Mumbai designer Azeem Khan counts
Hillary Clinton and Naomi Cambell among his elite
clientele. And why not? His designs are top-of-the-line.
The area of Colaba at the Cathedral doted tip of Mumbai
resembles both a fishing village, a Navy installment
from Rudyard Kipling days and a burgeoning mix of
fashion boutiques and art galleries. Those who live
there like to think of the neighborhood as COHO-Colaba
and Cuffe - Parade - similar to New York's trendy
but funky Soho area.
Fashion designer Azeem Khan is one of the innovators
of Mumbai's Coho, with his cool and snazzy boutique
next to the Colaba Post Office, and with his background
of a being a real New York City Soho inhabitant, living
and working downtown.
"Our family S.U.Zariwala has had its operations here
for three generations. My grandmother started it off
by selling embroidered hankies door to door," laughs
the charming 30 years-old designer, sitting upstairs
in the office of his boutique. "My grandfather Shansheed
Khan bought a paan-beedi shop in this very same place
and I have kept the same wooden and brass enhanced
door."
While S.U.Shansheed Khan changed his name to the generic
embroidery and sequin Zariwala title, it sparked the
neighborhood Zariwala art, which thrives in nearby
shops and studios. Azeem's father's work is known
in the Indian film industry with his famous sequined
sarees draping Nargis Dutt to every other heroine
in the movies.
"Our company S.U.Zariwala is currently India's number
one in exports to Italy, France and New York and every
year, business increases by 25 per cent," says Azeem.
"Most of the companies in the west don't want to deal
with Indians, maybe because they are so laid back
and can't always deliver. My three brothers carefully
supervise all the work, one living in America, the
other in Europe and one is involved in the manufacturing
unit."
Despite his illustrious family lineage, Azeem Khan
was not always going to be a designer. He originally
studied medicine and architecture, and said his father
did not pressure him to get in the family line but
allowed him to "Find myself".
Azeem "found" himself going to New York City in 1989
and studying at F.I.T. He received the "Design of
the year" award there in 1992 and got a scholarship
to study at the prestigious Parsons School of Design.
"I am basically not happy in one place, and I like
to jump from place to place," said Azeem. "Parsons
is a private school. The competition made me focus
on what I'm good at. I got on the Dean's list and
then Geoffrey Beene offered me a job as an Assistant
Designer."
Azeem became totally 'down town" from going to school
down town and living the New York Soho life, as he
worked for this well known designer. He said that
after two years working for Beene, he considered staying
back and getting U.S citizenship but Mumbai beckoned.
His father's store represented yet another place for
his restless creative spirit to flow.
"I wanted to make the store like downtown New York,
a place for art and fashion," said Azeem. "The architect
Rahul Malhotra worked with me on this project capturing
a special look."
The designer's Miamoto sports coupe is parked in front,
the Kohli fisherwomen appear to float past this stone
and brass store, blending into the environment. In
fact, the boutique is so much in sync with COHO, that
it is the only non-art gallery participating in the
monthly "COHO Art Night", where everyone is invited
to go gallery hopping. Azeem Khan's store is a stop
on the art journey.
"I like to work hard and I party hard also at night,"
laughs Azeem, whose good nature is apparent through
an exuberant "Split personality of work and play"
Azeem's international designing skills were earlier
demonstrated on super model Naomi Campbell when he
designed an elaborate Indian bustier for her saree
when she did a fashion shoot in Dubai. He also designed
the clothes for Italian jewelry designer Marina Bulgari's
launch at the Taj Hotel in October.
"Bulgari contacted me to be a partner and I was restricted
to five sets," said Azeem. "I did the show for fun
and deigned clothing that wouldn't be astonishing,
to compliment the jewelry. I was really surprised
to later receive many calls and requests to buy those
clothes."
Azeem Khan's first show in India, the Diwali '98 Collection,
was held on October 10 in his boutique. It was in
his words, "Very casual, like Soho, where you don't
sit on a chair - so different."
He elaborates, "I started with ten outfits and in
a burst of creativity, designed 26 outfits for the
two models, Jaswinder Sachdev and Pooja Mishra," said
Azeem. "I like doing things like that, subtle and
beautiful because it's just not a matter of buying
clothes."
It was a special "downtown" style, lounging on the
stone slabs, sipping foreign champagne and wines-to
have what Azeem prefers, "A happy buzz". His second
show held at The Taj, was in general opinion, "The
show of the millenium".
"I wanted my show to be an experience and full of
drama, with the models draping the clothing differently,
like wrapping the materials around their head," said
Azeem.
"Sarees are very sexy but don't show anything. I teach
my client how to wrap the saree. You must wear my
clothes with an attitude, and appreciate the bizarre.
Sometimes at a party, if I see a woman wearing one
of my designs, she might apologize that she has not
worn it with the same flair that I intended. My training
with Geoffrey Beene taught me to mix all the styles
to one to make one statement."
The collection was a dazzling array of the glittering
and intricate Zariwala work and painted designs that
are clearly unique. The price range of Rs. 15000 to
Rs. 40000 appeared not too over the top.
Although Azeem has been asked to teach at NIFT, he
has declined the academic route. But he does offer
some advice for new designers. "My advice to young
designers is to never copy. Always be original. Everyone
has a certain style and you must bring that out."
That is the look - confident, different and full of
style that Azeem Khan has now bridged from downtown
New York - to downtown Mumbai.
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