Bojana Sentaler
Bojana Sentaler is a Serbian-Canadian fashion designer who has been the President and Creative Director of SENTALER since 2009. Known for her line of luxury alpaca outerwear and accessories,[1] Sentaler has become an important figure in the Canadian and international fashion industry,[2] widely recognized for dressing some of the world's most influential women in her designs.[2]
Bojana Sentaler | |
---|---|
Born | Belgrade, Serbia |
Nationality | Canadian & Serbian |
Occupation | Fashion Designer |
Known for | Luxury Outerwear |
Website | sentaler |
Background
Born in Belgrade, Sentaler emigrated to Canada from Serbia when she was eight years old.[3] Her love of fashion and European upbringing helped her to appreciate investing in quality goods that are made to last, which is now a core value in her company, SENTALER.[4] She attended the Schulich School of Business at York University in Toronto and graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree in Marketing and Finance.[5] She began her career working for a corporate beauty brand but after a short time, left her position to pursue being an entrepreneur. In 2008, she travelled to Dubai and began a small business creating economic investment reports on the MENA region for a UK newspaper.[6] In 2009, she travelled to Peru where she discovered alpaca fabric and launched the SENTALER Canadian luxury outerwear brand.[7]
Career
"My idea with Sentaler was to offer a collection of stylish coats in an array of unconventional neutrals and many vibrant colors, so that the coat itself becomes ‘the outfit’, ‘the conversation piece’, essentially - the item that you don't wish to take off." -Forbes[8] Sentaler always dreamed of a career in fashion and began sketching fashion designs as a young girl.[8] When the time came to choose a career path, Sentaler chose to focus on business for stability instead of attending a fashion school.[9] After graduating from the Schulich School of Business, Sentaler took a position in sales and marketing with a corporate beauty brand.[10] Her experience in the corporate environment was too restricting for her creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. This led her to resign and travel to Dubai to explore her true talent and passion for fashion.[11]
In 2008, while living in Dubai, she worked on economic investment reports on emerging markets, particularly the MENA region for a UK newspaper.[8] While interviewing various corporate CEO’s and Saudi sheiks, Sentaler had the opportunity to interview Karl Lagerfeld, who had recently designed luxury villas in Dubai.[12] After the interview, Sentaler expressed her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Lagerfeld remarked “You either have it or you don’t, and if you have it, go for it.” [13] These words inspired Bojana to pursue her passion for fashion.[14] After discovering alpaca fabric in Peru and spending time studying its unique properties, Sentaler decided to launch a luxury outerwear brand. She designed her first seven “dream coats” and founded the SENTALER brand in 2009 in Toronto.[11]
Awards & honours
- Canadian Arts and Fashion Awards (CAFA) 2019 "The Outerwear Brand of The Year" Nominee: Sentaler.[15]
- Women in Business Award: International Women Achievers' Awards March 2014.[16]
References
- Williams, Ingrie. "Meet the Toronto Designer Behind Meghan Markle's Fave Winter Coat". Readers Digest Best Health. Best Health Mag.
- Higgins, Carlene. "Canadian Designer Bojana Sentaler's Royal Connections". INSIGHT MAGAZINE. INSIGHT: The Art of Living. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- "Britanska princeza voli srpske kreatore: Kejt Midlton u kaputu Bojane Sentaler Nikolić".
- "Sentaler". 15 August 2017.
- Kelly, Deirdre. "The Sophie Grégoire Trudeau coat: a Canadian fashion success story". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
- "sentaler-on-10-years-of-sartorial-style-and-why-meghan-markle-adores-the-brand-so-much/#14d908723717".
- https://montecristomagazine.com/style/sentaler. Missing or empty
|title=
(help) - Leigh, Tiffany. "Sentaler On 10 Years Of Sartorial Style And Why Meghan Markle Adores The Brand So Much". Forbes. Forbes Inc. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
- Davis, Erin. "Canadian Designer Bojana Sentaler Goes Global After Meghan And Kate Made Her Coats Famous". Notable Life. Notable Life. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
- Dion-Marquis, Sarah. "Profile: Bojana Sentaler". Fajo. FAJO Magazine. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
- Kelly, Deirde. "The Sophie Grégoire Trudeau coat: a Canadian fashion success story". The Globe And Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- Bains, Pahull. "Looking Back at 10 Years of Sentaler Milestones, Including the "Meghan Coat"". FASHION Magazine. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
- Liu, Leona. "A-listers Meghan Markle and Gigi Hadid add to allure of Sentaler's winter coats". Style. Retrieved 21 May 2019.
- Leaper, Caroline. "Meet Sentaler, the Canadian label behind Meghan Markle's coat wardrobe". The Telegraph. The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- Ngao, Erica. "Here are all the 2019 CAFA Nominees". Elle Canada. Elle Canada. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- "International Women Achievers Award". Retrieved 8 March 2014.