When speaking to Sania Maskatiya, one cannot help but notice the aura of humility that surrounds the textile designer. In just a few short years, three to be precise, Maskatiya has become a household name in Pakistani fashion. She has built an avid fan base not only within the country, but also overseas.
The Express Tribune spoke with the rising star about her foray into fashion, her design ethos and where she plans to go from here.
The first step
Maskatiya’s flagship store opened up at Khayaban-e-Bukhari on February 11, 2011, and she hasn’t looked back since. “There have been milestones, with us growing over the years,” the designer says. “These have all been memorable and monumental, I feel. From fashion weeks to new collections, we, as a fashion family, have evolved.”
Her eureka moment came with the realisation that there was an untapped niche in the market. “There was no store offering all sizes and options for luxury prêt.” She says, “I remember this from way back, when I used to order it for myself! That was where our niche in the market originated.”
For the designer, her customers are key. Maskatiya believes most of her designs are client requirements. She asserts, “My clients dictate it. Safe designs, of course, might sell the best. However, people today are willing to experiment.”
While Maskatiya’s first bridal collection at PLBW this year was criticised as too out-there for the traditional bride, it impressed both die-hard Maskatiya fans and critics with its bold and edgy take on bridal apparel. She takes the criticism of her Bridal Week debut in her stride, saying, “This was our first bridal show, so we wanted to experiment. It is not all about receiving criticism or positive feedback [for me], all we wanted was to do something different and we were happy with it, as this was a learning curve for us.” She adds, “There certainly were people who kept ordering it.”
Inspirations and creativity
A textile major from Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Maskatiya has always gravitated towards the creative arts. “I always had love for arts and crafts as a kid, so I naturally opted for it,” she says.
Her digital prints are to die for, and seem to be the main outlet for her creativity. “Digital printing for me is like a canvas. It has no colour restriction. If I [want to] create something crazy by using 50 or so colours, add textures and photography to it and make it exciting, I can. That’s what I like doing best.”
There often seems to be a tilt towards favouring calligraphy as her main motif. It is certainly what she does best. However, Maskatiya disagrees with the notion that she favours one design motif over another. “There have been so many varied collections,” she says, “Each and every one has pertained to a different theme; we have not sided with only one.”
When asked about Western influences on her work and designs, she says. “We can’t compete with Western silhouettes. But yes, I think their [designs] being minimalistic and structured counts a lot for me. Can’t name any one favourite [designer] though, they’re all seasonal.”
Keeping it in the family
It’s rare in the fashion business to see a brother-sister duo working together, and working together so well. So how does her business partner and brother Umair Tabani support her creative endeavours? Maskatiya says, “It’s a joint business and shared responsibility. What we do have is a mutual vision and trust, so there is a strong support system.”
Is her family background a conservative one? She dismisses the question, saying, “No. My parents have always been very progressive and supportive and have always encouraged me to stand on my own feet and be my own person.”
Does that mean that she will, in turn, be supportive of her daughter if she takes to fashion, or another road less travelled? “She is hardly three! But yes, she can do whatever she likes to,” says Maskatiya.
On maintaining her ‘it’ status
Maskatiya has quickly risen among the ranks of designers, a feat for which she credits her team members and their hard work. After all that she has already achieved, how is she planning to top herself now?
“We [the team] have created a brand and received appreciative feedback from our clients, but it’s not like us to rest on our laurels. Still, there is a lot to be done and we really need to know what works and what doesn’t.”
For 2014, she is gearing up for all the major fashion weeks, from FPW to PFDC. Maskatiya’s dedicated clients want to see something new, something that will blow them away, yet again. For now, though, she is focusing on her winter collection, which will hit the stores soon.
Maskatiya’s mantra:
My philosophy is based on the beauty of cuts together in harmony with measured embellishment. I believe in change, in transforming the conventional to contemporary.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2013.
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