Some sibling relationships mellow with age; others sharpen and circle back into something comfortably familiar. For Sabrina and Syakira Ridzal, the sister duo behind the hit Malaysian brand BRIK, the dynamic they forged as children hasn’t changed all that much—except now, it powers one of the most talked-about young labels.
“Oh my god, it’s still the same,” Sabrina said when recalling their early years. “I’ve always been the happy-go-lucky sibling, and Kira is the more serious one. Back then, she looked up to me so much—everything I did, she wanted to copy. But now, I adore her. I kind of look up to her, too.” Syakira, laughing despite herself, nodded: “I still look up to her… I’ve always felt safe with her.”
BRIK itself began with a nudge from their family. Their mother encouraged them to leverage their platform, and a cousin—now also their business partner—gave them a gentle push. “He said, Don’t you want to start? You want to work 9 to 5 until when?” Sabrina recalled. With funding promised and freedom to explore, they dove into the local fashion market, hunting for a gap. What they found was colour: vibrant tones that challenged Malaysia’s neutral-dominated accessory scene. “We tested the market with five or six handbags—three vibrant colours, which is more me, and three earthy tones, which is her,” Sabrina said. “People were really surprised—you can actually style a blue and green bag.”
Their differing strengths became the brand’s backbone. “She has an eye for design and fashion, but I don’t. I have an eye for strategies and marketing. Together, it’s eye-opening,” Sabrina explained. That complementary balance, coupled with a willingness to take creative risks, allowed BRIK to find its identity—and its audience.
Yet early success didn’t shield them from scrutiny. “People think business is an easy cash grab or that we were born with a silver spoon,” Sabrina said. “They don’t see the hours we put in, the sacrifices, the time away from family.” Even positive aspects, like the brand’s limited releases, have attracted criticism. “Maintaining exclusivity is important. We produce quite a lot, but people don’t understand it takes months to make a bag,” she explained. “We’re a baby brand—we need to work within our capabilities to sustain the business.”
Criticism from social media stung at first. “The biggest struggle is when you put your heart into something, and people say bad things about it. It’s our baby… it’s emotional damage, really.” The sisters found balance through stepping back: brief breaks from social media, filtering feedback, and trusting the process. And the public, she noted, can be harsher to female-owned brands. “People bully brands that are run by women more than men—that’s my observation,” she said. Handling the scrutiny has required resilience. The sisters briefly stepped away from social media, filtering constructive feedback from noise, and learned to trust the process. “Always expect the unexpected… once you get rid of doubt and just try, you’ll never know—someone will like it,” Sabrina said.
Beyond business strategy, Sabrina and Syakira are keenly aware of the platform they now occupy. “I want to say to all the girls out there, still studying, don’t give up. If you have the drive, go for it. You could be the next Jimmy Choo or something in Malaysia. Just put your doubts behind you,” she said. Creativity remains a challenge, she admitted, but inspiration can come from anywhere. “Don’t just compete with local brands. Compete with yourself. Always try to be the better version of you.” As for 2026, the sisters are expanding BRIK beyond handbags into apparel, exploring regional pop-ups in Singapore, and connecting with international fans, especially Malaysian students in the UK. Yet through all the growth, one constant remains. “No matter how professional and big we get in the future, our sister bond will always be the same,” Sabrina said, smiling at Syakira. “That’s the goal.”
Photography: Sarah Hobbs
Styling & Creative Direction: Joseph Cheng
Art Direction: Nadia Aswardy
Hair: VV Chan, Zac Lee, Philex Chin, Cody Chua
Makeup: Eranthe Loo, Crystal Fong (Plika Makeup)
Styling Assistants: Sarah Chong, Lorraine Chai, Maryssa Helmi
Photography Assistants: Ayiesha Almas, Brandan Simon
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