By Sonya Rehman There were many moments during her entrepreneurial journey when Hirra Babar wondered if she was doing the right thing. Even though she graduated from one of Pakistan’s top business schools, fashion spoke to her – it was an exciting field where she could express her ideas – no matter how outlandish – … More The Handbag From Lahore That Made It To Paris Fashion Week
By Sonya Rehman While there have been a smattering of local clothing brands that have attempted to incorporate certain elements of sustainability into their business models, Pakistani fashion still has a long way to go before the fashion industry endeavors to shift towards eco-friendly, fair and ethical practices. “Sustainability has become a buzz word nowadays,” … More Does Sustainable Fashion Have A Future In Pakistan?
By Sonya Rehman With pioneering work spanning over four decades, visual artist and textile designer, Noorjehan Bilgrami, has dedicated her life to the preservation of local crafts in Pakistan. An extraordinary journey of bringing handloom weaving, the use of natural dyes and handblock printing to mainstream fashion through her atelier, Koel, Bilgrami stands as an … More Pakistan’s Craft Revivalist
Hasan Raheem was in fifth grade when he experienced the tangible magic of live performances. Standing on stage and belting out lyrics to a popular dance track by the British-Indian band, RDB (an acronym for rhythm, dhol and bass), Raheem felt his heart surge with excitement as he watched the crowd leave their seats to … More The Wonderkid Making Waves in Pakistani Music
By Sonya Rehman A devoted fan of hip-hop and Urdu poetry, 30-year-old Taha Yousuf brings his love for both South Asian and Middle Eastern culture to his fashion label, LoveClosely, by creating pieces which carry a unique, homegrown aesthetic. Born and bred in Sharjah (in the United Arab Emirates), to Pakistani parents, Yousuf’s streetwear label, that … More Staying Close To His Roots
By Sonya Rehman Sarah Gandapur is no stranger to the world of glitz, celebrity and red carpet hobnobbing. A familiar name in local fashion in the early 2000s, Gandapur has seen it all. From showcasing her fashion label at local and international fashion shows, collaborating with some of the biggest names in the local fashion … More Wake-Up Call: How A Fashion Designer From Bannu Devoted Herself To Making Pakistan Kinder To Animals
By Sonya Rehman I wonder how long this will last. This being suspended in the sludge of the past and the present, this strange rebirth, this being thrown into the deep end where only the strongest stay afloat… Time sputtered and squeaked to a halt as we – each of us – switched into survival … More New Skin
By Sonya Rehman It was during her tenure as a journalist for an English daily newspaper in the mid-90s in Lahore, that Amna Shariff felt the urge to switch gears. She had been working full-time at the publication for six years and was ready to pursue a new career which would give her greater creative freedom and … More For The Love Of Silver
By Sonya Rehman In a bid to bring overlooked personalities and topics to Pakistani classrooms, the Education Justice and Memory Network (EdJAM) has spearheaded eleven children’s books that have been written and designed by local writers and illustrators. From rising stars in Pakistan’s political sphere, to the country’s forgotten heroes, climate change, animal rights and more, the books offer … More New Children’s Books Highlight Pakistan’s Overlooked Heroes
By Sonya Rehman 43-year-old photographer, Maria Waseem, attributes her passion for documenting Pakistan’s heritage through photography as a “gift” from her mother. While growing up in Mangla, Azad Kashmir, Waseem recalls watching her mother develop photographs in a darkroom set up in their house. At the time, Waseem’s mother was working on her college thesis and … More Rediscovering Pakistan’s Cultural History
By Sonya Rehman Released this month, Meesha Shafi’s latest song, Hot Mango Chutney Sauce, is every bit a sizzling ditty with a killer music video to boot. But don’t be fooled, as always, with Shafi’s music – it has a strong message woven into its fun and very danceable, electro pop tune. Produced by Abdullah Siddiqui, a young electronic … More Meesha Shafi Turns Up The Heat With Her Latest Song
