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The new face in fashion
As an over-achiever from the Asian Institute of Fashion Design, Aziz Ali remarkably displays no airs. Whether this approach will fare him well in this cut-throat field this writer cannot be too sure, but one thing is for certain and that is he has perseverance to stick it out. “At 20, I made my first five to six outfits from my eidi savings which I sold in the neighbourhood. The response encouraged me to do much more. My family also helped and my sister in Dallas, Texas, took some of my work with her and sold it among the Pakistani community there while it was my mother who was the real source of inspiration. Sadly, my father has never liked my work,” he says.
To date, Aziz has had shoots printed in major fashion publications across the country and worked with top-of-the-line models such as Vinnie, Iraj, Amna Shafaat, Tooba and Sadaf, and photographers Khawar Riaz, Shamyl Khuhro and Abid Saleem. “That’s all the endorsement I need to prove my mettle. Prior to taking up fashion as a subject, I had taken courses in batik, silk painting, block printing and stitching so I was more than prepared for it. As a designer, I love doing fusion with western cuts and eastern embroidery motifs. But I find my clientele in the UK, US and Canada more open to experimentation that the local population that have a more conserved approach to fashion. My argument in this case is that an outfit that looks good in sleeveless might not do so with full sleeves. People need to trust designers in Pakistan and not keep butting in with ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ or ask them to plagiarize other designers’ work.”
Aziz says his signature style are asymmetrical cuts which are more appealing to him. “The A-line cut has been done to death. Layers upon layers of chiffon are a personal favourite. I mostly draw inspiration from the West and then introduce local elements in it. I love working on cuts in sleeves but hate the shalwar, particularly the Patiala shalwar. Trousers are more my thing and I love working on different versions.”
Getting to the grimy subject of professional jealousy, he says that it is very much a part and parcel of the local fashion industry and that newcomers have to face the full brunt. “Once a designer starts work and starts getting noticed, he evokes a lot of jealousy. This attitude certainly doesn’t help and makes it very difficult for one to adopt fashion designing in Pakistan. Also, it is only if you operate among elite clientele, designers and photographers that you go places and get to know the right kind of people. I hope to shun all that and survive on my own for once I set my target, I do whatever I set my mind to.”
Aziz Ali quotes Karma’s Blush line more at par with his line of work and identifies the similarity of his cuts to it. “It’s not for everyone though. Also, their bridal/formal wear is not me at all.” His inspiration, he says, has vastly been Umar Sayeed and Karma and Suneet Verma from India who he terms “out of this world.”
Says Aziz, “I would like to design one thing and never do it again, like Suneet I would never want to repeat my work. I’ve worked on layers and my next collection coming out in August is about simple cuts, long, sleeveless shirts and trousers.” He also feels that while people like to look at and wear the work of fashion designers in Pakistan, they don’t take them very seriously, always asking about the “real” work that they do to earn their bread and butter. And while on shows, Aziz says that when and if he does have his show, it will be an exclusively solo affair and something along the lines of Bridal Asia held in Karachi. Also he defends the Lux Style Awards by saying “at least they’re happening ever year and recognize the designers’ hard work.”
‘An outfit that looks good in sleeveless might not do so with full sleeves. People need to trust designers and not keep butting in with ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ or ask them to plagiarize other designers’ work,’ says newcomer Aziz Ali
Aziz’s favourite is the floral embroidery that comprised his last collection along with Indian textile motifs. “There’s always a thin line between inspiration and plagiarism. All the copied works of designers in Kehkashan, Clifton and the adjacent shopping malls, although a recognition of their popularity, is all the same disgusting, laying to waste their hard work sometimes stretching to months at an end.”
The reasonable price tag one gets at these malls as opposed to the exorbitantly priced outfits at designer outlets is a fallacy he says. “It’s wrong to assume that all designers cost an arm and a leg. It all depends on the intricacy of the design as well as the quality of the fabric. The prices vary a lot, as in my case, from as low as a few thousand rupees. But yes, I agree there is big money to be made in bridal joras. And speaking personally, I prefer to make my bridal collection as something practical that can be worn on various occasions. I specially love working on the entire trousseau rather that one ensemble. That way the client saves more as well. My speciality is the sari as I have grown up seeing the women in my family wear it on a daily basis. It is exotic and elegant in its simplicity but most people in Pakistan think it is not a part of our culture and that is sad. As a result, it has mostly been restricted to formal evening attire in elite circles. My argument is that even jeans and t-shirts are not a part of our culture but we do wear them,” he says.
And while on the subject of fashion, Aziz also touches upon the professional rivalry that exists between Karachi and Lahore. “While Lahore is all about colours, Karachi is subtle, trendy and elegant,” he says
PHOTOGRAPHY: Hadi Habib
STYLING: Saima's
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