.

Lady boss: Justina Dionisappu''s five-month-old boutique is the culmination of eight years of hard work, setting up kiosks at flea markets and selling her wares from door to door.

As for how this flea market vendor ended up with a boutique at the Bangsar Shopping Complex in Kuala Lumpur, Justina would take us back to her childhood days.

“I always had a love for clothes even at a young age. My mother told me that when I was a child, I would stand transfixed in front of pretty dresses and refuse to budge until I was assured that they would come home with me,” she recalls with an infectious laugh.

Before we dismiss her story as just another case of a childhood dream come true, consider that not many 27-year-olds can boast of having a five-figure salary. Justina, now 34, reveals she was one of those elite few then.

Her success story would begin at the age of 19 when she joined Mars South Asia (the company that sold M&M’s, MARS and Snicker bars) as a logistics executive.

During her seven-year tenure, this young hot shot would be promoted four times to become the logistics manager for South-East Asia.

Then one day, Justina woke up to realise that she just couldn’t do it anymore.

A case of burnout? Too much of the good life that comes with a five-figure salary?

“I got tired. I didn’t like going to work anymore.”

Dazzling: These are among the eye-catching ornaments that greet customers

And fate had it that she would confide in a senior manager who asked her in return if this sense of malaise might be the cause of not using one’s talents where they rightfully belong.

“That was a light-bulb moment for me,” recalls Justina, who decided there and then that her passion for fabrics and colours would fuel a new venture to specialise in contemporary Indian wear.

And that is how Ethnic Borders, which started as a small kiosk at the Mont Kiara flea market, was born.

Describing the move as a big, brave step, Justina recalls how she had to start from scratch eight years ago.

“Like the saree vendors in the olden days, I carried my fabrics from house to house. Luckily, people were hospitable.”

Justina’s parents are also in a similar business. They have a 20-year-old fashion house in Seremban, selling Punjabi suits, sarees and Indian costume jewellery in contrast to Ethnic Border’s contemporary touch.

Justina does her sourcing and manufacturing in India. She reveals that for a woman to do business in a traditionally male-dominated environment has its drawbacks.

‘‘I don’t deny that there are days when not a single customer would come into the shop. But I am lucky to be able to sell off 99% of my collection every season.

“I always believe that if one has good things that are reasonably priced, people will come back to you,” says Justina.