By Sonya Rehman When the Covid-19 crisis hit last year, 28-year-old Ifrah Khan turned to a craft that she had enjoyed practicing for years as a hobby. During the early months of the pandemic, she desperately needed to ground herself and find some solace in art. For Khan, jewelry-making has always been a process that … More Her Ode To Lahore
By Sonya Rehman I first heard about the Lucky Animal Protection Shelter (LAPS) via Twitter. At the time, I was desperately looking for a home for a stray dog who lived in an empty plot next to a well-known eatery in Islamabad. Betty was a sweet-natured dog who had suffered immensely after losing all her … More Peshawar’s Animal Whisperer
By Sonya Rehman “We need the tonic of wildness, — to wade sometimes in marshes where the bittern and the meadow-hen lurk, and hear the booming of the snipe; to smell the whispering sedge where only some wilder and more solitary fowl builds her nest, and the mink crawls with its belly close to the … More When Nature Talks, You Listen
By Sonya Rehman I first began using the dating app, Bumble, towards the tail-end of 2019. I had just moved to a new city with my family, was on a health kick after years of putting my physical and emotional well-being on the backburner, and felt like I had a new lease on life. Away … More Finding Mr. Wonderful Online
By Sonya Rehman Always ahead of the game, Zeeshan Parwez has worn many hats throughout his fascinating career in Pakistan’s music scene. While some would have remained in their comfort zones, Parwez has continued to push the envelope, as a musician, video director and an animator. A cerebral, humble and hardworking artiste, Parwez’s purpose lies solely … More Weighing In On The Future Of Pakistani Music With Zeeshan Parwez
By Sonya Rehman Designing jewelry for a little over two decades, Puja Bhargava Kamath’s pieces are a glorious balance of understated design and traditional aesthetic, with a strong emphasis on craftsmanship. Having steadily made a name for herself in jewelry design through her label, Lai, the New Delhi native (currently residing in California), works with master … More Crafting Minimalist Jewellery With A Touch Of Heritage And Folklore
By Sonya Rehman From organic block printed saris and skirts, to intricately embroidered ethnic wear, the Lahore-based fashion start-up, Aman Kay Rang (translated from Urdu as the colors of Aman), brings traditional crafts and clothing to a local market saturated in a mélange of eastern and western ‘fusion wear.’ With an exciting color palette, including a distinctive … More In Her Daughter’s Memory
By Sonya Rehman Having lived in Melbourne, Australia, for a decade, where she worked as a certified Montessori teacher, Zahra Dhanji always knew her true calling was in the field of architecture. But after moving back to her home city, Karachi, Pakistan, as a single mother of an 11-year-old daughter, Dhanji decided to follow her … More The Cartographer By The Sea
By Sonya Rehman There’s something about Mobeen Ansari’s photographs that take one by surprise. Whether landscapes of ethereal valleys, snowcapped mountains, architectural wonders and heritage sites, overlooked regions, to the faces that inhabit them, Ansari brings a unique sensitivity to his work that is at times lacking in travel photography. Born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, the 34-year-old is … More Unveiling The Beauty Of Pakistan: One Photographer’s Lifelong Quest
By Sonya Rehman I’m not sure what I’m grieving. But there’s a mass around my heart that has seemed to dull the feeling-ness of things. It’s a bit clunky, but it’s something that I have grown accustomed to for a long time. When life – correction, my perception of life – gets overwhelming, I begin … More I’m Not Here
By Sonya Rehman On a weekday, the vicinity outside the Islamabad Zoo (once known as Marghazar Zoo) is crowded with families and their children milling about, buying toys, snacks and drinks from the kiosks set-up near the entrance. However, the zoo’s bright yellow main gate is closed and every now and then, hopeful visitors walk … More Does Freedom Await Kaavan, ‘The World’s Loneliest Elephant?’
