One to watch interview: designer Shazia Saleem

“One of my favourite fabrics to work with is cruelty free peace silk. It’s wild silk,” explains Shazia. “There are some types of silk which are only available in India. So I buy silk from co-ops, which collect the cocoons from the wild once the wasp has hatched. The slugs in the fabric leave small marks.”

“The beauty of it is that no one metre is the same because you are dealing with a burst cocoon. It’s all different. For me, I find uneven irregular silk is normal now. No two metres will ever be the same. When the silk is dyed, every now and then there is a subtle tone difference. It is not noticeable but that is what makes it unique – and you are essentially wearing that.”

Describing her customers as laid-back, naturally confident and glamorous, Shazia stresses that while her collections are directional they are not trend-driven. She places great importance on the fabric feeling soft and natural against the wearer’s skin.

“I use very typical Indian fabrics in a very contemporary British way. It is about showcasing the fabric. So many Indian fabrics are beautiful, feminine and luxurious. I think the way some women fear wearing these sorts of fabrics but I add elements that tone them down,” says the 31-year old British-born, Scottish-raised designer with Indian heritage.

Shazia’s design philosophy is evident in her Spring/Summer 2010 collection, which brings together filmy beach dresses, sheer tops and flirty evening gowns in vivid shades of emerald and magenta alongside more sombre tones of dove grey and glossy black. Many of the pieces feature embellished panels of handstitched brocade, bead and gem detailing.

While Shazia is quick to note she doesn’t come from a family with a background in fashion, she does acknowledge that her mother, a keen sewer, taught her how to embroider. While her grandparents, who gave her a handwoven sari woven with gold thread to mark her university graduation (she holds an accounting degree and a master’s in marketing) helped grow her appreciation for beautiful textiles.

It was while was studying fashion in Florence that Shazia realised her desire to use natural handwoven fabrics and sustainable production practices in her own creations. “My school friends and I were on a school trip and we were talking to one of my favourite lecturers. She said: ‘You are the next generation of designers and you should think about doing things differently. You’re going to be moving into companies and be responsible for making decisions and it is up to you to remove exploitation from the industry.’ It was a conversation that resonated,” muses Shazia.

“So when it came to establishing my label I decided to go about it the right way – from the buttons through to the tags and fabric. It just isn’t worth it for a few pence.”

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Photo: Sheina Donaldson