The metamorphosis of Hamza Tarrar

When ten other showrooms who opened side by side to mine with the same look, I knew it was time for an overhaul.

LAHORE:

Once a permanent feature of Lahore’s fashion circuit, interior designer Hamza Tarrar seemed to have sunk as rapidly into oblivion as he has re-emerged. He entered the fashion scene with great aplomb last summer, when he launched a rather extravagant show room of designer furniture that housed brands like Kenzo, Dolce and Gabbana, Versace and Fendi amongst others. There was much cynical speculation about this young boy, but his oodles of talent shone through repeatedly after his grand debut: At Ammar Belal’s stunning La Musee, where he designed twelve different rooms, at the chic VIP lounge he created at Lahore’s debut fashion week as well as the  beautiful Eden like stage he created for Karma’s show at third instalment of fashion week.

After a recent stint at the hospital, however, where he had a near life and death battle brought on by a severe attack of pneumonia and a host of other health problems, Tarrar has a new perscpective on life, and even bigger plans, it seems..

“All the time I was in the hospital gave me the time to think over my life and the direction I was going in, both personally and professionally. My showroom was shut down for two months during my illness as well. And as I recovered, I realised that I had been given a new life, and hence decided it was time to change everything,” shares Tarrar. From 170 lbs he came down to a meagre 100, and jokes that only women’s jeans fit him now. But despite his characteristic flamboyance, he seems to grown much too frail. “I started with re-doing my home, and ended up getting a new house which reflects the change in me from an ice queen, to a man who wants to settle down.”

Amongst several of Hamza Tarrar’s signature styles, such as the iconic chairs and the black and red gothic romance look, one interior design statement gains most prominence: The sheer white drapes with a circular white lounge, and a suspended crystal ball chandelier in the centre. “When ten other showrooms who opened side by side to mine in Defence with the same look, and designers who redid their studios in the same style and falsely claiming that I had done it for them, I knew it was time for a complete overhaul,” says Tarrar. Although the white look has become rather ubiquitous, Tarrar claims to have only done it for two clients apart from the restaurant Lucianos at Ammar Belal’s.

“It’s not just about new beginnings but also that I have learnt much about people’s tastes and what they want. So now I will be displaying a lot more of my own stuff, which does very well since it is more affordable than the designer brands I house,” says Tarrar, of his new direction in life. Staying in line with this new vision, Tarrar finally got a space to showcase his work in Gulberg, which is the main shopping arena in Lahore. Instead of opening up yet another large plaza, he chose to become a part of the stunning bridal studio, Tehxeeb, where he has ingeniously created three packages for rooms for brides.

“Just give us an empty room and watch us work our magic,” states Tarrar, as he describes his three tiered packages, where his team and himself will do up everything from the ceilings and floors to the towels and the potpourri. The Platinum, starting from Rs2 million and up, will create a room using only high end designer brands from Casa Hamza such as Versace, Kenzo, Fendi and the like. The Gold, which shall be from Rs10-15 lakh will be a blend of designer wares along with Tarrar’s own furniture. The Silver, ranging from Rs5- 10 lakhs will be a room done entirely with Tarrar’s own line, and given his creative exuberance, any bride who wishes to be different would opt for Tarrar’s own expertise. Also with the rising prices for every commodity, especially for luxury goods, the silver package is a great deal. Forgo a jewellery set and opt instead for a chic designer room.

But that’s not all . A luxury brand that understands client relations well, Tarrar will gift each bride a lovely diamond token from Damas. A jewellery set for the platinum bride, a bangle for the gold, and a pendant for the silver. “We want out brides to feel special in every way, and weddings are all about give and take, so this is our way to say thank you for choosing us, “ says Tarrar, who also promises that none of these presents will be tiny or frail trinkets, but something substantial that these brides can actually wear.

But it’s not just furniture that Tarrar has been doing. Given his meticulous attention to detail and design, he has begun to do bespoke weddings, “just two in a season”, he states firmly, where everything is created from scratch and is unique to that event only. “From stitching the Quran cover for the rukhsati to training the domestic help to lay out a table perfectly, to cards and stages, we do it all,” says Tarrar, and since such micro management takes intense effort he just does a maximum of three in a year.



Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2011.