Folkloric evolution: When ethnic flair met contemporary rhythm

Fashion designer Nida Azwer reflects on revival of local craftsmanship, creating opportunities for artisans

From legendary innovators like HSY, a veteran of Pakistani fashion since 1994, to evolving talents like Fahad Hussayn, Pakistan harvests immensely gifted designers that fluently blend reverence for longstanding traditions with avant-garde aesthetics. Nida Azwer is no different.

Possessed with a knack for wowing at fashion weeks with riots of colour, crimson pouts and vintage-inspired up-to-the-minute tailoring – as a nitpicking fashion editor, I’m intrigued.



Reflecting on her passion and investment in the revival of local craftsmanship, Nida amusingly stated that craft revival is certainly her thing!

“I love fine hand embroideries and textiles. I feel it is very important for us to save this rich heritage and revive the crafts which are becoming a dying art form,” she declared - further articulating, “As a designer it's this admiration for fine embroideries that makes me want to keep tradition alive." Moments later, she quipped, "But I still wish I had more exquisitely worked antique pieces in my collection. Oh well, I’m working on it.”

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With fashion weeks getting uber mundane by the nanosecond, a designer needs to dish out all the more oomph in their collections – and that necessitates special dexterity. As to how she maintains her riveting designs, she asserts, “I feel it’s imperative to add newfangled segments and keep evolving along the way to make fashion weeks exciting. Since I feel so strongly about our local crafts, especially dying forms of textiles and needlework, what better way to showcase them than at our fashion weeks?”

Nida later abstractedly confessed, “I hope this ‘ethnic’ segment becomes big enough over time so that it branches off and has its own dedicated week. By sustaining our local techniques, we will not only be reviving our heritage but also creating livelihoods for many – and in turn, boost our economy”.

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Being a revivalist designer, there are specific areas Nida must master to elevate her status in forthcoming years – and that will require a skilled team of ‘desi’ personnel.

Regarding the matter, she claims, “It's a lengthy and time consuming project to work with women in remote areas where accessibility is not easy. You need a training programme to first train and organise artisans in order to receive work from them and then gently start the process. I’m in the middle of devising ways to ensure their training is appropriate.”

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Nida showcased two diverse collections this year at the FPW: 'The Khalarai' and 'Süsleme,' alongside managing tasks as the CEO of the council. That’s just too much going on, we figured - and it just might dampen her fashion-designing prowess.



Curbing our fear, she jibed, “I like challenging myself; I have to keep pushing my boundaries and work outside of my comfort zone.” Still not persuaded, we dug deeper and she retorted, “This year, since I had decided to launch sustainable crafts through a proper show, I was very determined to design a unique collection for it, and I didn't let anything come in the way. As CEO of FPC I feel if everything is planned beforehand, things get executed extremely well. Like every job, it has its positives and negatives but if time is managed well, everything is possible and I can handle multiple things at once”.

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Nida recently stood out for celebrating Sindhi artisans on the ramp for her ‘Khalarai’ collection and teamed with Ali Sethi previously as the voice of her collection. We wondered if that was a deliberate statement in the face of the celebrity-showstopper-formula every other designer obsesses over!

To combat the assumption, she clarified, “For me, it was more of a recognition of the people behind the scenes and not a ‘statement per say’. With our artisans who walked the ramp with me at the end, I felt it was important for them to be recognised for the beautiful work they do. With Ali Sethi, I felt that someone so naturally gifted should be heard and seen instead of simply playing his song in the background while models glided down the runway."

The fashion designer further deliberated, “If more designers get interested and determined to sustain crafts, imagine the number of jobs they will create. It will definitely make an impactful difference.”
We hope Nida’s deluxe, contemporary style continues to fuse with ethnic insignia, helping bring Pakistani fashion cultures to the epitome of international stage.

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