From ramp to retail

Kiran Malik on quitting modelling for online clothing store

LAHORE:

In most cases, modelling is a short-lived career. As has been seen the case with many in the industry around the world, career opportunities begin to dwindle once the model reaches a certain age. Perhaps, this is why those who wish to continue working, jump ship to related fields, such as acting or fashion designing.

Key prerequisites for this are an eye for style and basic business acumen. In Pakistan, many models took the leap from magazine covers to couture, the likes of Vaneeza Ahmad and more recently, Juggan Kazim. And now, former model Kiran Malik has also joined their ranks with an online clothing store entitled, Style Berri. Malik has assumed the role of a fashion buyer for the venture, sourcing clothes from different parts of the world to be sold on the portal. The brand is her curation of funky sequenced shirts, embroidered denim jeans and skirts, as well as graphic tops in cotton and silk.

Ever since Malik launched the page for Style Berri on Instagram, the merchandise has caught the fancy of many fashion enthusiasts. According to her, each item in the collection is a definite conversation-starter. “I myself don’t want to wear things everyone else is wearing,” said Malik while speaking to The Express Tribune. Of her selection strategy, Malik shared, “The clothes should not be boring and all of them must have their own quirkiness. I want people who are wearing my stuff, to look different from others.”

Although Malik is originally from Lahore, she has lived in London for 16 years and even gained some work experience through a brief stint at British fashion merchandiser, ASOS.com. “I did a little bit of styling and bought things for them,” she explained. Malik’s career arc also includes modelling for IBM and British Airways, along with a few commercials that were shown in the UK. “Modelling there paid my bills but in Pakistan … I did it just for fun,” said Malik. Since her move to Pakistan, Malik has worked exclusively with photographer Athar Shahzad, which limited her print campaigns to just a handful of designers like Umer Sayeed, Sania Maskatiya and Faraz Manan. However, she was more memorable on the runway, unattached to any one photographer and making her presence felt at all major fashion weeks.

Now settled in Dubai, Malik is looking to move on from modelling and build a profitable business for herself. “I wanted to stop modelling. With my experience at ASOS and contacts in the industry, I thought this was the time to start something in fashion,” she shared. The collection retails at 150 to 350 AED and can be delivered to the customers’ very homes. Of course, Malik realises that for her clothes to remain unique, she will have to hold back the numbers. Therefore, only about 30 to 40 pieces per item are available for purchase. “I don’t want everyone to buy my things. Just the right people who understand what they are about,” she maintained.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th, 2016.

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