The best way to really learn about a new start-up is by getting first hand from the owner. WittySparks exclusive interview with Fabiha; Hyderabad’s new fashion designer gives a heads up on what to expect.
Fabiha has been having the idea of her own label in her mind for forever. Her parents have been her first inspiration; her mom used to sew clothes for the whole family, while her dad designed from the imported fabrics he used to get.
Exclusive Interview of Fashion Designer Fabiha from Hyderabad, India
Early on Fabiha got a taste of good quality clothing, “Like all parents, my parents wanted me to finish graduation, and once I was done with that, I was stable enough to make my own decisions, and they always supported my point of view”. It’s not easy to make it in this business with only talent; everything starts off slow “It took me six months to get the studio up and running, even though I was designing on the side for a pretty long time. I started designing my first full collection in October 2011, and worked as a freelance designer while I worked at Thomson Reuters. The legal formalities can take anywhere from a week to a month, depending on how ready you are with all the required documents”.
Fashion Designer Fabiha – Hyderabad, India
As of now Fabiha is focused on the Page 3 clientele, in India western wear is still far behind in terms of recognition and demand; she says “I mostly design western wear, that’s my design aesthetic, but unfortunately it’s not something everyone wears Hyderabad, it’s majorly worn by socialites and party goers. I love our culture, and find the graceful cuts and drapes of Indian wear divine, but the demand ratio of ethnic to western restricts my designing skills, satisfying the customer is priority, I can’t force western wear on anyone. For me customer satisfaction is priority, I don’t lack talent, so I will give them what they want no matter what”.
Fabiha offers her clients more than just RTW, she provides services like couture designing, personal and fashion styling, trousseau packaging, ramp walk training etc. she says “If you have talent and faith you should not hesitate to show it off, customers always recognize who has their best interest at heart. I enjoy every aspect of my business, and monetarily getting designer wear made is very expensive, people don’t generally realize the amount of money that goes into it, Fabiha is one stop fashion fix for everyone”. We’ve always been thinking about the money factor, entrepreneurship does not require one to be filthy rich, and Fabiha gives a designers point of view “Initially you can work from home with min costs, however when expanding I believe it’s important to have savings for emergencies, the fashion industry is seasonal, some months are slower than the others, but you still have to incur expenditure, so it’s always good to have a decent amount of money saved up”. However money is far from what the most difficult task is in her day, managing the uneducated workers is a challenge. But she’s one to set the rules and make sure they are followed.
Fashion Designer Fabiha – Hyderabad, India
She suggests all young designers to believe in themselves and follow their heart, and stick to what you’re good at be it Indian or western or both. She also advices to start small and then grow slowly and always keep in mind the importance of client satisfaction and networking. Fabiha’s new RTW collection is available at designer store The Project.
You can walk in to the stores for new collections at:
Fabiha, The Project,
MAHMOOD-HABIB PLAZA,#8-2-584/1,
Banjarahills Rd.no 9,
Hyderabad-500034, Andhra Pradesh,
India
