What's next for Khadijah Shah after her split with Sapphire?

Designer Khadijah Shah’s departure from her position as Creative Director at high-street brand Sapphire is no big surprise.

Although an official statement was only issued recently, rumours of the split had been in the air for several months now. This was, of course, no typical split.

Khadijah can be credited for having built Sapphire from scratch. Her presence had become synonymous with the brand and with her gone, one can expect the brand to go through a complete design metamorphosis.

But although Khadijah admits that letting go of Sapphire had initially been harrowing for her, I find her to be almost content now.

She is currently roaming the fairs in Europe, sourcing and placing orders for raw materials for her brand Elan, seeking new inspirations and occasionally, floating out happy, relaxed images of herself onto social media.

“This is what I have always loved doing,” she says, talking to me all the way from Paris. “I am just happy to be focusing on my label, improving upon it and developing it so that it becomes the very best not just in Pakistan but also comparable to any brand internationally.”

As Khadijah looks onwards to the future, I grill her about what is foremost in my mind…

It’s great that even while working at Sapphire, you didn’t let go of your own brand Elan. Do you regret the three years that you invested into developing Sapphire into becoming a high street heavyweight?

Khadijah Shah: I wouldn’t say that I regret it because I truly learnt a lot from the experience. How many people can claim to have built a brand in a span of three years?

When I came on board, Sapphire had just been an idea and it evolved according to my vision. I involved myself in everything from the products to the branding to the stores, never really holding back because I singlemindedly considered it my own.

I would be running from day till night, travelling the length of one country before flying off to the other, scouting out markets for accessories for the brand and then tweaking the quality to make sure that standards were maintained.

I had so many dreams for it and had gotten emotionally involved so of course, it felt bad to no longer be a part of it. I wanted Sapphire to become a force to be reckoned with and I feel somewhat interrupted now.

But good things happen and bad things happen and sometimes you make mistakes and you learn from them. I do have plans for venturing into the high street and this time hopefully things will work out better.

And how do you plan to do this: by partnering with another investor or launching out on your own?

Khadijah: I do know that I will never want to be part of a partnership similar to the one that I had with Sapphire. It has to be a different kind of agreement but I am not sure yet about how I precisely want to work things out.

I have received proposals from quite a few investors and I am currently contemplating over them. I met a few people before leaving for Europe and I’ll probably be having a few more meetings once I return to Pakistan.

If I decide to work with someone, I need to have a clear idea about their vision and strengths and see if it aligns with my ideas. Then again, I may just decide to launch out on my own.

While you were working at Sapphire and even before you joined it, you had been creating everyday prêt under the Elan Vital label. The line had gotten less consistent during your Sapphire days. Do you plan to increase production now?

Khadijah: Yes, Elan Vital is going to be more regular now with a new collection in stores every 45 days. But although the Elan Vital label features ready-to-wear in silk and cotton, it has always been slightly more exclusive than the regular high-street brand because of its luxury add-ons, distinctive designs and price-tag which usually wavers about Rs 6000.

And what are your plans for Elan in the coming months?

Khadijah: I am planning out an exhibit of our latest bridal designs sometime in October. It’s going to be an exclusive evening soiree where people can just come and see the clothes.

There’s going to be classic Elan-esque bridal-wear on display; rich, grand, replete with craft and our gold embossing print techniques and with silhouettes that fuse the East with the West. You could say that it will be an amalgamation of the Mughal courts with the courts of Versailles.

Read more: After Elan's bridal bonanza, are solo shows the new standard for Pakistani fashion?

Although the first Elan solo bridal show was in fall last year this time I am planning it out for March 2018. Most of our orders for bridals come for the winter and by fall it is too late for us to take on new clients for weddings in December. March makes a lot more sense since customers can see the clothes, decide what they like and place orders for weddings scheduled to take place later in the year.

The Elan annual unstitched silk line will be coming into the market around November and of course, come summer next year, there will be Elan lawn. The capsule line of Elan statement bags is also going to come into the market later this year. I am going to be introducing some new designs while also working with python skin like I did last time.

You have also been discussing the setting up of a store in Karachi for a long time now. Will we be seeing it opening soon?

Khadijah: Yes! We will hopefully be opening our first store in Karachi by the end of this year or early next year. I have already finalised a location and I will be sharing the space with two great designers who are also friends of mine: Yousuf Shahbaz and Sherezad Rahimtoola.

We have actually decided upon a very unique location because I want the store to be an experience, a destination that you can visit and just enjoy the fashion. It’s going to be exciting!