I see myself in each and every outfit I create: Chatoor
Shehla Chatoor talks about her timeless collection.
LAHORE:
With 17 years of experience, 200 people working under her and a clientele of some of the wealthiest people in Pakistan, Shehla Chatoor seems to have it all.
Recent history has shown how focused this designer is. From being the first designer in the country to have official branding to signature prints, Chatoor stays true to her personal style and design philosophy. Her eastern wear exudes a sense of luxury and sophistication that make her outfits timeless, while her western collection is sexy and cutting edge.
“It is about the entire look for me,” says Chatoor. “Clothes are only one component of your look — accessories, shoes and handbags add to it and hence, I decided to do it all. I carry everything from shoes and clutches to trendy accessories.”
A complete designer’s brand identifies with their own personal style the most; in other words, people pay a high price not to just look good but also to adopt a certain style or purchase items to accentuate their personal style.
One can easily see Chatoor personal style translating into her collections. “I see myself in each and every outfit I create,” she says. “I started designing because there weren’t clothes available in the market that were made to my taste and now I cannot wear anyone else’s clothes.”
As the conversation goes on, Chatoor talks about the timelessness of her clothes and how the idea behind it is to make them into heirlooms. “I made this bridal for a client 14 years ago and it was this Kashmiri coat; and now, 14 years later she is wearing it with straight pants for her brother’s wedding,” she says, excited with the notion. “This is what I mean by a timeless clothing line. The embellishments are still intact and because it was such a classic style, it hasn’t gone out of fashion.”
When asked about her own style and preference in international designers, she talks about her love affair with Christian Louboutin and Giuseppe Zanotti. “When it comes to shoes, for me, it’s either Louboutin or Zanotti.” Abroad, Chatoor finds herself mostly at home in London and her favourite travel destination, Paris. “Be it fashion, food or architecture, Paris is the place for me and London is like my second home.”
Even though Chatoor has been in the industry for a while now, she still feels there are certain setbacks that can cause one to rip their heads off. “There are two setbacks in this industry,” says Chatoor, with a sigh. “Firstly, it is the existence of blatant copies available in the market. You put in so much effort and work in your designs and then women go and get copies made that do not do justice to what you created at all.”
“Secondly, I feel that there is no loyalty amongst the workers here anymore. I have cars parked outside my workshop with people trying to offer my workers more money to come work for them, and the sad part is that they run off.”
Even though these setbacks are frustrating, Chatoor feels that what boosts her work is that her clients are much more informed now. Their research of what’s available in the market, trends and quality, makes a huge difference for Chatoor. “That is what makes my job more enjoyable,” she adds.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2012.
With 17 years of experience, 200 people working under her and a clientele of some of the wealthiest people in Pakistan, Shehla Chatoor seems to have it all.
Recent history has shown how focused this designer is. From being the first designer in the country to have official branding to signature prints, Chatoor stays true to her personal style and design philosophy. Her eastern wear exudes a sense of luxury and sophistication that make her outfits timeless, while her western collection is sexy and cutting edge.
“It is about the entire look for me,” says Chatoor. “Clothes are only one component of your look — accessories, shoes and handbags add to it and hence, I decided to do it all. I carry everything from shoes and clutches to trendy accessories.”
A complete designer’s brand identifies with their own personal style the most; in other words, people pay a high price not to just look good but also to adopt a certain style or purchase items to accentuate their personal style.
One can easily see Chatoor personal style translating into her collections. “I see myself in each and every outfit I create,” she says. “I started designing because there weren’t clothes available in the market that were made to my taste and now I cannot wear anyone else’s clothes.”
As the conversation goes on, Chatoor talks about the timelessness of her clothes and how the idea behind it is to make them into heirlooms. “I made this bridal for a client 14 years ago and it was this Kashmiri coat; and now, 14 years later she is wearing it with straight pants for her brother’s wedding,” she says, excited with the notion. “This is what I mean by a timeless clothing line. The embellishments are still intact and because it was such a classic style, it hasn’t gone out of fashion.”
When asked about her own style and preference in international designers, she talks about her love affair with Christian Louboutin and Giuseppe Zanotti. “When it comes to shoes, for me, it’s either Louboutin or Zanotti.” Abroad, Chatoor finds herself mostly at home in London and her favourite travel destination, Paris. “Be it fashion, food or architecture, Paris is the place for me and London is like my second home.”
Even though Chatoor has been in the industry for a while now, she still feels there are certain setbacks that can cause one to rip their heads off. “There are two setbacks in this industry,” says Chatoor, with a sigh. “Firstly, it is the existence of blatant copies available in the market. You put in so much effort and work in your designs and then women go and get copies made that do not do justice to what you created at all.”
“Secondly, I feel that there is no loyalty amongst the workers here anymore. I have cars parked outside my workshop with people trying to offer my workers more money to come work for them, and the sad part is that they run off.”
Even though these setbacks are frustrating, Chatoor feels that what boosts her work is that her clients are much more informed now. Their research of what’s available in the market, trends and quality, makes a huge difference for Chatoor. “That is what makes my job more enjoyable,” she adds.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2012.