Bag to basics

Accessory designer Mahin Hussain on what she is ‘bagging’ next.

KARACHI:

Accessory designer Mahin Hussain sticks out like a colourful thumb, decorated with pop art, in a market that seems to only recognise and patronise clothing designers. Yet, she has stood her ground for creating delightfully vibrant and bold accessories and most importantly, brought back the ‘cool’ in patriotism with her funky Independence Day collections each year. Her win at the Lux Style Awards (LSAs) last year was mired in controversy, as she was nominated at the last minute. With an interior furniture brand also under her rainbow-coloured belt and now a collaboration in place with one of Pakistan’s largest textile retailers Nishat Linen, Hussain seems to be growing steadily.

How does your collaboration with Nishat help you grow as a brand?

I began my career as a designer for Khaadi nine years ago. With Nishat Linen, we did a test run two years ago when I began placing my accessories at their store. What is great about the collaboration is that I still get to promote the collection as ‘Mahin Hussain’ accessories. A lot of people have been asking for fabric bags since leather bags are very expensive. With Nishat, I get to target a wider audience through their retail network that spreads from Pakistan to the UAE.

Will you be using Nishat’s lawn prints for this particular collection?

One can’t use lawn for even lining the bags, let alone for the body fabric of the bags. To ensure that the products retain their signature look and appeal, I use my own fabrics and embellishment. There are fabric printed clutches, embellished totes and shoppers and a whole line in leather. Over 10 designs from the collection are in store now and we will gradually add on to it depending on the response. It’s a collection that I am doing on my own from the fabric to the finishing and Nishat is a ‘buyer’ for these products.

You began a home interiors brand ‘Veranda Five’ last year, will this line also be showcased with Nishat?

Our interiors have a very cutting-edge design philosophy, so Nishat is probably not the right channel for this despite their foray into home accessories. So far, we have only been exhibiting our pieces. It’s too soon to say where this will lead but we have already gotten a lot of consultancy offers to do people’s homes as a result of these exhibitions.

Has your recent victory ‘Best Emerging Talent’ at the LSAs made any difference in the scope of your work?

It puts you in the limelight and a lot of people who didn’t know about me or my work before became acquainted with the label. It puts a stamp of approval on your work. Right now, it is the only body of awards that we have in the country for fashion. It has definitely opened a lot of doors for me and I have been getting a lot of offers ever since.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2012.