One has to keep pace with fashion designer and Chairperson of Fashion Pakistan Shamaeel Ansari as she speaks with indelible confidence even at an interview that was sprung on her last minute.
What did you think of the shows so far?” asks Shamaeel Ansari, trying to gauge the opinion of a ‘foreign correspondent’ before speaking her mind. As the third edition of Fashion Pakistan Week drew to a close in Karachi last week, the buzz had already shifted to the one in Lahore, by PFDC (Pakistan Fashion Design Council) that was scheduled to begin two days later.
The story is similar — India has innumerable fashion weeks and different bodies trying to compete with each other, a point Shamaeel points out candidly. “There can never be different fashion councils for fashion weeks to succeed. At some point, they have to come together,” she says, knowing that it might not happen overnight. After all, egos run amuck in the specific industry.
The designer also believes that India and Pakistan need to have better trade relations to encourage fashion from the other side of the border. “I do have some designs that sell in different stores in India — but it’s not like I have a regular trade happening with them. The buyers come, pick up the clothes and take it with them.
But I definitely believe there have to be better channels for business to happen freely between the two nations,” she says, knowing well enough that it sounds too much like an aspiration.
What seems to be the problem with the fashion industry in Pakistan and perhaps even India, we ask. “I think in India and Pakistan, fashion needs to be documented better. Also, both nations are deeply rooted in our culture; I believe if we can do what we’re good at, instead of aping some other culture, we will be more successful in the business. Plus, we have to be price sensitive. What’s the point in making clothes that regular people cannot wear on the streets?” she questions.
A typical query comes to mind — what does she think of multiple fashion weeks anyway? “In a country like Pakistan, which is much smaller than India, having more than a couple of fashion weeks can stretch everything — from finance to talent to creativity. I will still say that you need one fashion council to host fashion weeks — even if they choose to have two or three in a year,” she adds.
One can’t quite wrap up an interaction without asking the single mother-fashion designer-entrepreneur about the changing perspective of women in Pakistan.
“While you might not see women in tiny skirts and shorts on the roads of Karachi, the women in general are more empowered than they were even a decade back. They are aware of their fashion needs and aren’t afraid to experiment with clothes. They go to work, meet more people, travel and are definitely finding their own ground. Having said that, it’s not always easy, but I’ll have to say that more women have the option to choose what they want, which wasn’t the case earlier,” she ends.
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