Furniture designer Ainee Shehzad stocks a range of furniture. She propagates an amalgam of the classic and the contemporary and now, her latest exhibition has been a treat for her clients. Is Eid season a time when people are willing to splurge a little not only on beautifying themselves but their homes as well? “Firstly, it is a festive season and secondly, I do this twice in a year; this was the right time I believe, to thank my avid clients,” says Shehzad.
Bringing forward an eclectic mix, she says the current theme of her exhibition does not tie down to one single theme. Why should one follow one theme in the room, when we can have two or three different themes to go with and make the room look more aesthetically designed?” the designer asks rhetorically.
Shehzad says that the buyer today is looking for value for money. With exposure to the internet and travel, people are generally more aware of what is available in the world and what it should be priced at. “Every single piece should be a show-stopper, it should be a fantastic design and priced competitively,” she says.
Commenting on who her target market and potential buyers really are, the designer says: “Anyone with good taste and a keen aesthetic sense, anyone who wants their living spaces to look beautiful yet have a practical value to it. All my pieces will serve the purpose of not just be occupying space, but of practical use as well.”
With sofas having tapestries of wild horses in the background and a Tuscany table with a landscape on it, it is evident that the designer draws inspiration from many things, including nature, people, objects, images, art, books, etc. “There is a mixed baggage of sorts. I draw inspiration from paintings, as well as natural beauty; there are a couple of symmetrical designs too; as I have an engineering background,” she says.
At the current exhibition that is currently being held at her residence, there is an influx of people coming in to view her collection. According to the designer, 90 per cent of the crowd comes as walk-in-clients just to see the exhibition, but end up buying at least one piece from her. Known for creating new designs every four months, the designer, quoting Alvin Toffler, says, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn,” confessing that she is in a constant mode of learning to make new designs.
Her exhibition will go on till Sunday, July 27.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2014.
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