By Sonya Rehman Throughout her life, Naseem Akhtar had a natural inclination towards hand embroideries. As a young woman, she would stitch gorgeous cushion covers in her free time, while also experiment with crochet work. However, when she got married, Akhtar and her husband were struggling to make ends meet. It was around this time that she … More The ‘Flower Craft’ Artisan From Hazara
By Sonya Rehman Growing up in Edinburgh, Scotland, as a young Pakistani, designer Adil Iqbal consistently felt driven to connect with his roots. What did the Pakistani identity entail? And more importantly, what did Iqbal’s own identity encompass as a Scottish-Pakistani born to immigrant parents? It was these very questions which inspired Iqbal to begin … More How One Scottish-Pakistani Designer Is Helping Sustain Traditional Needlework In Chitral Valley
By Sonya Rehman Known for its unconventional, brightly-colored digital prints, the Pakistani fashion label, Sundip, was the go-to boutique for women who wanted ready-to-wear apparel which was not only fun, but which also made a statement. For Nafiz Khokhar, jobs left him feeling uninspired and unfulfilled. Therefore in 1973, the young designer was inspired to launch a … More An Iconic Pakistani Fashion Label Is Making A Comeback
By Sonya Rehman Waqas Ali and Sidra Qasim, the Pakistani entrepreneurs behind the shoe start-up, Atoms, never fathomed how much their lives would change in the nine years since their foray into Pakistan’s – now thriving – start-up scene. In 2011, the young entrepreneurs were still learning the ropes after the launch of Markhor, a shoe start-up … More From Lahore To New York: The Pakistani Entrepreneurs Behind Atoms
By Sonya Rehman Having recently turned a month old, Tinku and Co., a new non-profit start-up from Karachi, Pakistan, makes the loveliest trinkets that are woven around whimsical little characters. But it is the story behind the origin of the start-up which is perhaps all the more heartwarming and special. Founded by Maham Zehra in August, … More Trinkets With A Purpose
By Sonya Rehman Sometimes I think most of us remain infants in these clunky adult bodies, trying to survive in this big, mighty world. There are parts of us still yet to be loved, facets unawakened to the knowledge of our greatness of spirit, still untouched by that which is needed most: to be seen, … More A Love Letter to Myself
By Saad Sarfraz Sheikh and Sonya Rehman Arslan Siddique was 4 years old when he went missing one night from his home in Lahore, Pakistan. His parents panicked, fearing he had been kidnapped, or worse. They eventually found their son, safe and sound, asleep outside a video game arcade. It was a fitting start for … More An Unlikely Esports Star Emerges from Pakistan
By Sonya Rehman The acclaimed Pakistani folk singer, Krishan Lal Bheel, passed away last week following serious health issues. Leaving behind his wife and two children, the arc of Bheel’s career was rich and vibrant, much like his larger-than-life personality. Hailing from Cholistan, a desert in South Punjab, Bheel began his career in singing over … More The ‘Jewel From Cholistan’ Leaves Behind A Lasting Legacy
By Sonya Rehman For in and out, above, about, below, ‘Tis nothing but a Magic Shadow-show, Play’d in a Box whose Candle is the Sun, Round which we Phantom Figures comes and go. – The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám We’d been planning on moving to Islamabad for a year. In early 2019, we … More A Magic Shadow-show
By Sonya Rehman My heart remains delicate. Trouble is, doubt always, always guards it. February was a tender month. A softness in the air. A kindness. A reciprocity of affection, respect. My heart remains delicate, too fragile to bear inconsistency, alas. March was like wading through tar. The ego. The hardened cynic. The Master of … More A Homemade Balm In Quarantine
By Sonya Rehman It’s hip, it’s edgy and it epitomizes South Asian streetwear. Rastah, an Urdu word meaning path or journey, is a Pakistani fashion label which is swiftly beginning to carve its very own, gritty niche in the global streetwear industry. Launched in 2018 by Zain Ahmad, Adnan Ahmad and Ishmail Ahmad, the founders … More This Pakistani Streetwear Brand Is One To Look Out For
By Sonya Rehman Nuzzling into my leg, he looks at me solemnly awaiting a pet, a cuddle or a belly rub. Paddy, a chubby Maltese is the epitome of innocence. Looking at him, it’s hard to imagine that this little cloud of fluff was abandoned on a summer day, this year, in the ground of … More A Home For The Abandoned
By Sonya Rehman What am I doing here? What have I gotten myself into? The gym is full on my first day of a personal training class. I am utterly terrified. There are women and men half and twice my age pumping iron and planking for over 30 seconds. But I have to do this. … More Embracing A Burning Building
By Sonya Rehman Founded in 2014 by two fitness fanatic sisters, Mahlaqa Shaukat and Noor-ul-Hira Shaukat, the popular fitness studio, AimFit, holds every essential ingredient of one day becoming a booming fitness empire in Pakistan. With three branches in Lahore and one in Islamabad, ninety employees, and countless members (‘AimFitters,’ as the sisters like to … More Meet The Sisters Getting Lahore Back Into Shape
