Meet the new Fashion Pakistan Council team

FPC’s new core members are young and happening designers Sanam Chaudhri, Wardha Saleem and Maheen Karim.

KARACHI:

They are young and fresh, and they are armed with a plan of action. Sanam Chaudhri, Wardha Saleem and Maheen Karim have replaced former chairperson Shamaeel Ansari, CEO Maheen Khan and creative director/spokesperson Deepak Perwani in their respective positions at Fashion Pakistan Council (FPC) through elections held on August 28 as the old board’s three-year term expired.

We have to say that we are excited about this new team, simply because we have seen their energy and risk-tasking abilities on and off the ramp. A conversation with the newly-inducted ladies tells us more.



“Shamaeel Ansari will be my guide. She was very fair in taking her decisions,” Sanam tells The Express Tribune. She admits that it will be a challenge, but is all set to take it on, albeit with an aggressive mandate.  “We aren’t just planning two fashion weeks but also plan to build the business of fashion,” she says, adding that the inexperience is a “blessing in disguise which will work in our favour”.

Wardha, who has replaced fashion icon Maheen Khan as FPC’s CEO, has big shoes to fill. “My job is to manage the council’s affairs, set goals, make strategies and plan a yearly calendar that will generate resources and opportunities beneficial for the Council and its members,” she explains, adding that a new dynamic council consisting of young and passionate individuals will take Pakistan’s fashion industry to new heights. With nothing but praise for Maheen Khan, the young designer adds, “Like my mentor, I too, will look at fashion with an unbiased eye. And if ever needed, I have access to her invaluable advice.”

She further states that FPC’s game plan will officially be announced at an upcoming press conference which will reveal the goals and aspirations of its members. “Our vision will include all designers’ [opinions] as our aim is to promote the best face of Pakistani fashion, globally,” she explains. The plan is to assist aspiring designers reach their maximum potential by mentoring them, introducing them to buyers and retailers and organising fashion shows and exhibitions on national as well as international platforms.



“Although young, this team is certainly not inexperienced,” she clarifies, adding that it comprises professionals who run their own successful ventures and aren’t scared to get their hands dirty. Wardha admits that the previous board had set a well-defined system which consequently facilitated the transition. “We intend to learn from our seniors’ experiences by forming an official advisory committee consisting of mentors from the fashion and business fraternity, who will guide us in achieving our goals,” she adds.

Maheen Karim, the new voice of FPC, too is determined to fulfill her new role to the best of her abilities. “There aren’t any preconceived stances that I’ve thought of. But I will be me,” she says. Perwani always stood up for weaker designers and models, and Maheen hopes to continue in that line of fairness. “I disagree that the Council is for the elite. Fashion week is a platform where designers must show their ready-to-wear collections to the public,” she says. “All designers have been and will be given a fair chance, and I am grateful to Deepak Perwani for being stringent on this policy.”

The Council’s goals are explicit. “It’s a fashion council for the people of Pakistan. Therefore, our main aim is to treat fashion as a business – here and abroad – and help generate revenue for this industry,” she says. “And when we have information to share with the general public, we will,” she clarifies further. “This isn’t a sinister organisation. It’s a council that helps people in this business and we will do whatever we can, with the help of our seniors.”

She further refutes the rumour that Fashion Pakistan Week 2013 will be cancelled, and says, “As soon as we have dates, a press release will be sent out, and all will be informed.” We wish them all the best of luck and are excited to see what lied ahead!

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2013.

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