SEJAL BLACKLER MUROS

The world of chartered accounting is vastly different from that of interior design.

Sejal Blackler immigrated to New Zealand in the early 1970s as a Ugandan refugee. Raised in Auckland, Blackler soon moved to London to begin a career as a Chartered Accountant in the London banking sector. Upon a return to New Zealand, Blacker moved into corporate finance until starting up Muros.

Muros is a supplier of decorative European wall panels to the Australasian market, authentically replicating the look and texture of concrete, brick, stone, and wood. This brings a natural depth and dimension to interior walls, which Blackler said assists with bringing clients’ visions to life.

Blackler’s path to into the interior sector was a circumstance of chance. After a meeting with a businessman on a plane, who introduced her to the wall panel concept, Blackler was convinced that she and her husband had the resources to help launch it on the local market.

With the financial, marketing and operational skills under her belt and the global financial crisis of 2008 looming, Blackler joined Muros and has been there for the past 15 years. Throughout her time at Muros, she has become passionate about interior fitout design and her work.

“Selling a product like ours is a pleasure when you are confident in its ability to satisfy your customers with any look they desire,” said Blackler.

The client mainly indicates the design element for Muros and what their vision and brief are. The team at Muros gain an understanding of a project through discussion and renders, matching the best product design colour with the look they are after.

The lightweight fibre-glass-based decorative panels are handmade in Europe and set Muros’ designs apart. The privately-owned company has built a solid reputation over the past 30 years at the end of faux or veneer panels. The look and feel of natural concrete, brick, stone, and wood are achieved by a clever manufacturing process and moulds/reliefs lifted from real-life walls.

Part of the success of Muros is that there are endless possibilities for its clients’ designs. Blackler said that there is one specific area that Muros targets. Instead, there is a wide range of potential clients from different industries, from a restaurant, high street shop, or pop-up store to a long-standing building, workplace or reception area.

The day-to-day job for Blackler is varied and never the same any second day, but with a priority first and foremost on customers. When she’s not meeting with clients, she looks ahead at managing and marketing the business to its optimal potential, keeping up to date with emerging designs and trends.

Communication is something that Blackler relies on, citing it as the most critical contributor to the success of a fitout.

“There are often many stakeholders and views, changing briefs, financial or brand constraints, tight deadlines, supply chain and moving timeframes that make regular communication necessary to ensure there are no surprises and the fit-out is on point, on time and on budget.”

Blackler said that retail and hospitality are the most current and progressive industries she works with, but ensuring clients satisfy ever-changing requirements can be a constant challenge. She added that the company likes to use the wall panels in new and unconventional ways, using them on ceilings, countertops, and columns as well.

“You can see the ‘wow’ factor’. The best result is when the customer wouldn’t have picked the Muros to finish as anything but the real thing. They are an affordable solution without the labour, mess and consent process associated with authentic materials, and can be easily updated with a fresh aesthetic over time.” olours hold the power to captivate, inspire, and set trends. One hue has taken centre stage and ignited a sweeping trend: pink. This vibrant shade has seized the collective imagination of designers across the globe, with its resurgence coinciding with the highly anticipated Barbie movie featuring Margot Robbie. As the film's release approaches, pink reclaims its status as the ultimate style statement, celebrated for its versatility, emotional resonance, and ability to challenge societal norms.

As the Barbie movie's premiere approaches, it serves as a reminder of pink's indomitable spirit. Margot Robbie's portrayal of Barbie will undoubtedly bring the character to life, further fueling the pink movement. Audiences eagerly anticipate a visual spectacle celebrating the power of pink and the limitless potential within each of us.

Fashion designers worldwide embrace pink's magnetic pull, incorporating it into their collections to redefine traditional silhouettes and challenge norms. The reign of pink is here, leaving an indelible mark on our fashion and cultural landscape.

Filled with highly saturated satins and other textured fabrics, Ayissi said he sought to prioritise natural materials like silk and linen and sustainable bamboo viscose, Kenté and dyed bazin fabric, a type of damask. This Fall 2023 couture collection from Imane Ayissi has more than a sprinkle of pink throughout. A notable look from this showcase was this sheer jewelled dress paired with pink satin bows in a shade like Mara 7-718. Ayissi continues to bring African techniques to an international fashion stage.

On the more extravagant side of couture, this look by Ronald van der Kemp is a twin hue to Mara 8-3904. The show's notes were: "The Reset. A happening. Aware. Artful. Artisanal. Disarming. Intimate. Nostalgic. Hopeful."

The collection is daring, playful and loud, filled with countless patterns, angles, and exciting silhouettes.

Kim Jones of Fendi explained that hues of natural stones, rubies and sapphires inspired this Fall 2023 Couture collection. "It's the idea of the silhouette being 'nothing' but everything at the same time."

The luxurious evening wear collection exudes mature elegance, and this look, in particular, is wholly embellished with pink-hued jewels in a hue close to Mara 7-716. The looks are consistently draped and wrapped, echoing a minimalist aesthetic from the 90s.

Valentino's Fall 2023 couture showcase had two conceptual drivers: simplicity and paradoxes. The show was called Un Château and was held at a historical site which Piccioli said was a metaphor for status and power. This look, in a colour close to Mara 6-663, was designed as a simple bias-cut dress, but Picciolo wanted to achieve a no-gravity floating effect. Featherlight, velvety, and softly draped on the body "to freeze the spontaneous motion of the dress in a sort of still image".

Balenciaga has entered a new classical era. In walks a new couture collection for Fall 2023 is simply divine. Each piece is meticulously designed and executed, with beautiful dramatic draping. A standout from the show is this show-stopping pink like Mara 7-247. "I like the couture that you can see, but I also like couture that you don't see. I think that's also a big part of who I am in making clothes, but also a big part of who Cristóbal Balenciaga was," Demna said, referring to the legendary Spanish founder.

Viktor&Rolf celebrated 30 years of conceptual glamour, spectacular beauty and provocative couture unexpectedly at their 2023 Fall Couture runway show. Thirty couture bodies inspired by bathing suits and bikinis reveal and dress up simultaneously. They played with proportions, exaggerated silhouettes, layering, minimal baroque decoration, and surrealism. The result is sculptural with a fun twist.

Crepe, satin duchesse, gazar and organza come in a vivid palette of colours, ranging from pale beige to dark brown with shots of almost-neon pink similar to Mara 7-321. The attitude is, as always, romantic but not soft. Confident but with a warm heart. Supremely feminine and unapologetic.