When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When life gives you leather, make handbags. Fid Harry is the alter-ego of its founder, Dr. Firdaus Hariri, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon renowned as among Malaysia’s foremost experts in paediatrics craniofacial surgeries and a professor in his field with Universiti Malaya.
A man with many talents and interest, Dr. Firdaus started Fid Harry as an extension of his various projects to give back to society, this time in the form of seed capital to a group of young architecture graduates. What started out as a laser cutting fabrication company took a serendipitous turn when Dr. Firdaus decided to experiment with laser-cut leather craft. And the rest, as they say, is history. The artisanal leather brand has become part of his life and platform for him to express his creativity and empower people around him.
Dr. Firdaus had wanted to be a dentist since he was a teenager after he had a minor accident that required dental care. “The dentist was patient with me and that inspired me to become a dentist.” However, he was initially offered to study microbiology. “After almost a semester, I was later offered a dentistry programme. It was a sudden offer. I called my mom and was advised to take it as it was my dream course.” But the gruelling study regime in the field that initially inspired him as a child started to affect his performance. “I failed badly in my first year, so I have to repeat my first year.” Dr. Firdaus retook his exams the following year and passed. “My failure inspires me to reach the sky. I believe in second chance. Alhamdulillah.”
Dr. Firdaus’ initiative on social entrepreneurship from the Fid Harry story was acknowledged by Universiti Malaya, as he became one of the recipients of 2 grants; one from Universiti Malaya Centre of Industry and Entrepreneurship (UMCIE) and Universiti Malaya Community Engagement Centre (UMCares) Leather crafting workshop for single mothers of B40 group with the aim to provide knowledge, skills and platform for additional income.
The Fid Harry Collections are constantly inspired by the stories of patients, moments in life and the beauty of seeing life through the lens of a surgeon. Beginning with a rustic brown leather tote, aptly named Birth, the Fid Harry collection have since grown to include various core designs, Breathe bucket bag, Crisis sling messenger bag, Bold ‘big box’, Escape backpack, Elfin mini bucket, Crash money clip, Flip lanyard and the latest 2024 collection, Wonder hobo bag, all surgically tailored and handmade in Malaysia.
A product of the Royal Military College, Dr. Firdaus firmly believes in its motto “Serve to Lead” and has been actively involved in various community and humanitarian service projects, both locally and internationally. He serves as visiting consultant surgeon to a number of hospitals in Malaysia to perform complex craniofacial surgeries. From his countless pro bono surgical missions, and with a local team comprising various specialists form different team, his biggest contribution to the State of Sabah healthcare service was establishing a multidisciplinary craniofacial service in 2022. He was also part of the surgical relief team under MERCY Malaysia to perform operations on cleft lip and palate children in Sitagu Ayudana Hospital, Myanmar, earthquake relief mission to Pulau Nias, Indonesia and winter relief mission for Syrian Refugees in Mafraq, Jordan.
“I love to make people happy. I want to give back to the community and I don’t want to have regrets in life.”
Emphasizing on positive values, Fid Harry focuses on: 1. Designing quality, timeless design in which products are designed to transcends season, focusing on quality and fuss-free wearability. 2. Sustainability. Made-to-order ensure sustainability and minimize wastage. Fid Harry also encourages longevity, inviting customers to repair their Fid Harry pieces through its ‘life-time warranty’ repair service, completely complimentary. 3. Supporting local community. Fid Harry feel strongly about supporting local creatives and community, in particular focusing on young graduates and talents; those just starting out and most in need of someone to have faith in them. Fid Harry also support the B40 single parent community through its Leather Products Workshops, in collaboration with The Community and Sustainability Centre, Universiti Malaya (UMCares). “When you buy from Fid Harry, you are supporting your local community.” 4. Grow together. Fid Harry believes in growing together with its partners and believe in mentoring and guiding new start-ups within its ecosystem.
His mantra ‘Let failure inspire you’ has inspired many via his engagement with many organizations. His interview articles in the media and his book ‘Doc & Roll’ which was published in 2017 have inspired thousands to chase their dream despite facing failures and obstacles. The story of Fid Harry’s journey in leather crafting can inspire others to pursue their own passions and dreams. The journey portrays the importance of hard work, perseverance, and dedication achieving life goals. It shows that with passion and determination, anything is possible, that any unique talents and abilities can make positive impacts on the world.
By following our instincts and constantly striving to improve, we can create beautiful work of art that not only brings joy to others but also inspire them to follow their own creative pursuits.
Dr. Firdaus is one of the few doubly qualified maxillofacial surgeons with both dental and medical degrees from Universiti Malaya and was the youngest to complete the specialty training at the age of 35. He was the recipient of the prestigious Yayasan Tunku Abdul Rahman Gold Award in 2004. In 2007, he underwent a 3-year surgical training at Queen Mary Hospital and Prince Philip Dental Hospital as part of his Master of Dental Surgery in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (MDS OMFS) at The University of Hong Kong, which he completed with distinction in 2010. He also completed his MSc in Molecular Medicine from the International Medical University (IMU) in 2022. At the age of 46, he is now the Dean of Faculty of Dentistry Universiti Malaya.
The paradox of knowledge: The more you learn, the more you realize how much you don’t know.
Prof.dr.Firdaus Hariri
His love for knowledge and lifelong learning is amplified thru his life principle of ‘seek, learn, apply and teach’. On top of being an educator and passionate researcher, Dr. Firdaus feels that being a surgeon can be rewarding in many ways, but the job is also challenging. In his subspecialized field of paediatric craniomaxillofacial surgery, his task is rather delicate as it entails operating on a child’s misaligned head, face and jaws. Equally important is his long-term commitment to parents on their child’s welfare.
“My first involvement in reconstructive craniofacial surgery was in 2009. It was a 16-hour operation on a 16-year-old girl diagnosed with Crouzon syndrome. It was a surgery that changed both our lives and is one of the reasons why I chose this path.”
As a lifestyle brand, the Fid Harry story is just but a beginning. It is a story about life. And at the end of it, it is about creating lasting connections and beautiful memories.
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