Sarah Karim hardly needs any introduction as a designer. She has taken our local haute couture to international heights. In a recent interview, she talked about her latest Eid collection, customer response and more, with Sheikh Saifur Rahman.
Sarah Karim's fans and clientele include top celebrities, socialites and the crème de la crème of society. She brings a fusion of traditional ethnic designs and western style to her bridal wear collections. She has an exclusive customer-base for these unique creations in her premium range collections.
After completing her studies, this designer used to work as a teacher in an English medium school. Then she entered the fashion scene as a designer at the initiative of her grandmother-in-law.
She chose designing as her passion and profession while working with the artisans. She gives credit for her success to her craftsmen’s expertise and skill as well as her refusal to compromise with the quality of fabric. Sarah Karim has turned into an most sought-after brand for occasions like weddings and Eid owing to her unique talent and creativity. She spoke at length on her Eid collection, Eid shopping trends over the last few weeks and her expectations in the last few days of Ramadan.
Sarah Karim's creations mean something entirely different. This year’s Eid collection is no exception either. Keeping Eid and the upcoming wedding season in mind, she designed her Eid collection in such a way that it can also fit in perfectly with wedding event outfits. Along with the exclusive and premium range collection ,she has curated a casual collection as well. Though it is labeled as casual collection, the cut, styling and embellishments are extraordinary. Starting with cotton sharara, silk and chiffon salwar-kameez or fusion-wear to lehengas and sarees of bridal style – this time there is everything.
Sarah Karim is, however, rather disappointed at not being able to use muslin as this fine fabric is unavailable. The georgette she has used here is absolutely pure and of finest texture. Her signature embroidery is equally admired at home and abroad. She said that the work done by many of her skillful craftsmen, who have many years of experience and are extraordinarily skillful, cannot be found anywhere in the Indian subcontinent. Different light and gorgeous variations of heavy embroidery gota patti or gota work have been used on the outfits this time.
Sarah always follows her own personal style when it comes to her colour palette. The lush pink, aqua or pastel shades she used once were never used that much in this country. Even now, she collects fabrics after selecting colours at the beginning of every season. This time, she has curated her collection on some fabrics, looking to ombré or shade-effects and monochrome fabrics as well. Moreover, there are options to buy pants, kameezes, tops, scarfs, etc separately, to mix and match from Sarah Karim’s collection this Eid.
Sarah Karim’s Eid collection this year has been extremely successful due to proper planning and preparation since last January. She has been happy that sales have been up to expectations in the last week of Ramadan. The characteristic of her collection this time is the vast variety. Young women in their twenties and thirties are her main customers and she mostly designs with them in mind. She has also kept combinations of simple kameezes and dazzling scarfs that are on the choice list of the older women. However, these women most of the time come to her to buy clothes for their daughters and other young girls.
Sarah Karim’s Eid collection is already almost sold out. She is optimistic that the rest of her collection will be sold out as well. And she has already become busy with orders for bridal wear, keeping the upcoming wedding season ahead. She said sales of her bridal wear went up in the last two years, during the pandemic, as people didn’t go abroad for wedding shopping. Designer Sarah Karim is pleased with her Eid collection. And she she is overwhelmed with customer response.
Photo : Sarah Karim
* This feature appeared in the web portal Haal Fashion and has been rewritten in English by Nourin Ahmed Monisha