Food for fashion

Local entrepreneurs talk about the growing trend of housing a designer store and restaurant in the same space

KARACHI:

Food and fashion are the two Fs that a quintessential Karachiite takes seriously. Whether it’s designer shop-hopping or exploring the latest eateries in town, most people are cognizant of the hip and happening in the metropolis.

As they continue to dismiss the oft-expressed idea that the fashion-savvy shy away from food, local entrepreneurs seem to have brought their ultimate dream to fruition: housing a designer store and restaurant in the same space. The trend seems to have picked up pace, especially on E Street, with café Xander’s and multi-designer store Ensemble being among the first to join hands in the ‘it’ district of Karachi.

Co-director of Ensemble, Shezray Husain, can be viewed at the helm of this trend, as she had pitched the idea to Sikander Rizvi of Xander’s a few years ago. Rizvi gladly agreed and so opened the doors to the modern gourmet café in 2011, just a year after Ensemble. “Having been a fan of Café Flo [owned by Rizvi’s mother Florence Villiers], we approached Rizvi, who was looking to open a casual eatery. We had a fairly straightforward deal,” said Husain.

For Rizvi, the idea of opening a restaurant stemmed from the dearth of a midway eatery between the prevailing fast food and fine dining options in the city. “I felt there was a need for such a space. I helped my mother at Flo for a year and then launched Xander’s. It’s a few minutes’ drive from Flo and I couldn’t have found a better location,” he shared.

Sharing the same vicinity are Sonya Battla’s outlet and urban café Cosmopolitan. “Sharing a courtyard is fun and there’s a lot of activity and music,” Battla holds. “I really enjoy this concept. It’s fun and there are no issues of accommodation on either side. Both businesses are mainly indoors and separate otherwise,” added the designer.

The businesses of food and fashion seem to strike the perfect synergy. Mohsin Ihsan of Cosmopolitan agrees, saying, “Fashion and food go together pretty well. This sharing of the same space gives both businesses the levy to cater to a larger audience.” He added, “We have almost the same target audience and customers feel at ease being offered both things under one roof. There’s a natural connection between the two.”



Rizvi feels Xander’s and Ensemble complement each other. “Ensemble is a well-established name. Initially, people used to find out about Xander’s through their visit to the store or by word-of-mouth. Now, people visit Xander’s and window-shop or shop at Ensemble,” he explained. Ihsan stated his business is doing well because Battla is accommodating. “We’ve always shared a comfort zone. It’s nice to see businesses paving the way for each other. This only brings out the best in them.”

Feeha Jamshed recently opened doors to her standalone flagship store alongside café Mews. Neeshay Rabbani Jaffer, the co-owner of Mews who manages the space with Aamir Tariq Khan, commented on how they developed this concept. “Imagine a place where you can browse for interesting new products and revel in an eclectic mix of bespoke fashion or just sit on a quiet street, away from the hustle and bustle of a big city,” said Jaffer. “Mews was borne out of a desire to foster a similar feel, to create a sense of energy and buzz,” she added.

Jaffer explained how this is achieved by melding the creativity of the two businesses and by fusing their passion for good food, ambience and fashion. “We both have our own sets of clientele and by creating this ecosystem, we allow those two worlds to spill-over into one another for mutual benefit,” she stated. “After a long day of shopping, what better way to relax than with one of our coolers or desserts, or while waiting for a pizza, how better to pass the time than splurging on one of FJ’s bespoke outfits?”

Of their future plans, Ihsan shares Cosmopolitan has plans of expanding to different cities but that their current focus is to deliver to customers in Karachi. “We haven’t discussed a collective design in another city as yet,” he added. Husain hopes to replicate this idea in other cities as well, adding, “We’ve been together for four years [Ensemble and Xander’s]. We’re looking at other projects, such as in Islamabad, because we work well as a team.”

Given Mews is still in its nascent stage, Jaffer feels it’s too soon to embark upon expansion without further refining their existing set-up. “If we are to expand elsewhere, we’d definitely like to build upon this philosophy, maybe with a combination of brands in order to further flesh out the entire feel,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2015.

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