Hajra Hayat isn’t out there to create a bang or hoopla. She isn’t one of those to stick out a feather, expose a leg or come up with crazy colour combinations just to attract attention and establish herself as a fashion ”visionary” simply because she’s also not a fortune teller – she is a designer who designs for the ‘now’.
Hajra Hayat is known to design outfits that are ”wearable” as her outfits are always aesthetically pragmatic. Despite several innovations, in a show this Lahore-based designer held in Karachi recently, it was evident that she hasn’t deviated much from her design philosophy.
Rang De, the official title of the Hajra Hayat Winter 2008 bridal wear collection was shown, at the onset of the wedding season, in collaboration with Shehzad Roy’s Zindagi Trust. After speeches relating the objective and ideology of the Trust, including one by Roy himself, those present were treated to a performance by him to three songs, two of which were performed live with his guitarist Imran Akhund.
More at Rewaj ..
Pakistani Fashion Designers Farhan and Ambreen in London fashion show
Indian designers came to BCW with high hopes
Ayesha Hassan Collection from Day 1 of FPW4
PFDC L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week 2012 Day 1 Highlights
Celebrity Entrepreneurship – Turning designers
Ayesha Khurram spring summer collection 2012
Nickie Nina’s Royal Collection in Karachi now
Karachi Fashion Week 2011 Day 2
want to share with everyone my experience with the Pakistani designer Hajra Hayat.
I emailed and inquired about ordering kurtis custom-made based off her shalwar kameez designs. Her manager Rabeela was very professional and very nice. We worked for over a week emailing and finalizing details. On the sleeveless kurtis, I stressed to make sure they had sleeves. I asked for a discount since it was my first time ordering and I was ordering 4 pieces. She extended a nice discount and then emailed me later and said the “head office” will not allow it since they have no control over the $65 DHL charges. They gave me $20 off?? I emailed Hajra Hayat directly about this and her unprofessional response was “hey, why u want a discount. Margins aren’t that high over here. when u get the clothes it will be worth it.” Who talks like that??? She is a grown woman, not a teenager who says “hey.”
I sent the $550 and after 4 weeks, inquired on the clothes. Both Hajra and her manager said that the clothes had been sent and that they would email me a tracking number. No number came. After a couple more emails, the manager, Rabeela, wrote me that the DHL charges were $92 and that could I send $25 more! So they both lied to me on package being sent, and then asked for $25???? How cheap is that?
After sending the $25, the clothes arrived. The kaam and amount of kaam is very good for the price. They put sheer, chiffon-type material on the sleeves when I was hoping they would not be see-through. Isn’t that what someone means when they say to add sleeves?? Also, the stitching was not good. I asked for upper arms width to be 13 inches wide. They were 10-12 inches. The kurtis were snug on the chest area. One of the kurtis was supposed to be a full kameez from one of her outfits. I paid $225 for that one and it is snug snug snug. I was very disappointed as it was my favorite from the order. I took the kurtis to a local tailor last week for alterations and they have told me minimum $50 if they can even do it due to not much fabric to work with.
Early this morning, the tailor called me to her studio and showed me little holes in the chiffon all along the shabby stitching on the sleeves. How can she fix that? I went to a fabric store and bought some chiffon and hopefully she can patch it somehow.
I just want to share my experiences with everyone because I think it’s important for you to know what you are dealing with when you order from Hajra Hayat.
I had emailed her manager Rabeela a few times on my unsatisfaction of the order and cc’d Hajra. Hajra never replied and Rabeela’s friendly vibe disappeared and now they no longer reply to me.
This whole experience has been very disappointing as I was hoping to establish a regular business relationship with her.
Its very disappointing but Pakistani designer are way too unprofessional, and most of them have no intention creating along term establishment, they are mostly just looking for easy money. The solution I have come up with is that I simpy get their designs copied from my kaam wala, he does it alot better, and this way I get to choose the fabric too.
I had the same experience with nickie nina…very unprofessional just like the rest of the pakistani designers…if someone finds ONE good pakistani designer that treats customers right , please post. We dont mind paying high dollars, we just mind crappy clothes.