Syreeta Challinger
in her own words…
Hello,
So far in my life I have been the following; daughter, prefect, head girl, supermarket shelf-stacker, A-level dropout, art student, course rep, barmaid, call centre operative, cleaner, textile designer, fabric buyer, office temp, wife, fabric developer, trim and raw materials developer, divorcee, product development manager, footloose and fancy-free, design account manager, wife, carer, founder, mother, TEDTalker, creative consultant and now, writer.
My passion is design and creative problem solving; taking a seed of an idea and turning it into reality. For over 13 years, I worked in Product Development for global high street brands and had the pleasure of working in London, Manchester, Shanghai, before finding myself in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong life was great; I met my fiancé Rob and we worked hard, but played hard too! However, life changed in an instant in September 2014. Rob suffered a severe brain haemorrhage and stroke and life hasn't been the same since.
The phrase that comes to mind, is to play the cards you’ve been dealt. And oh my, that is what I’m doing my utmost to do!
The past few years have been intense and traumatic. So much change! And so much to deal with; the complexities of becoming a full time carer, losing our home, our jobs, our identities, yet I’d like to say I have done so with grace. Even though times have got extremely dark and challenging, I am still here, smiling and doing what I do best; spreading love and creating.
And to create light out of the darkness is all I knew what to do. MOSS, mine and my husband’s lifestyle brand, is short for Moments Of Sense & Style. To value and celebrate those moments, yet also a play on words.
Our life before was nomadic; always on the move, flying at an insane pace and never still. As they say; a rolling stone gathers no moss.
The old adage rings true. After years of travelling and working abroad, the time to stay still has come. Funny how life unfolds unexpectedly, it made us stop. And we are still learning and being challenged every day.
But we are finally coming to terms with it all; able to grow into the place in which we find ourselves. To stop rolling, take roots; gather some moss.
It all started as a blog; a place to deal with trauma through writing, visceral imagery and song. Through this story telling, it became apparent I needed an outlet alongside being a carer, to put my years of experience to good use. In December 2016, I launched the first collection.
Moments Of Sense & Style is not only a brand; it's a design studio, a creative outlet, a saviour. It is evolving into a creative platform; not only a space for me to create beautiful products, but to collaborate on design projects, provide creative direction, write; all forms of expression and services have a place there.
My wish is to get involved in as many creative projects I can. All with the ethos of simplicity, refined beauty and celebrating those precious moments. I am looking forward to this new path with Heyday…
Read Syreeta’s ‘A Woman in her Heyday’ feature here