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instep
interview
"Fashion retail is now maturing in
Pakistan"
Asad Tareen has a keen bird's eye view of the business of
fashion
Asad Tareen says the numbers game has changed from how much a
designer has sold one outfit for, to how many outfits he's sold.
And this progression has come through multi label stores like
The Designers, which Asad has been operating successfully for
four years, taking business beyond one city.
By Aamna
Haider Isani
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Fashion retailers in
Pakistan are doing for fashion what a majority of designers have
been unable to do - they are making ready to wear fashion accessible
to the buying populace by opening multi label stores. And while
Labels and Ensemble (owned and operated by Zahir Rahimtoola and
Zeba Hussain respectively) are hot spots when it comes to fashion
in Karachi, Asad Tareen has taken fashion retail to another level
altogether by taking the business beyond one city. His store, The
Designers, recently opened a third outlet in Islamabad (after successfully
operating two in Karachi – in Clifton and KDA) and Asad sits
with a contract for Lahore on his desk as we speak.
The Marriott bombing is actually the only thing holding him back.
"Each and every time I think of expanding The Designers I wonder
whether I'm doing the right thing," he says. "Last December
was peak season when Benazir was assassinated. There were thirty
women in the store but after that business blew up in hot air. And
now it's the Islamabad bombing. We had to shut down the store in
the Blue Area and of course business came to a grinding halt."
However he admits that the potential for fashion business in Pakistan
is on the rise and it's extremely profitable; he is therefore ready
to incur the losses as an occupational hazard and continue unabated.
It comes from the kind of person he is – adventurous and ready
to take risks. And adventure does play a major role in his life.
Asad very fondly describes the trips he has been taking up Karachi's
coastline, going up to Baluchistan and beyond. He passionately talks
about the camping expeditions, the desert safaris, the volcanic
hills just outside of Karachi and the nature-sculpted rock that
Angelina Jolie saw on her trip to Pakistan and named Princess of
Peace. He talks of a life spent swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving
– in Karachi. And it's this action driven life that he enjoys
with his wife Fauzea, who also helps him run the business, and his
two teenage children.
The fact that Asad's personal life remains grounded beyond the fashion
industry gives him the bird's eye view to keep his business operations
professional.
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It
is an expanding production. Between Karachi and Islamabad, The Designers
is stocking HSY, Karma, Nomi Ansari, Sublime, ART (Arshad Tareen),
Mehdi, Munib Nawaz, UB (Umar Batul), Unbeatable, Shaiyanne Malik and
his in-house label, Maysoon. He'll be opening in Lahore in another
six to eight weeks with Deepak Perwani onboard too. But while he continues
to run his furniture-cum-fashion store The Designers as any intelligent
entrepreneur would, it's Maysoon that commands his affections.
"Furniture has always been my forte," he explains, "and
I started by designing furniture with a new twist. Our furniture was
known to taking risks with vibrant colours and simple lines at a time
when everything heavy and ostentatious was in vogue. Fashion became
the natural transition and the same philosophy extends to Maysoon.
It's about simple lines with minimum fuss. I overlook the design department
but I want to develop a proper system whereby I can give new designers
a platform. You can't imagine how many people walk through these doors,
carrying portfolios and samples out of rickshaws. I feel very bad
when I have to turn them away. At Maysoon we've been hiring new designers,
giving them the launching pad before they go solo. And it's been working
out very well."
Have the designers stocking at his store ever complained about him
stocking his own label alongside theirs, as many may think he is taking
inspiration from their collections?
"I've never had that issue," he clarifies, "and you
can see that Maysoon's designs are very different from the other labels
we stock. Plus, I guard other labels as if they were my own. I maintain
a very good relationship with everyone. But generally, I feel there
are two things that can take the industry down. The first is that
some designers are still stuck in the way things were done 15 years
ago. From a business point of view they stand nowhere today. They'll
have to change or they will die their own death. The second thing
killing designers is insecurity. They have to live with the idea that
their designs will be copied; it happens all over the world. Pakistan
has a huge population and there will still be people who will only
buy originals. The rest will happily get outfits copied in commercial
areas but that's okay."
He adds that finally he sees the buyers' psyche changing. "Retail
is now getting mature in Pakistan." Designers have to equip themselves
for that change and that means bringing the costs down. Fashion has
been selling at exorbitant prices; designers taking pride in selling
six bridal outfits for six lakhs each year, but its different now.
Designers playing the numbers game are those who are making it big.
"The kind of numbers Khaadi or Amir Adnan deals with are mind
boggling," Asad says, adding that "I feel HSY is on the
right track too. He's done a lot and I can say as his stockist that
his current black, beige and red collection just got its eighth re-order.
He is doing extremely well."
What
about other labels? Which one sells most and how do buyers suggest
fashion retail can be improved?
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"You
have to understand that every label we stock has its own specific
clientele. But they are all doing well in terms of business. Mehdi,
the latest addition is doing very well. His pricing has been done
very intelligently. HSY does extremely well, especially with bridals.
Sublime has its own market. The only thing buyers complain about is
they want to see more designs. Usually designers take a bit too long
in restocking and the international method of seasonal collections
still doesn't apply here. But women have tons of money to spend. I
once had a woman who came in and picked up 20 outfits at a go."
It is figures like these that reassure that the potential for fashion
to grow within Pakistan is huge. And retailers like Asad Tareen are
making sure they market it to the best possible advantage. |
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"I
don't want to make money off this," he says. "Making money
is not my priority. I had a modest start in life and have reached
a point where I feel it's my responsibility to help others. I want
to give fashion a platform. And that's why The Designers is doing
so well. So many designers want to pull out of 10 Q (The Boulevard
in Lahore) because they pay rent and when they don't see their stock
selling, they feel the loss. We don't charge rent; we only get a percentage
of what is sold. And sales are good. You won't believe that just by
shifting from Zamzama to this place, sales have gone up by 40 per
cent. This location is more convenient and accessible. It's become
a landmark for people who want to buy fashion."
Asad has also built an in-house runway within his Clifton store. That
is to give designers the opportunity to showcase their new collections
to the media and select buyers, at a nominal fee. He realizes that
getting the right publicity is half the battle won. And he insists
that this runway is open to all designers, even those who don't stock
at his store. It is important to get the news out and capsule collection
showings, he feels, keeps people interested.
After successfully operating in Karachi, just recently opening in
Islamabad and getting to Lahore soon, Asad says he will be taking
the franchise to Dubai. With the expansion of this retail store, one
also sees the expansion of fashion and that is how the industry will
grow. Asad's long term dream doesn't end there – he wants to
have furniture, fashion and a café under one roof – but
he most certainly is on the right track.
Maysoon's new collection can be seen on Style section. |
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