Bojana Sentaler, Founder, President and Creative Director of the internationally acclaimed luxury outerwear brand SENTALER, has emerged as one of Canada’s most influential figures in fashion. Born in Belgrade, Serbia, and raised in Toronto from the age of eight, Sentaler’s path to global recognition is a compelling story of creativity, courage, and entrepreneurial spirit.
From an early age, Sentaler demonstrated a natural talent for design and a sharp eye for aesthetics. While her childhood was filled with fashion sketches and creative expression, her academic strengths pointed toward a different path—math and finance. This duality of interests led her to the Schulich School of Business at York University, one of Canada’s top business schools, where she specialized in marketing and finance.
After graduating, Sentaler launched her career at a Fortune 500 beauty company. Despite the prestige, she quickly realized the limitations of the corporate world and felt a growing need to pursue something more fulfilling. Trusting her intuition, she made a bold decision to step away and explore her true calling—fashion design.
In 2008, Sentaler moved to Dubai, where she worked on economic reports focusing on emerging markets in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. It was there she experienced a pivotal moment: a memorable interview with legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, who was then designing luxury villas in Dubai. His words sparked a renewed passion in Sentaler and reaffirmed her desire to enter the fashion world.
Soon after, a serendipitous trip to Peru changed everything. While exploring the Andean region, Sentaler discovered the luxurious and eco-friendly qualities of alpaca wool—a lightweight, exceptionally warm, and sustainable fabric revered in Peruvian culture. She spent months researching the material, becoming deeply knowledgeable about its properties and potential.
Inspired by her travels and recognizing a gap in the North American outerwear market, Sentaler returned to Canada in 2009 with a vision. She designed and launched her first collection—seven handcrafted alpaca coats created for modern women seeking both fashion and function. Thus, SENTALER was born.
Fifteen years later, SENTALER has grown into a globally recognized luxury fashion brand available at high-end retailers worldwide. The brand has become a favourite among royalty, Hollywood celebrities, supermodels, and athletes, all drawn to its signature blend of style, warmth, and ethical craftsmanship.
SENTALER remains proudly Canadian, cruelty-free, and sustainably sourced. The company continues to support environmental and charitable initiatives, reinforcing its commitment to both elegance and responsibility.
From a childhood dream to an international fashion powerhouse, Bojana Sentaler’s journey is a testament to following one’s passion and redefining luxury with purpose.
“I wanted to create a luxury, a global luxury outerwear brand,” said Sentaler in a recent interview. “I found a gap in the market for coats that were warm, functional, but they were also beautiful and elegant, and high-end at the same time.”
That gap led her to alpaca fabric—renowned for its warmth and softness—and sparked what she described as a business “aha moment.”
“When people asked me, what if you fail? And I said, well, I’m not going to fail. That’s not an option,” she said. “The recession was just at the launch. But it was more of strategic long-term vision of the kind of brand and company I wanted to build.”
SENTALER started with a modest by-appointment-only showroom on Richmond Street in Toronto, which opened in 2010. “When we opened the flagship in Yorkville, we closed the showroom. So the flagship replaced it,” Sentaler explained.
Today, the brand operates its flagship store in Toronto’s Yorkville and maintains a strong B2B presence through partnerships with major luxury retailers across North America.
“We have the flagship in Toronto, and then we have partnerships with B2B luxury retailers—the department stores in Canada and America,” she noted. “Holt Renfrew, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom.”
But fashion wasn’t always a direct path for Sentaler. “I didn’t know what I wanted to end up doing, but I wanted to create,” she recalled. “Since I was young, I’ve been sketching fashion designs from grade school.”
Her education at the Schulich School of Business at York University, where she earned dual majors in marketing and finance, laid a critical foundation for her future. “It’s been great because I have two majors in marketing and finance. My financial acumen combined with marketing background, branding, advertising, sales, business management, entrepreneurship, organizational skills, accounting, public relations. These are all key sectors when running a business.”
Her passion for people, communication, and business strategy also played a role. “I loved fashion. I loved sketching and creating, but I also loved communication… and I was generally interested in business and the behind the scenes of the fashion industry.”
Throughout SENTALER’s growth, Sentaler has remained closely connected with her clientele—some of whom are globally recognized figures. “I did have the pleasure of meeting a lot of them,” she said, referring to high-profile clients. “Some of them have discovered the brand from the very early stages. It’s been such a pleasure to watch them continue to build their wardrobe with new SENTALER additions.”
Each collection is designed with the brand’s loyal clientele in mind. “The new collections don’t replace the previous year’s collections. I design knowing what our clients have in their closets and building your own SENTALER closet.”
Sentaler’s leadership style reflects her clarity of vision and emphasis on communication. “A great leader has to have a vision, but the best leader needs to be able to clearly communicate that vision to the team so that the team can execute that vision,” she said.
That vision remains rooted in the brand’s founding principles: making women feel beautiful and empowering people through timeless design. “You have to be a little bit of a dreamer to have a vision like this,” she said. “But then it can’t stay in my head. I have to be able to communicate this vision to my team.”
Her team plays a vital role in upholding the SENTALER brand. “Sometimes when I listen to them speak about the brand and protect the brand at all cost and always keeping in mind what the long-term vision is then I know I did my job.”
And when it comes to challenges, Sentaler’s mindset is firm: “No is never an answer. If you get a no now, just maybe you don’t have the resources of how to do that, but tell me what resources you need to turn that no into a yes.”
For Sentaler, strategic risk-taking has been a critical part of the brand’s evolution. “You can’t grow without taking risk,” she said. “But of course, I take strategic risk knowing when to make a bold move on expansion that’s going to lead us to success.
From humble beginnings to international acclaim, Bojana Sentaler continues to lead with vision, resilience, and a commitment to making women feel confident in every season.
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- SENTALER launches first-ever pop-up shop at CF Sherway Gardens (Photos)
- Canadian Brand SENTALER Relaunches Toronto Flagship Store with Plans for Expansion [Interview]
