Shopwthesisters: Embracing the Dreams of Communities

Pictured: Nawa (left) with EDEN Modular Phone Sling Case in Ocean and Aqaiyah (right) with SANDLUX 2.0 Modular Phone Sling Case with Luxchain.

Taizjo sits down and chats with Aqaiyah and Nawa, sisters and co-founders of Shopwthesisters, to find out more about their journey starting a clothing label, their relationship as sisters and business partners as well as their dreams and wishes for the communities surrounding them.

Q. How did Shopwthesisters start?

Aqaiyah: We decided to sell our pre-loved clothing because our wardrobes were bursting! Years back, we held fleas because social media was not as apparent as it is now. Our best memory was having a flea stall right under the MRT tracks! It was definitely a highlight of our lives!

Nawa: Then, we decided to sell our clothes on Facebook Live and Instagram Live before bringing in curated pieces. We were shocked to see positive responses from our online sales. That's when we decided to start our own label! 

Q. What's your most memorable moments?

Aqaiyah and Nawa: Last year! We had our first offline sale in September last year. That's when we finally got to meet our customers upfront who we’ve only seen online when we were doing live sales.

Pictured: Aqaiyah (left) with DAWN Modular Phone Sling Case in Rose with Luxchain and Nawa (right) with DAWN Modular Phone Sling Case in Coral with Cord.

Q. Your customers seem really important to you! What are your dreams and plans for Shopwthesisters or for your customers?

Aqaiyah and Nawa: We've been taking feedback from our customers and will continue to do so because we find their input really important in growing the business and ourselves as individuals. But we think that it would be exciting to see Shopwthesisters collaborating with local designers from both Indonesia and Malaysia because we’re all about exploring other creative aspects in the Modern Malay community. We believe there is so much we can offer!

Q. We believe that your brand has become a place of support for these communities. How about you? What or who are your main pillars of support?

Aqaiyah and Nawa: Definitely our family and friends, not forgetting our customers. We believe that we have a strong customer base and they’ve been very supportive throughout our journey which just motivates us to do better every time.

Pictured: Aqaiyah (left) with EDEN Modular Phone Sling Case in Forest and Nawa (right) with SANDLUX 2.0 Modular Phone Sling Case with Luxchain.

Q. How has the either of you been crucial in this journey thus far?

Nawa: I don’t think I would have even been able to start this off on my own if it wasn’t for Aqaiyah. Even before we started this, we’ve had this strong passion in entrepreneurship. 

Q. How would you describe your relationship with each other?

Aqaiyah and Nawa: To start off, we’re sisters so basically we’re stuck for life with no choice! 😂 But the unbreakable bond that’s etched between us siblings plays a really huge part.

Pictured: Aqaiyah (left) with TRUELUX Modular Shockproof Phone Sling Case with Lanyard Strap and Nawa (right) with LOVELUX Card Slot Phone Sling Case with Luxchain.

Q.  How do you both support each other and play off each other’s strengths?

Aqaiyah: Basically both of us are given different responsibilities. For example, I tend to host our live sessions and deals with our manufacturing team. Nawa, then, settles the admin during Shopwthesisters' live sales and manages the marketing as well as any technical stuff.