Sonya Battla is far, far away from the madding crowd. Unapologetically low profile and elusive, she hasn't hurdled herself onto the bandwagon of excessive marketing and over exposure. But of course, being Sonya Battla, she doesn't need to. Her collections speak for themselves. And her petite boutique on Zamzama, like the clothes she creates, is an extension of herself - simple and tasteful. There is never anything on display that offends the aesthetic or suggests of a job done half-heartedly. Sonya Battla undoubtedly is one of the most soft spoken, gentle and graceful designers in the fashion industry today. The fact that she is just as thoughtful as she is intense makes her the brilliant designer that she is. And the combination is potent, though she would deny it, as she is as humble as she is talented.

We meet at her store on a Ramazan afternoon. And between power failures, dysfunctional generators, customers who insist on discounts and kaarighars who insist on raises, Sonya explains how difficult it has become to function in this day and age. And it isn't just about the economics.

Sonya is one designer who doesn't function in a bubble, and she emphasizes the fact that like art, fashion too soaks up the environment and is greatly influenced by the habitat it thrives in. The fact that America has been bombing civilian localities in Waziristan affects her greatly as did May 12 last year or Benazir Bhutto's assassination. And as she points out, it influences the designs she creates too.

But though art, and in Sonya's case fashion, is always catharsis, it is also a business and this is where the market demand steps in too. Despite the social involvement weighing heavy on her heart these days, one also sees a lot of colour in her shop.

Last year may have been disastrous in terms of business but it also taught designers how to handle the depression. Initially Sonya's collections - similar to western collections earlier this year - bordered on a lot of black, white and grey (her collection at the Georgio Armani show) to reflect the sombre mood - but as she suggests, even designers have learnt how to deal with that depression. Colours at New York Fashion Week this month were bright and vivacious, despite a looming global depression and colour is exactly what Sonya has incorporated in her festive collection for Eid.

But it's not just about Eid. Sonya also feels the power of the myths and the magic associated with this region and that's where the colour comes in. It comes from the fairies in Kazakhastan and the snake charmers in the desert; it comes from Persia as well as from India…and these regions all bring with them colour. "I feel this region is a very magical, potent place," she reiterates.
The collection will be available at her store in another week's time and she will be taking her second exhibition to Lahore in November.

"Lahore was a totally new experience for me," she explains. "The market was very new and I was testing the waters. When I exhibited there I realized that women would more readily pick up colourful clothes laden with embroidery and embellishment, which were made available to them at very reasonable prices. To me, embellishment has always been an easy option. But I feel research is what makes one a specialist; it governs the step from mediocrity to excellence. I have researched the market now."
As for expansion, even a second store, Sonya says she will not expand until she is capable of financing everything herself. "I'm trying to make it without a god-father or a financier and it's not easy," she says. "I don't grudge anyone their success or failure though," she is quick to add.

Financially, it has been a struggle to even stay afloat through this past one year. But Sonya Battla is a survivor and an optimist. She's looking for magic amidst the destruction and one can be confident in the fact that she just might find it.

Sonya's portrait by Izdeyar Setna
Babra Sharif for Sonya Couture by Amean J
Spring/Summer 2008 by Rizwan-ul-Haq