The real heroes behind Arfah, the label

Pakistan is home to a vast number of people who strive passionately towards the creative, constantly working on becoming a leading force in the world of arts and culture, and one field which is always creating new talent is the fashion industry.

An example of such talent is Arfah Khawaja of the label ‘Arfah’, an up and coming fashion designer, whose label features a versatile collection – from classic and traditional pieces to bold and edgy ensembles, bringing together a fusion of western silhouettes and traditional embellishments.

What caught our eye was the in-house intricate work and the detailing on the pieces as it steps up its fashion game, which is why Pakistan Today had to meet up with the designer herself and get to know more about her, her work and the people behind the ensembles.

A barrister by degree, Arfah knew her destiny lay elsewhere, in a field a lot more suited to her imagination. And that’s when she started her pursuit of fashion, something she has always loved.

Following the ‘You Only Live Once’ motto, Arfah believes that whatever it is you want to do, the time to pursue it is now. Whether you fail, whether you succeed, just do it because you are not going to get another chance: seize the moment.

In an industry where some talents take ages to get recognition, she’s built a great image and reputation for herself in just two years. With a goal in mind to be associated with all the big names like Faraz Manan, Elan and Kamiar, Arfah started by taking family orders, which were mostly formals and, working with a very small team, she observed how the people work on the clothes. When Arfah decided to open her own store, it was her father who financed her and lent her his property for the store. So, her workshop and store are under one roof, which makes going back and forth convenient for her.

Thus, Arfah has emerged as a fashion-forward luxury label, which embodies elegance and opulence. This is when she focused on displaying a Pret collection. Pakistan Today met up with her at her studio located in Gulberg, where she spends most of her time with her team brainstorming ideas and designing new pieces.

“I was really scared yet confident to start my own line. Scared because there is a lot of competition; but because it is something I have always wanted to do, I am going to use my creativity and give it a shot instead of staying at home,” says Arfah as she shares how her journey began.

As we looked through the pieces, the typical question which most designers are tired of having to answer was asked yet again, the inspiration behind each collection and what design philosophy she follows. This is when Arfah told us about the real heroes behind each collection – the Addawalas (the workers).

As a designer, she has a unique strategy for making her pieces. Arfah does not get inspired, it’s what she likes, whether it’s a fabric or a colour combination – usually subtle colours, even though she wants to do bold, dark colours and make them more ethnic besides adding a traditional touch to the pieces – in addition to a specific cut or a specific design and how she embeds them in her own style.

“Once we have all the material together, I sit down with my Addawalas and we just go with the flow and experiment through samples,” says Arfah. Using her bridal collection as an example, she went on to say that the designs on the different pastel colours used came together from brainstorming and creating things right then and there.

“The addawala’s are the real heroes behind Arfah, I just guide them,” she added.

Arfah said these people are artists, “At times when my brain stops working and I have ‘designers block’, I leave it up to the workers and give them room to be creative; they come up with something and then show it to me, and if I like it, we work on it. This happens very often as the work these people do is amazing.”

Dealing with criticism:

“Two years ago was a little late to enter the industry,” Arfah says because the people’s mindset is that anyone entering the industry is “a bored housewife or has nothing better to do”.

What people don’t see is that the designer actually wants to build a career in the field, and display their creativity.

“It can be very demotivating when people don’t appreciate your efforts, which can be worse when you get a designer’s block.”

Even though it is hard to keep up with everyone and there is a lot of pressure, but, “you know you have to get better because at the end of the day, you know it’s your hard work and it pays off,” Arfah said.

“It gets better when customers come to you with orders for bridal dresses; it’s the biggest reward a designer can get when customers trust you on this the biggest day of their lives,” Arfah added.

When asked about how her family supported her decision, Arfah laughed, saying that they didn’t take her seriously like everybody else.

Arfah proudly said, “My dad is very proud of me because I proved him wrong; because he thought that I was not serious and won’t survive in the field.”

Designs and Collections:

Every designer has their own trademark design, through which their work is recognised. In Arfah’s case, she started off with western couture; her first collection was basically leather, studs and chains. She usually does one piece but it’s like a statement piece in every collection.

Since people in Pakistan don’t wear western, Arfah adapted to what the masses want, which was eastern/bridal wear. But the eastern wear still has a western touch to it.

“A lot of my pieces are heavy eastern wear, but can also be worn without a dupatta and pants; they can be worn as dresses,’ Arfah explained.

Furthermore, as far as the Western attire is concerned, Arfah has made her trademark with embellishments and studs on leather, which is one of a kind within the country. Whereas in terms of Eastern and Bridal wear, her style is recognised throughout, with heavy embellishments, but the very fine detailing and with the finest material being used in size.

Arfah says: “My work is very heavy; it’s heavily embellished, but with the finest details which is what I am recognised for. The details on the pieces are my USP!”

Arfah is a fete of a modern girl who knows her style and wants to be engaged in exotic hues of aesthetics.

One thing to be kept in mind is the ongoing trend, what’s in, what’s hot, what’s not, especially for designers making bridals, because this is where a lot of your competition steps in, this is the point where the designers have to pick up their game and go with the trend.

“There was gold and red in trend before, now its pastels and ivories, soon there will come a time when bridals would be black and me as a designer would have to cater to the masses accordingly,” tells Arfah.

When asked about the upcoming collection and exhibitions Arfah would be participating in, she mentioned that her upcoming collection is a bridal one, which, if completed on time would be displayed at the bridal week in September. She has already displayed one eastern and one western collection before, which had received a great response from customers, especially because the recognition received for being different in the western designs has been overwhelming

The eastern has been a mix of bridals and formals, whereas western was couture, embellished jackets and dresses. While talking about the embellished leather jackets, Arfah recalls an event when Humaima Malick wore Arfah’s red jacket during PSL opening, earlier this year.

“She especially asked to get it customised to wear it on the opening. Humaima loved it, especially because it was very different because it was very ‘Rockstar’ and it suited her Chic, stylish, classy image,” Arfah says.

What’s new, What’s next for Arfah:

One thing we know for sure is that Arfah won’t be launching her lawn collection, despite the craze, because she thinks it’s overdone and there will soon be a time that the lawn trend will end once the society has had enough. She is of the opinion that ‘ready to wear, off the rack’ trend, is going to become very popular soon, because, in a fast-paced world, it’s the easiest thing possible.

“Off the rack culture is really popular and that is what’s going to take over the lawn, it’s more exclusive as well,” she said.

Advice for newbies:

The rule applies to anyone and everyone, do something you love, because only then you will excel in the field. Arfah adds, “If you enjoy the field and you really have a passion for it, then you should definitely enter the market whether there is competition or not. This shouldn’t hold you back.”

‘If you have a flare for fashion, and think you have what it takes to survive, then you should definitely get into it.”

Like in every field, there is always a challenge that you have to face, which is why demotivation and urge to quit comes naturally, but it’s the determination to succeed that pays off.

“It is tough to make and sell clothes, but it is definitely worth it, because when you are making something and people appreciate your work; it could be anything, whether it’s making clothes, art or movies, when you are appreciated for your work, there is nothing better than that feeling of achievement.”