By Sonya Rehman Pakistan’s Sheedi community can trace its roots back to East African slaves brought to India by the Portuguese, hundreds of years before the partition of the subcontinent. Marginalized and overlooked for decades, the group has found its commanding, charismatic voice in Tanzeela Qambrani — in the halls of the Sindh provincial legislature. … More Rising Above The Stigma of ‘Sheedi’
By Sonya Rehman With 412 films to his credit, veteran Pakistani writer, Nasir Adeeb, needs no introduction. Having started out as a clerk in the once prolific Pakistani film industry, Lollywood, Adeeb’s early days as a struggling writer were filled with hardships and self-doubt. At the time, the film industry was exceptionally hard to break … More A Conversation With Lollywood Screenwriter Nasir Adeeb
By Sonya Rehman There’s an innocence to Fatima Khan that is not only endearing, but also quite refreshing for a 28-year-old. Buoyant, kind and always ready for a laugh, it seems as if the jaded phase missed her, or even if Khan did entertain it in the past – just like we all do at … More Cruelty-Free Beauty
By Sonya Rehman Adeel was 26-years-old when he met Hijab through common friends in 2006. There was just something extra special about her which caught his attention. “She wasn’t your typical ‘haan jee’ girl,” he recalls, “I had just come out of a relationship and I didn’t want it to be a rebound so I … More Written In The Stars
By Sonya Rehman Emmanuel Mansingh was only 9-years-old when he discovered National Geographic magazines belonging to Christian missionaries in a church in the city of Nawabshah (in Sindh, Pakistan) that his father used to work in. At the time, Mansingh was enchanted by the magazine’s pictures featuring tribes, cultures and communities around the world. “I remember feeling … More Meet The Photographer Using Instagram To Highlight Culture In Sindh
By Sonya Rehman I never thought I’d say this, but the mid/late 30s are weird. I’ve never been one to make a big hue and cry about hiding my age or stressing about hitting the big 3-0, in fact, when I turned 30, I was utterly excited. The 20s are an extended trial and error … More Creatures of the Sun
By Sonya Rehman After refining her craft in music production in Canada for five years, Haniya Aslam, returned to Pakistan last year to pick up from where she left off. A part of the local music scene for over a decade, Aslam thinks that the new phase in Pakistani music, that’s swiftly unfolding, is an exciting … More Hitting The Right Notes: Pakistani Music’s Comeback
By Sonya Rehman Six years ago, during his research for an article on Pakistan’s Nobel Prize-winning physicist, the late Dr. Abdus Salam, Zarrar Said had an epiphany. Why not write a book about the man who was lauded by the world and yet ousted by his own country? Why not initiate a dialogue on an unsung … More Exploring An Extraordinary Life in ‘Pureland’
By Sonya Rehman In a noisy café on MM Alam Road in Lahore, two of Pakistan’s most well-known radio personalities from competing FM radio stations swap notes about working in the local radio industry. Friendly and chatty, Fizza Aslam and Sophiya Anjam’s affiliation goes back years, since both started out their careers in the midst … More The Two Mavens Of Pakistani Radio
By Sonya Rehman Every so often one comes across stories of ordinary people who wind up doing the extraordinary. Defying the odds and societal expectations, they set out on unchartered territory to seek truth, purpose and meaning from new life paths that may seem rife with risk for some. But perhaps this is what makes … More Born To Live
By Sonya Rehman Fed up with looking for clothes that fit, two thirty-something best friends from Lahore, Zenab Ali and Maryam Yousaf, launched their plus size clothing brand, The Rack Couture, in April (this year), in a bid to introduce body positive fashion to Pakistan’s thriving fashion industry. From semi-formal, formal and casual apparel, The … More Is Plus Size Fashion Finally Coming To Pakistan?
By Sonya Rehman Muhammad Mustafa and Suniya Saadullah Khan are the very definition of a young ‘power couple’ driven by a dream to create long-lasting social impact in Pakistan. Mustafa, a Stanford graduate with a decade’s experience in the local telecommunication sector, and Khan, a rocket scientist who once worked as an engineer with the … More A New Start-Up Provides Opportunities For Pakistan’s Marginalized
By Sonya Rehman For over three years, 34-year-old Lalah Rukh has been on a mission to make science fun again through her brainchild, Science Fuse, a social enterprise that hosts classes and workshops at public and private educational institutions across Pakistan. Born and bred in Oslo, Norway, with roots in Karachi, Lalah Rukh studied molecular … More Making Science Great Again
By Sonya Rehman Since her debut novel, An Isolated Incident (published in 2014), US-based Pakistani author, Soniah Kamal, is currently gearing up for her forthcoming book – Unmarriageable – an endearing re-telling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. But here’s the twist: it’s set in contemporary Pakistan and no, it has nothing to do with … More Recreating Pride and Prejudice in Pakistan
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