Trust HSY to launch
into a new city in a grand way. HSY the designer — Shero, the celebrity — has
always been larger-than-life, easily flitting from his many avatars of rockstar
designer, ace choreographer, garrulous talk show host or simply, glamorous showman.
His ‘World of HSY’ is
an enchanting one; resplendent with the shimmer of crystals and sequins,
glistening with bright lights and colour, replete with drama, celebrities and
sheer joie de vivre. It is this love for glamour, in heavy, unadulterated doses,
that he brings to his new quarters in Karachi: a glorious, reconstructed
mansion near Karachi’s Mohatta Palace.
A gilded lion roars at
the door — for he is fashion’s sher — leading to chandeliered rooms, spiraling staircases,
vintage-tiled floors, sun-dappled rooms lined with windows and walls bordered
with images of Shero’s career milestones.
“This is my way of
making visitors feel special,” he smiles. “I’m not just welcoming them to my
workplace, I am inviting them into my home. We’re planning to set up tables in
the courtyard where, once every week, we’re going to host afternoon tea. People
can drift in and sit with their friends, roam about the studio and try clothes
on. The photographs on the walls are by Alee Hassan but later on, I want to
make this space available for exhibits of photography, jewellery, art or even
furniture.”
His work is just about to be seen
at a Hollywood red carpet affair and in Pakistan, his retail dreams are already
underway.
“We launch our first retail store
at Dolmen City Mall in Karachi around April, timed with our fashion showcase at
the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week. The collection will simultaneously become
available at our store in Lahore, at the new store in Karachi as well as at
this mansion.”
Why bother with setting up an
entire mansion when he could have just made waves with a store in the city’s
most popular — and most expensive — mall?
“It is expensive,” he agrees,
“and setting up this mansion has been a labor of love. It’s more than a hundred
years old and it was in shambles when I came to it more than a year ago. It’s
been difficult resurrecting it back to its former glory but this is the kind of
space that defines my brand. It is luxurious and classically beautiful and it
creates an aura that ultimately leads to higher retail sales.
“The store in Dolmen City will
stock the HSY Limited line which begins at Rs2,500 and primarily features
cotton and silk tunics for working women, our ready-to-wear light formals
priced between Rs10,000 and Rs25,000 and luxury-wear priced above Rs25,000.
Anybody who wants our heavily-embellished pieces will be able to take an
appointment via the store for the mansion.”
For a designer who is constantly
ricocheting between Lahore and Karachi, this market expansion makes
long-overdue logistic sense. Shero spends days on end recording his TV talk
show in Karachi, which is now in its third season. At other times, he is flying
in to choreograph shows or even take part in the occasional fashion week.
As fashion’s self-professed
‘couture king’ — and a popular designer — it was about time that he extended
his market beyond his home-base in Lahore by dabbling into other, equally
lucrative markets.
This deep blue floor-length ensemble with a matching sequined
jacket worn by Cybil at the Lux Style Awards in 2014 caught actress Brooke
Shields’ attention
“I have always had a strong
clientele in Karachi,” points out Shero. “Many of them fly in to place orders
at my Lahore studio and they follow my fashion week showcases. Also, the TV
show has made me a household name and improved upon my brand’s popularity. But
yes, it was certainly time for me to set up store in Karachi. I intend to
follow it up with more expansion in the future and a greater focus on building
my brand. This probably means that I will choreograph fewer shows although I do
plan to continue on with my TV show.”
His TV show has been building a
considerable audience but is simultaneously criticised for being a Koffee with Karan spin-off. Does he agree? “Any talk show that
is mostly in English will seem similar to Koffee
with Karan,” he argues. “But I think that Tonite with HSY has an edge of its very own and its
popularity is testament to it.”
Talking
about his successful career as a choreographer Sheru says: “I do feel that
shows are being over-styled now. The elaborate accessories and hairstyles
actually take away the limelight from the designs."
Moving on to his choreographic
talents, it would be a pity if he retired from the field altogether. Shero, at
the helm of a fashion week, brings an unmistakable energy to the catwalk as he
spins and rolls it to his tune. He has hitherto always professed that he is
easily able to waltz the balancing act between choreography, design and his TV
show. Why the sudden change of heart?
“Whenever I do something, I
plunge into it wholeheartedly and have to do a fantastic job. I just need to
invest more time into my brand but having worked as a choreographer for the
past 22 years, I don’t think I’ll ever leave it altogether.”
With fashion slipping into a
repetitive rut, does he feel the ennui slipping in while he choreographs
umpteen shows?
“I don’t usually even look at the
clothes because I am so occupied with organising the shows,” says Shero. “I do
feel that shows are being over-styled now. The elaborate accessories and
hairstyles actually take away the limelight from the designs.”
Hollywood
calling
In contrast, accessories were
kept to a minimum at Shero’s ‘I Believe I Can Fly’ showcase at October’s PFDC
L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week. Was the line-up well-received by his clientele
considering that it had him leaning towards anglicised silhouettes whereas
traditional wedding wear has always been his USP?
“People appreciated it but they
really took notice of it when I tweaked it into traditional wear for my show at
the recent Telenor Bridal Couture Week. Girls want to look traditionally
beautiful at weddings, it’s as simple as that,” he observes.
Does he feel that by pandering to
traditional market-friendly silhouettes, he allows his brand to meander towards
the boring?
“I do think that fashion, in
general, is getting repetitive with far too much emphasis on economics. Having
said that, with my own brand, I stick to my DNA and manage to evolve within it.
I do feel that backless gowns and slinky cholis don’t hold much significance
beyond the catwalk. But it is possible to create design that is fashion-forward
while simultaneously marketable.”
A deep
blue floor-length ensemble with a matching sequined jacket caught actress
Brooke Shields’ attention and had her agents placing an order at the HSY design
studio.
It was a gown, though — a deep
blue floor-length ensemble with a matching sequined jacket worn by Cybil at the
Lux Style Awards in 2014 — that caught actress Brooke Shields’ attention and
had her agents placing an order at the HSY design studio.
“She’s going to be wearing it
during the awards season,” says Shero. “I will be flying out to her for the
final fittings. I think that Brooke Shields emulates my brand well because I
usually design for the adult woman. Also, I think this is going to be a great
red carpet statement, equating Pakistan with fashion and craftsmanship,
overlooking cultural and religious prejudices.”
It will, of course, showcase the
oft-ignored glamorous side to Pakistan and who better to put it forward than
HSY? It’s what he does best … at star-studded red carpets, backstage at fashion
weeks, on TV, at the LSAs or now, holding court in his glorious new mansion.
Karachi today, Hollywood tomorrow — where next, HSY?
