Maskatiya opens her flagship store

Once a designer for Chamak, Sania Maskatiya has now gone solo with her newly opened flagship store.

KARACHI: After remaining underground for the past six months and disassociating herself from her partnered label Chamak, Sania Maskatiya opened her flagship store on Thursday evening. A graduate of Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture, Maskatiya is a young fashion designer with a degree in textile designing.

Speaking at the event, Maskatiya said, “I have always sought to create fashion which complements diverse women and to cater to a wider variety of tastes and to this end I hope that our store is successful in addressing this broader spectrum of taste while always retaining our signature emphasis on cut”

The designer marked a successful launch of her solo project with customers packed in to capacity, all buying multiple outfits. For her brand, Maskatiya is designing in various styles from casual to formal outfits. “[I’m currently working on designs] from bridal, to formal, to semi-formal, to day-wear, which mainly come under the line of pret and couture as well,” Maskatiya added.

Having started her fashion career in 2007, Maskatiya has narrowed her target market and caters to the “modern woman of today.”

While Maskatiya is the creative designer for the brand, her brother Umair Tabani is looking after the business aspect.

“This store is the fulfilment of a dream that I have had for many years. Having taken the plunge and gone solo with the launch of my own label in 2010, I felt opening a stand-alone store was an important and exciting move towards broader fashion endeavours for myself and my label,” the overjoyed designer told her guests at the inauguration ceremony.

Maskatiya’s collection was earlier stocked at fashion retail stores Labels and Ensemble. Although she now has her own outlet to exhibit her works, the designer hopes to keep her brand’s presence at Labels and Ensemble as well.

Unlike many designers who find Pakistan’s fashion industry facing a downturn, Maskatiya feels optimistic about the local business. “In the local market, [there’s a] great scope of nice, wearable outfits,” she said.

Talking about the quality of Maskatiya’s designs, Sabika Jaffery, one of her long-time clients said, “Her collection is good. Even previously, I bought something or the other from her collection.”

Spotted at the event was Fareshteh Aslam, Brands and External Communications Manager, Unilever Pakistan Limited. Talking about the brand, Aslam said, “It’s a great pret collection with interesting, innovative pieces.”

Maskatiya’s flagship store is located in Defence Phase 6, opposite to the well-known Oxygen Spa.

Now with the signature line out in the market, Maskatiya is all set to participate in the coming fashion weeks with her very own collection.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2011.