Umair Zafar, the Mumbai-based fashion designer, best known for his ethnic wear lines, especially for the Hindi film industry says he does films just “as a PR exercise.” The aim is not money for he believes films are the best medium for promoting
fashion and trends to the masses. His current film projects include: Om Allah and Ek Tarafa Majnu Parishan. “Actors are live mannequins to experiment and display the creation of designers as they are the icons of people. Films are the source of fashion inspiration for NRI’S as well, as this is the fastest and most approachable medium to feel the connection with their country,” he says. Zafar’s celebrity clients include: Rituparna Sengupta, Padmini Kohlapuri, Tejaswini, Yukta Mukhi, Geeta Batra among others.
But what’s keeping him busy is The Wedding Café in Mumbai. “I am associated with the concept called The Wedding Café. This brings under one roof a salon, a spa, cosmetics counters, travel agencies offering honeymoon packages, an Italian restaurant, a bar and a professional wedding planner. I am opening a store with them soon. It is around 400 sq. ft. but the entire space is around 7,000 to 8,000 sq. ft. I am a partner in the venture,” informs Zafar. But this doesn’t mean he won’t be doing bespoke wedding trousseaus from his other Mumbai outlet. Whilst the designer’s specialty is the contemporary presentation of traditional bridal zardozi, he feels that no designer can afford to sustain business by doing just wedding trousseaus. “Wedding wear is a seasonal business. One can’t survive only on that and prêt-a-porter offers a regular source of revenue as India has lots of weather options and there is a lot of scope. Every three months, we get a chance to explore new designs, fabrics and colors. Even Armani and Valentino have an economy range. Why don’t Indian designers have that as well?” Zafar asks. He is confident of launching his prêt line within this year but will keep it restricted to women’s wear, his comfort zone and within Mumbai for better control. He is also sure that his fusion of kurtis, lehenga-cholis, ghararas and saris, in bright colors will strike a chord with Mumbai ladies.
Zafar has just completed an interesting decade as a designer. He started by working with his father, who is one of the finest embroiderers in the country. Zafar had a flair for fashion since childhood and wanted to pursue a career in the industry. His dedication, determination and growing passion for the trade translated into the embroidery workshop into an export house. Being an exporter, Zafar quickly established a network with top European labels and their designers. Due to his skills in embroidery, the Arab markets however remain his largest buyers. In March 2010, Fashionista, the renowned and the only private fashion school recognized by the Fashion Design Council of India, honored him as a celebrity faculty.
