An Introduction to Fashion
Schiaparelli Spring/Summer 2023
My husband, sister, mum, and I had just eaten a good helping of crispy mushroom pasta and with our filled tummies, we sat down for a chinwag when the subject of me as a child and my little quirks came up… specifically within the context of fashion and clothing.
“It didn’t matter what you put her in mummaji, she would go into your bedroom, look at herself in the full-sized mirror and change something or another to make the outfit her own. She would tuck in a shirt or move the slit of a skirt from the side to the front, request I put more lotion or baby powder on her or tuck in her vest properly. She had to make it her own.”
“So, nothing’s changed then!” My husband chimed in, with a rather large grin on his face.
I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone that the circumstances of my life meant that I couldn’t escape having a deep appreciation and adoration for everything that went into a garment, even if I wanted to. The fabrics, trim and notions, the embroiderers, dyers, the seamstress’ and tailors and the final garment – a feast for the senses from start to finish.
The journey begins with my grandmother. In Pakistan, my grandmother was well-known as an incredible tailor. She had this unique talent of looking at a body, knowing how to pattern cut any design requested to the specific requirements of the individual and their shape, and have the final garment fit perfectly much to the fascination of her patrons. She recalls a time when one frustrated first-time customer was adamant that my grandmother take her measurements. My grandmother refused until she was so frustrated that she gave in and told my mum to go and take her measurements. Satisfied that her request had been fulfilled, the woman left, and my mother handed the measurements to my grandmother or attempted to.
“I don’t need those, throw them away.” Mummaji did as she was told.
Some time passed and the woman came back to collect her finished garments and was again, entirely satisfied that her request was fulfilled and went on her way none the wiser.
This is how my grandmother provided for her family, she sewed her way through hundreds of metres of fabric for not only the locals but for politicians and celebrities. When she came to the UK, she sewed clothes for her local community and her growing family. She was once approached by a local school’s teacher to teach sewing, but she didn’t feel confident enough to pursue this at the time. My grandmother has sewn clothes for her children, her grandchildren, and her great grandchildren and this brings her an enormous sense of pride and joy.
Sometimes, my mum used to collaborate with my grandma; mum would design the garment, pick out the fabric and trim and asked my grandmother to put the pieces of the puzzle together. This is where my love for the process began developing, and it all started with fabric.
We lived in Southall and there was a huge fabric store on Southall Broadway called Partap. When my mum had an idea for a garment, she would head to Partap to source the fabric. I would run around the store, from one end to the other, feeling all the fabrics between my fingers: silk, linen, organza, lawn, georgette, cotton, and lace – it was heaven. I would imagine being my mum’s age and having the ability to purchase reams of pretty fabric. The completed fantasy involved me sewing myself the garment and being incredibly proud of my exquisite piece of work.
The crescendo of this whole love story happens in Lahore, Pakistan, at the age of 13. We went on a month-long holiday to go and experience Pakistan. Little did I know that I would be falling in love on that trip. We went to a bazaar where we were able to choose fabric at one store, purchase trim for it at the next, get the fabric dyed, block printed or embroidered and finally take it to the tailor to take our measurements and sew the vision. Experiencing that process first hand was such a transformative moment for me that I have dreams about being in the bazaar and making my own clothes to this day. Maybe it wasn’t love but a mere obsession for a 13-year-old girl, but it didn’t matter at that point. I intended to immerse myself in the world I had just been introduced to.
Sabyasachi Heritage Bridal 2023
I came back from that holiday and started reading Vogue and Elle, resolved on obtaining a deeper understanding of Western fashion houses, designers, and the wider industry. This self-taught education was essential to me broadening my understanding of fashion, taking it out of the South Asian context that I deeply cared for and made me look at the business of fashion. I found out very quickly that the industry was not only notoriously hard to break into but equally as hard to make money in… unless you were aiming to be a ready-to-wear mass market brand that is.
As I grew older, I started growing fond of costumes in film and theatre; I would read books and spend longer than necessary picturing how I would design the costumes for the movie remake, attend the theatre amazed at what the costumers could accomplish for such a large cast and watch films wishing I could be a fly on the wall in the costume department.
I would stay connected to my South Asian heritage no matter how much I learnt about the industry in the West. I wore salwar kameez every single day that I attended my local sixth form where they required us to attend in business attire – I did not ask for permission and did not intend to ask for forgiveness. Luckily, they made the right choice in never pulling me up on it.
There is one influence I haven’t discussed in much depth but whose influence is palpable in every paragraph and that is my wonderful mum. I thought I would save the most personal bit until the end for those of you who read all the way through.
When I was growing up, I would sit at mummaji’s vanity and look at all her chic perfume bottles, the glossy lipstick cases, the palettes of shadows, and powders and crave womanhood. “I can have all this when I’m a grown-up” I thought to myself. I would secretly try on her heels and be envious of the fact that she had an ‘Autumn/Winter’ wardrobe and a ‘Spring/Summer’ wardrobe to choose from. To me, mummaji was the most beautiful woman and I truly felt that she had genuine style. I wasn’t wrong. I look back at many photos of my mum in the nineties and noughties and admire her outfits even now and I simply adore the way she would pose in those outfits too! A full face of makeup, impeccable accessories, neck, ears, and hands dripping in gold and diamonds, all carefully chosen to compliment a killer outfit. Mummaji would have such dramatic, filmy poses sometimes – those pictures are my favourites.
My mum was really feeling herself in that season of her life and as a daughter that was keenly observing everything that went into having a sense of personal style, I couldn’t help but to be influenced by all the glamour she brought to our home. Everything else I mentioned certainly built a solid foundation, but mummaji was the true origin. With her sheer presence, she unknowingly lit a spark in my brain that shone brighter and brighter until it became a flame and there is certainly no going back now. Watching her presenting herself to the world in all her finery, thoughtfully curating her wardrobe and accessories, and caring for every piece that made up her closet so it would last the test of time was so fucking cool. We are both incredibly different, but our essence is the same. It always will be.
Dior Fall 2023
Everything you have read until now forms the foundation of my love for fashion and why the subject matter will be an integral part of this site. I don’t want to commit to writing about too many specific things because I don’t want to limit myself in any way, especially in a category that is so close to my heart. What I can tell you is that I will be sewing lots, I will learn how to sketch and draw fashion, I will embroider, knit, perhaps even learn to crochet and overall, I will continue nurturing the love I have for fashion and textiles. As you can probably tell, the articles in this section of the site will be deeply personal and romanticised. Weaving in and out of these pieces will be the thread of sustainability as it can be so difficult to achieve in a modern-day wardrobe. I also hope to highlight artisans who are masters in their craft and those who make traditional techniques accessible to us all through kits and courses.
It's taken several years for me to build up the confidence to share all my thoughts about sewing and fashion candidly, mostly in fear of judgement of my obsession. I also haven’t shared things that I have made in a mad pursuit of perfection that not one of us will ever achieve. Those are wasted years and I am letting go of the idea of perfection, the fear of judgement and any negative thoughts that make me feel less confident in my abilities. Taking that process seriously is what has allowed me to write consistently these past few weeks and the creative drive in me has taken me the rest of the way.
It's strange to think that it’s taken me so many years of observing, learning, and soaking in information about the fashion industry before finally feeling like I could start something, but I know when I look back, the journey to this moment will make so much sense. For now, I’m happy to just live through it.