Karachi Crafter’s Expo: Pakistanis are a talented bunch!

Flowers, shoes, embroidered goods, handbags, cushions, greeting cards - you name it and it was there, all handmade!

On September 30, 2012, Pakistan witnessed its first ever ‘Crafter’s Expo’ at the Royal Rodale Club, Karachi. It was organised by Varah Musavvir, owner and designer at ‘Firefly’ (an online page which retails hand made products).



The venue held about 60 booths, each one bought for a small amount of money by those who had seized crafting as a hobby or by people who had taken it to the next level as entrepreneurs. The event was a massive success with many people pouring in to the event all day. It gave a remarkable opportunity to crafters to showcase their talents and to get feedback on their products.



Being a one-of-a-kind event, The Crafter's Expo fascinated the young and old alike.

Sharooq Khan, a newbie into the business of selling via social networking websites, who held a booth for creative party favours, said:

“The response has been great so far; the crowd is bigger than my expectations, the coverage is tremendous and many people are acknowledging our products! Also, the sell out is great - angry birds paper craft has topped the charts amongst kids.”

The goods at the stalls ranged from paper crafts to greeting cards, recycled paper and its products, keepsakes, diaries, journals, special children’s artwork, jewellery made of ribbon, clay, wood, crystal  and metal, cushions, lamps and lamp shades, frames, accessories, flowers, upholstery, handbags, clutch bags, clothing, work by Thardeep Rural Development Program, village embroidered goods, shoes and the list is endless!

Who knew Pakistanis are so talented?



Not to forget, everything was handmade and exclusive. Customisation choices were offered as well by the designers.

Noveen - a proprietor and designer at ‘All That Sparkle’ - when asked about her experience at the expo stated:

‘Our goods were valued and turned a profit. My professional venture is not even a year old, yet the publicity has made it all a worthy effort.’

As significant as the stall vendors were because of their work and effort for the crafter’s expo, the onlookers were an equally vital element for the huge accomplishment of the event. One such visitor exclaimed,

“With decreasing choice of places to be at with friends and family in the city, this is something new and exciting. We have such talented people in Pakistan!”

Lastly, an encounter with the lady behind the exhilarating show, tells us her view about the handmade business, the booths, the vendors, the people and the response.

“Crafting is something that just runs through my veins, I have been scrapbooking since I was 15 but took it up professionally back in 2010 and initiated under ‘Firefly’. It has grown immensely since then and is still going strong. The idea was to bring together crafters from all around and have a collective exhibition of works for the public. This would give the much needed boom to the budding as well as flourishing businesses. Hence, it was planned and executed, and here we are, living the dream today.  The numbers have been amazing. It feels great to see crafters and craft lovers all around.”

Thus, I think this event was very successful in that it gave people the opportunity to show just how talented they are. Moreover, many people got a chance to witness this too. I, thus, hope to see much more craftiness at the second year of the Crafter’s Expo series in 2013!

PHOTOS BY PRIYANKA PAHUJA

Follow Priyanka on Twitter @PahujaPriyanka

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