BIZ TODAY REPORTS
Beyond any doubt, promotion of Women Entrepreneurship is imperative for Pakistan’s economic well being. The role of women entrepreneurship is changing over time globally and its importance has been commendable for development of any country. The recent World Development Report highlights that women owned businesses show great potential source of future for economic growth and job creation. Therefore, many initiatives have been started by United Nations to promote and motivate women entrepreneurship in developing and under developed countries.
Fortunately, women in Pakistan are also getting more inclined towards entrepreneurial endeavours and Sabeen is a stylish and innovative addition to the fashion scene in Pakistan. It is a small-scale, independently-owned business venture operating from Karachi, Pakistan. The brand is aiming to carve out a unique identity among the multitudes of brands operating nowadays, by focusing its design philosophy exclusively on solids, combined with an androgynous design choice.
The brand’s founder, Ms. Sabeen Naz, is a woman of many talents. In addition to her entrepreneurial interests, she’s an up and coming vocalist as well. For Ms. Sabeen, the creation of this brand has been a journey of empowerment and rising above life’s challenges. She’s quoted as saying, “It is only when we experience challenges in life, and face them head-on, that we realize our true strength. This especially holds true for women, as I’ve personally experienced. A personal mantra and belief of mine is that there is no force more powerful than a woman who is well-dressed and determined to rise.”
She goes onto say, “… whatever hurdles life threw at me, I utilized them as opportunities. To learn. To grow. And to create. With an aim to not only empower myself, but all the brilliant and hardworking individuals, especially women of Pakistan. To help them carve their own identity, regardless of their circumstances. This is what led to the creation of ‘Sabeen’ – a tribute to people from every gender, race, age, and walk of life.”
At Sabeen, the focus is on functionality as well as class. Speaking about the unique choice of androgynous designs for her clothing line, she said, “I feel that there’s a lack of justice when it comes to clothing, especially in women’s clothing. In our part of the world trends are practiced without taking into consideration logical, and functional needs of the wearer. Either women’s clothing doesn’t have pockets at all, or their pockets are smaller or fake. I believe that dresses with pockets are the kind of dresses empowered women deserve. Society tends to dictate what a particular gender should or shouldn’t look like. For example, women are expected to look like “barbie dolls” most of the time. Independence from such divisive aspects of tradition, shackles and unnecessary expectations is what lead to adopting androgynous styled clothing as my preferred choice. I decided to take matters into my own hands and design clothes for those of us who wish to celebrate their individuality. Who wish to inspire, to succeed, and to empower.”
When asked about how it feels as a woman to lead such a venture, she was quick to point out that strong women leaders aren’t as rare as we might think. “Women leaders are present everywhere you look—from CEOs running Fortune 500 companies to housewives and single mothers raising their children while simultaneously leading their households. Our country was built by strong women, and we will continue to break down walls and defy stereotypes.”
Sabeen’s commitment to empowerment extends to the uplift and recognition of other talented small-scale designers and businesses as well, operating in the suburbs of Karachi. One of such talented businesses, is a boutique by the name of Alina’s Wardrobe, with whom Sabeen has partnered-up with for the production of their luxury line of clothing. The luxury line is named after Alina, the bright young daughter of the owner of Alina’s Wardrobe. Alina’s mother, in her dreams of providing her child with opportunities to fulfill her potential and have a bright future, collaborated with Sabeen, and now, through Sabeen’s platform, Alina has become the first ever child model with Down’s syndrome from Pakistan.
With its commitment to empowerment, combined with an attractive and distinctive clothing line, Sabeen is all set to leave its mark on entrepreneurial landscape and make its presence felt in the world of Pakistani fashion.
