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Edited by Flower007 at 11-4-2015 07:19 AM
The charmed life
By Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan
28 November 2012 - NST
“That’s the thing about jewellery. Even if you have outgrown the design, the soul is still the same.” Datin Zarida Noordin
A figure in the local jewellery industry tells Syida Lizta Amirul Ihsan about the importance of family values and individuality. The huge diamonds perching on the white gold ring can’t be overlooked. They make a striking contrast to the petite woman wearing the jewellery. And there are charm bracelets on her slim wrists that tell different stories — the cupcake was a gift from her children, floral charm from her sister-in-law.
Dressed in a navy blue songket tunic with pants and turquoise tudung, Datin Zarida Noordin had stepped into Pandora boutique in Bangsar Village 2 well-accessorised. She has a “substantial amount of jewellery and accessories” which she has collected growing up in Penang. Jewellery, of course, makes up most of her life. Married to Datuk Meer Sadik Habib, the managing director of jeweller and manufacturer Habib, Zarida is surrounded with these small, exquisite things.
“Some people ask me if it’s heavy, stacking bracelets and bangles on the wrist, but once you are used to it, no. In fact, if I don’t accessorise, I feel that something is missing,” she says. Poised and articulate, with a pair of dark peepers that reflect her enthusiasm, Zarida admits that jewellery was part and parcel of her life even before she married the heir to a big name in the local jewellery industry.
“My late mother was my father-in-law’s customer at his gold shop in Penang and I used to go there when I was little, like 5 or 6,” The youngest child of eight born into an affluent family on the island; her mother gave her jewellery pieces that she updated when she felt the need to do so.
“That’s the thing about jewellery. Even if you have outgrown the design, the soul is still the same and you can update according to what you like at a certain time.” Her rule on jewellery, much like that on dressing, is simple. She will not wear a white gold ring with a yellow gold bracelet, for example. “They have to match. No excuse.” Which explains why her watch is a silver and gold Omega, diamond-encrusted, of course, so it matches her jewellery every day.
FROM SCRATCH
Born in 1962, Zarida left Penang to work and live with her sister when she was 18, after persuading her father to let her leave the family home. She studied marketing at Stamford College and worked at Barclays Bank for over six years, after which she married and left the bank. She and her husband built Habib to where it is today, from one boutique in Semua House, where they first met. “It was just both of us and a small team then. They say the harder you work, the luckier you get,” she says.
Two years ago, when Habib started distributing Danish jewellery brand Pandora in the country, Zarida was made its managing director. Why Pandora? “The brand has a good combination of affordability and superb finishing, and as soon as it was launched, it was a hit, especially among Malaysians who had studied in Europe and Australia and already familiar with it.”
Pandora’s expansion has been rapid. It has 14 stores nationwide and two more will open next year. Zarida merely smiles when asked about Pandora’s profit, but judging from the endless stream of customers while this interview took place, business is brisk. The brand is known for its charms — not the dangling ones, but rounded ones looped around either its silver or leather strap. It’s a young, hip brand that makes accessories functional and easy regardless of its customers’ age.
TURNING FIFTY
It’s hard to believe that Zarida herself is 50. She celebrated her birthday recently and has been “blowing a lot of candles and eating a lot of cake”, which is an indulgence, considering she is careful with her diet. “Eating well is something I am used too. My late mother was a fantastic cook and eating together at home was a family ritual.”
Zarida was a jazz dancer in her younger days. “I did morning walks, pilates, yoga, aerobics and played squash. I could not sit still.” These days, she ballroom dances with her husband occasionally and has given up on high-impact exercises. “It’s the knee, you know. When I was younger I was inseparable from my heels. When working at Barclays, I went up and down the stairs and all that wear and tear, I am paying the price now,” she says, with a smile.
Zarida believes that the core of Pandora’s business — its charm bracelets — fits the younger generation’s focus on individuality. “There is no privacy now, especially among the young. They like to tell their stories, put an Instagram photo of what they eat, update everything on Facebook and tell the world who they are going out with.
“And Pandora charm bracelets are a means to tell these stories — when you wear these stories on your wrists. It’s not as open as social media announcements, but wearing something individually yours brings an emotional connection to the piece of accessory,” she says.
A mother of two sons and a daughter, she says while she allows her children to speak their minds, she maintains the I-am-still-your-mom attitude. She is a big believer in traditional family values. Family gatherings where everyone comes together is a big thing for Zarida and her husband.
“We’d like our children to have strong familial connections, just like what we have. I’m traditional. Getting in touch via Facebook is just not the same as meeting relatives face-to-face and sharing stories,” she says. “With everyone being too busy, I do what I can to keep everyone together.”
Zarida learnt a lot from her mother, the family matriarch who stayed with her until she died late last year. It was her mother who brought up Zarida’s children when she was away at work. “I give her complete freedom to run the house. We discussed a lot of things, but I did not dispute her decisions.
“I think a lot of young, modern couples sometimes brush their parents or in-laws the wrong way because they don’t want to see things from the perspective of older people. “Respect is important. If we have been brought up well with our parent’s values, I am sure they mean something.” Last edited by Flower007 on 28-11-2012 10:04 AM
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Post time 28-11-2012 10:02 AM
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