Making my dreams, one design at a time; Thasneem Sufiyan speaks

“I found my passion in this field when I was very young, and Zukni is my baby” smiled Thasneem. About the name “Zukni” Thasneem has a straightforward reply, “There is no profound meaning to that name. I am very creative whenever I approach something. In this case letters. I just shuffled and regrouped letters and eventually this name sprung up, Zukni. It sounded great for our business and also felt a divine touch to this name”.

She did her graduation in the field of B-Tech fashion designing in PSG College of Technology. Her parents were very supportive of her career but for Thasneem, the biggest blessing came in form of her enthusiastic husband who is also having a strong hand in the field of retail and marketing.

“I do all the creative work while my husband takes care of marketing. My weakness is his strength while his weakness is my strength” laughed Thasneem “We are able to balance it and make a great business deal”. She worked intensely in this field and looked after various brands, designs, fabrics and has a great deal of interest in weaving. She confessed that her husband is the biggest critic in her life due to which she was able to improve in this field. “Happiness is the ultimate result I intend to make”, said Thasneem, ” I want my clients to be happy and satisfied with my creativity. It won’t be an easy task but I take it as a challenge. I design everything but am focussing more on party wears and bridal wears. I have noticed disappointment as well as excitement on women’s faces when they receive new dresses so I want to contribute to their interests”.

 Thasneem found beauty in various colours and shapes. She would explore a wide range of colours and process of making clothes. She expressed her desire to work with more designers to explore more in terms of clothing, weaving, colouring and designing. Her work is more focussed on women. Her endeavor has given her sleepless nights and busy days but she always looks forward to making it a national phenomenon.

Speaking about observation skills, it is a gift for Thasneem as she has been using this skill since she was a child. She observed women’s attires and how comfortable they were in it. She tried to form an image in her head with the kind of designs and materials she would use. As a person, she is more inclined to traditional attires and fashion, “One thing I noticed about the current trend and evolution of the fashion industry is that, the traditional forms and designs are being erased and modernity is taking over. We don’t see the designs and attires from the olden days. From sarees to tops, everyhting has become modern. I intend to bring the traditional touch to the designs I am making. More than that, I try to blend both traditional and modern in my work”.

“Women are unique,” she said “their tastes are unique and different from eachother. It is difficult to keep track and satisfy all of them. I try my best in that regard.  Every woman is born a dreamer and she wants to achieve something in her life. She is driven and ambitious. Her choice of attires is a small part of that dream. You can talk to anyone from the low class section, even they have a great fashion sense. It’s just that, they can’t afford it”. If we talk about fashion, it is obvious that only upper class and middle class are able to afford that. Thasneem, with her brand, wants to bust that notion and make the designs available for all at an affordable cost. For her comfort is more important. “There is a major difference between women’s attires designed by men and those designed by women. Men are more focussed on that appearance. Anything and everyhting that improve the overall looks are added. Women are more familiar with the sensation and therefore will use conforable fabric and dress will be lighter”.

On this women’s day, Thasneem has a great deal to look forward to. She has had great support and motivation from her parents and in-laws. As a muslim woman, she didn’t face any limitations or hurdles. Acoording to her a woman is the strongest if she has support and if she receives enough encouragment. She has a brother and her parents treated them both equally. After marriage she experienced the same form of equality before her in-laws. Her passion for the field was never underestimated. “I am dreamer” smiled Thasneem “That’s why I am able to do all this. I just believe that women shouldn’t give up on their dreams. Just keep working and the result, in the form of support and motiovation, will come to you”.