The corner: Zahir Rahimtoola

Zahir Rahimtoola, CEO of Labels as well as ECOM, welcomes us into his most personal space — his fascinating office above Karachi’s most desirable shopping destination

Situated above the hustle and bustle of the shopping haven, Labels, lies our host’s most cherished corner. Zahir Rahimtoola warmly welcomes us into his private office space, and as we start looking around we realize that this corner is a mere reflection of the man in front of us and his prolific career. “Would you like some coffee? My office makes the best coffee!” he says enthusiastically. A cosy coffee corner by his desk catches our eye — a Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee maker is neatly placed here.



The coffee maker, along with a few other tech-gadgets, are possibly the only modern items in this room, the rest of the office is built around Rahimtoola’s 22-year-old career, as well as his personal life. From the first pieces of furniture he had bought for this office space, the black leather chair and desk, to the large wooden painting on the opposite wall, the centre showpiece at the Labels store opening decades ago, to the stacks of magazines dating back to the 90s and the framed newspaper clippings from 1985, everything in this room is reminiscent of another time, and for the owner, everything evokes a special memory.

“I think it’s very important that the space you create reflects on you. I’ve surrounded myself with the things that I love. I love collecting magazines, art, photographs, and drinking coffee, so there is a purpose behind everything that you find here. This office has evolved with me as I have evolved over the years,” he shares.



The space not only incorporates Rahimtoola’s interests, but is also a personal space, adorned with family photographs and ancestral letters. He shares that many years ago, when he was spring cleaning, he came across photographs of his ancestors in a suitcase. “I thought to myself, 50 years down the line, I don’t want to be lying around in a suitcase, so I dusted everything and placed many of my old ancestral photographs there,” he points. “These photographs serve as a reminder that I have a responsibility towards the future and a moral responsibility to ensure that what my ancestors had left behind for me, I carry forward, so this area is very sentimental.”



We end by asking him why this particular spot is where he has kept his most personal belongings, instead of his home, to which he answers, “I’ve spent almost my whole career sitting in this very chair. One lives a large part of their life in an office, even more so than a house, and this has been my office for a lifetime.”