On the beam with Jeem

Hamza Bokhari on winner rising talent stint at PLBW and bagging laurels as designer novice

LAHORE:

With two critically-acclaimed rising talent showcases at PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week (PSFW) 2013 and this year’s PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week (PLBW), Hamza Bokhari seems to be on the right track as creative head of retail brand Jeem.

Having put forth collections at both local and global fashion weeks and having already dressed an international celebrity, he has been working at his craft and evolving his skills since he graduated from the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design (PIFD) in 2012. The Express Tribune catches up with Bokhari after he wraps up his stint at PLBW and the spotlight that follows winning the rising talent slot at the showcase.

“We understand the modern Pakistani woman and the fact that sleeves and dupattas aren’t going anywhere,” says Bokhari about his success mantra. “The ability to incorporate international trends into Pakistani wear is what we focus on. We have gowns and shirts in our store but they’re made keeping our culture and body types in mind,” he adds. Knowing one’s target audience is of utmost importance for any business and that’s what Bokhari feels sets Jeem apart from the plethora of women’s-wear brands.

Read: Hamza Bokhari rises to the occasion



Bokhari had been applying for the rising talent segment for the past two years and simultaneously planning a collection inspired by Russian culture. “The rising talent platform was extremely fruitful because it gives you incomparable, unparalleled exposure. The industry comes out to support you and you’re able to broaden your horizons,” he shares.



The designer boasts an adequate skill set to cater to a large market and currently has his hands full with bridals and prêt. He has to his credit dressing pop sensation Heart Hays in a hand-painted gown for The Grammys earlier this year, which is testament to his versatility in design. Bokhari’s work was first noticed by Hays on Instagram under the hashtag ‘NativeAmerican’. It was a dress from his debut collection at PSFW titled ‘White Indians’, which was also a part of his thesis collection at PIFD.

He had the honour of representing Pakistan at the International Fashion Showcase conducted by the British Fashion Council and London School of Fashion in February this year. He was nominated by the PFDC and British Council to be part of their ‘Next in Line’ segment, which presents 10 designers from around the world who are at the onset of their careers.

For his installation, where he could showcase his talent sans commercial restraints, he presented an embroidered crop top and jacket over cobalt blue leather culottes. But despite these achievements that are unprecedented for a novice in a fledgling industry, Bokhari holds, “They jointly didn’t give me the amount of publicity and media attention that showing at PLBW did.”



After graduating from the PIFD, Bokhari lent his talent to local jeans brand Stoneage, where he worked as associate fashion head and had a host of responsibilities from fashion buying to designing. “As a fresh graduate, you have to try your hand at a number of things, but I realised that kind of retail wasn’t my strong suit.” He then moved on to Jeem, where he joined as an employee and was offered a partnership six months later. He shares that Jeem began as an idea of two people, whose forte was business and finance, to which Bokhari added the required fashion quotient.

Bokhari feels getting an education in fashion lends impetus to pursuing a career in the industry. “Contrary to popular belief, education is very important in this field. It gives you a level of confidence to start that can’t be matched,” he notes. “The exposure you get and the fact that the industry takes you more seriously are pivotal [for your career].” As far as Jeem is concerned, he plans on building it into a lifestyle brand in due time. With stores at Fashion Pakistan Lounge in Lahore, Karachi and Multan, Jeem has established a firm base for itself to emerge as an even stronger retail brand.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 30^th, 2015.

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