In conversation with Sarah Illyas... 

At 25 years old, Sarah Illyas is far from the chubby kid she says she used to be, has been consistently slaying the fashion game and garnered a dedicated following on her Instagram account sa5268; her crisp, fun and fresh personal style a testament to her prowess as a fashion buyer for Asia's largest online retail site Zalora. Sarah is also very centered on her family - juggling her roles as a wife and a mother to a toddler, with that of a successful career woman. 

She enjoys cooking, thinks she has an amazing voice (although she adds her friends would digress), has a memory box full of pictures, show tickets and flyers etc that she likes to go through when she has a bad day and is scared of trees. 

Her sprightly and vibrant personality was unmistakable as she shared tidbits of her life as a working mother, making it in a foreign country, style influences and of life as a fashion buyer. 

What made you pursue a career as a fashion buyer? What’s the most fun and the most challenging aspect of it? 

I wasn’t really looking to be a fashion buyer so to say. To be honest, I wasn’t even too familiar with the profession itself. At the time I was looking for any job and I guess I was at the right place at the right time? The most fun would be the creative element of design and style you contribute to the role. The challenging aspect like any other profession would be hitting targets and meeting KPI’s. But challenge is what motivates me so I guess that’s what keeps me improving myself and my position. 

Did you always want to be a part of the fashion industry? 

I did my Bachelors in Industrial Economics and at that time fashion wasn’t really a profession I had considered. I mean I would love to dress and at the back of my mind maybe had the flair for it but never realized it till I fell into the industry. Plus the thought of my parents saying “We spent so much money on your education and you want to do FASHION??!! Ayyo this child!" scared me a little. Mom and Dad have their very own personal stylist now so I don’t think they're complaining. But it’s my dad’s constant criticism that has made me a perfectionist and mom's unwavering support that keeps me humble in everything I do, so be it fashion or anything else I get into I owe my strengths to them. 

What lessons have you learnt from you job? Do you find that it supplements your role as a daughter, a wife and a mother? 

I think any job gives you a sense of routine and thought process to plan. As a woman I feel like you have the natural instinct of taking care of others and when you become a mom that multiplies by a million. To take care of anyone else or to be the mom, daughter, wife, sister, friend you HAVE to take care of yourself first. And this is something I feel on a day to day basis, and if I’m burned out or moody or just can’t find my balance in that day it immediately reflects in all my relationships. Work has helped me to find this balance of planning ahead and making time for me and my loved ones. Let it be zoning out (which I am the queen of), taking a walk or reflecting on your day; make sure you have even 15 minutes for yourself to take a beat - it does wonders! 

What's a typical weekday like for you? 

I wish it could be as “typical” as I have it planned out in my head but I’ve accepted that’s it’s impossible with my boys. But in a nutshell it would be a personal wake up call from my son, he thunders into our room and jumps and screams till he’s convinced we're awake. My husband is the only one sitting at the table while I rush up and down putting together lunch for the two of us and of course my OOTD. Leaving home is the hardest cos I have Ayaan wrapped around my legs, but we keep getting creative with the excuses of leaving the house and it’s always the hardest part of my day, so I guess I can take on anything that comes after. Then it’s a day of meetings/emails and dealing with suppliers (the fun stuff!) and on the way back home I catch up on calls from home to get all the gossip and literally rush back home to see Ayaan. Most weeknights I cook and I’ve recently taken up badminton with my husband (I love winning so it looks like this will continue). 

How do you manage the dichotomy that is your work life and private life? 

I tend to be a very open person and yet LOVE my space (either alone or with my close family). With work life/social life I have grown to only associate with people who can respect the balance that I need, and who understand my responsibilities, so it doesn’t feel like a crime when you say “no”. 

Establishing oneself in a foreign country is, without a doubt, a challenge. What was your experience? 

I guess I never really took it in that way, that I was establishing myself as a foreigner or competing with “locals” it was more of challenging myself to learn, grow and get up to speed. I think the more you see factors like being a ‘foreigner’ as obstacles, the more you distance yourself from true potential. The most stressful part I’d say was getting a legitimate work visa and after that it was making use of it. 

You are also a working mother - how challenging is it? 

It’s tough! If anyone says otherwise, they're lying! Haha. Some days I love my job and it makes me feel so good about myself and where I am and the next minute I’m playing with Ayaan and thinking about the 9 hours of his life I miss out every day and the fact that I missed out the first time he said hello. But that’s just human nature, we will always want what we can’t have and if we do we always want something else. For me it’s taking it a day at a time. Do I want to be a working mom forever? No. For right now it seems to be working. 

As a fashion trendsetter yourself and as a fashion buyer, who are your style influences? 

I keep saying this and for me it’s true. I don’t believe that a person/people alone can influence your style because style is such an intimate/personal attribute. It’s how you feel, the stage of life you're in and a true representation of yourself. But if you asked me today straight off the top of my head it would be Gigi Hadid, Margaret Zhang, Rachel Zoe and my son (he keeps me conservative. 

What would you say is your greatest achievement so far? 

My son. Everything else seems immaterial compared to the thought of raising a good kid. If he turns out to be anything like his dad, then I’ve done my job! 

What's one mantra you live by? 

If it doesn’t challenge you it won’t change you. The scariest place I can think of being is in a comfort zone. Being comfortable might feel good but it means you're not growing and exploring. Let it be with food, clothes, people open up to what scares you a little, that way you’ll never stay the same. 

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 

I see myself at the coast of Italy on holiday with my kids and family, just laughing and bullying each other like we always do and being the happiest I have ever been. (Hopefully my girlfriends join for the weekend and fingers crossed we're ageing gracefully). 

Interviewed by Rihaab Mowlana