It was an absolute honour and privilege to interview the pioneer of Pakistan’s fashion industry, the legendary Amir Adnan. I discussed his early start off in the fashion industry, the latest trends for men from his new collection and much more! So, treat yourself to some exclusive details as Amir Adnan passionately explains his love for style and designing. You are often regarded as the pioneer of Pakistan’s fashion industry, particularly for men. How do you view this achievement? I started at a time when fashion designing was not considered a profession, and not many trained people were involved in the mix either. It was considered a housewives’ profession, but I broke that barrier, being the first professionally educated person who entered into fashion from the corporate world. My business background accompanied by my entrepreneurial venture of fashion gave the company the structure it needed to become an inspiration for many people to follow after me. Every designer has a journey. How did you begin your career in fashion designing? I can trace back my journey into fashion designing from my university days. While doing BBA Honours and Masters in Entrepreneurial Skills from the Institute of Business Administration, the students’ body was putting up an old Victorian play titled “Lady Windermere’s Fan.” Here, I volunteered to design the costumes of the play. The types of costumes I made were Victorian gowns with can-cans from the scraps of fabric that I found with my team from all around the town. I tore apart old outfits and put together new ones. It was in that moment that I knew I had the ability to make clothes and no matter where life takes me from thereon, at some point in time, I will definitely get into fashion. After the play, I got an acknowledgement in shape of an award for the costumes I did. Later on, I did my very first fashion show at Marriott titled, “Designer’s Album” during my summer break after the first semester. What makes your brand label different from others? The fact that Amir Adnan is a brand that’s timelessly elegant really sets it apart from its contemporaries. The outfits produced are simple and minimalistic, where comfort is really the key. As a designer, I like restricting myself to just a handful of colours. I’m not opulent at all when it comes to dressing and that reflects in my designs and collections as well. Amir Adnan is the first international brand of Pakistan. How have people responded to your label abroad? Anyone who wishes to retain the aura of tradition and craftsmanship, seek after the brand, no matter what part of the world they are at. So the response has been as great as it has been locally. Why is there a lack of clothing brands for men in Pakistan? Do you think the fashion industry caters predominantly to women than men? I personally feel fashion has changed a lot since the past decade. It was predominantly restricted to weddings, but has now metamorphosed into something as high end as luxury prêt to as casual as high street wear. Men and women both have started understanding the meaning of fashion and are well put together about how they want to be perceived by people around them. Your take on fashion is unique and elegant. How would you alter or improve a typical man’s formal attire? My designs have matured over time. I don’t feel the need to experiment as much as I used to when I was younger and full of energy. I have developed the ability to swift through my thoughts, so the amount of output has reduced greatly in terms of variety, but improved exponentially in terms of quality. So I think I’d like to carry forward this strategy. Who has been your inspiration in style and fashion and why? My father used to be an immaculate dresser; he was a perfectionist, suave in how he carried himself and simply dressed to impress. My mother was someone who had immense style; she loved to experiment with clothing and made each outfit her own. So I believe I inherit their best traits and undoubtedly my parents are my inspiration. Your favourite fashion designer overall? Why do you pick him/her? Issey Miyake. I believe he was one of the first fashion designers’ to be on the cover of Time magazine in 1986 and I was maybe 21 years old. I absolutely loved his sense of style and design and that was the first time I realised that anyone from anywhere in the world can come up with out of the box thinking and add value to a product to make it beautiful. As the legendary Anna Wintour once said, ‘You either know fashion or you don’t.’ Do you agree? Yes – no two ways about it. What projects are you currently working on? The Wedding Collection 2018. What are some upcoming fall/spring trends from the Amir Adnan collection? For the upcoming fall/spring trends, we’re presenting an ode to androgynous dressing, by introducing asymmetrical cut tunics, waist-clenched waistcoats, and pantaloons that are gathered, tucked and fall loose in rumpled luxury. The outfits drive inspiration from empowered women and unisex attires that can be fitted well to both masculine and feminine body structure. The collection use bold and solid palate consisting of deep blacks, dusk browns and sea blues that add more elegance to the attire. We’re striving for outfits that would look equally modern, modest and minimalistic on both men and women! A fashion trend for men you think is outdated. In fashion, things only change form; nothing actually goes out. New forms are made every day that can reinvent what you have seen before to something completely different. The best accessories a man can own? An immaculate pair of shoes. An ideal casual outfit for Amir Adnan is? A simple pair of khaki’s and white shirt. How much effort does the designing process take on your part? Designing is definitely a tedious but enjoyable task. Coming up with a collection is like writing a book or making a painting. Usually an inspiration strikes to me from travel, song or a new experience. A collection to me is simply a manifestation of what is going on in my mind, basically a creative process of converting a thought into something tangible. And I generally start off with colours, silhouettes and then put down some sketches, which are then turned into physical pieces. After the first 10 pieces are made, the collection starts taking a direction. Things are then just added onto it, to complete the collection. Your advice for up and coming designers? I would really ask them to do a thorough study of the trends and the market they’re getting into, the future for Pakistani fashion is pretty bright. Indeed, Adnan is one of a kind. His iconic journey in the world of fashion has set an example for many novel Pakistani designers. His vision reflects in his designs, and is a work of art. It goes without saying that he is Pakistan’s very best. Published in Daily Times, October 11th 2017.