UMAIR ZAFAR
fall/winter 2008/9


Indian Fashion Sensibilities

The Indian designer Umair Zafar, based in Mumbai, is focusing on contemporary designs with mass scale acceptability as well as on traditional fashion. In February 2009 he is showing his fashion on occasion of the United Nations charity to raise funds for the World Food Program in front of Bollywood celebrities in Mumbai.

Question: Umair Zafar, you are presenting traditional as well as modern fashion in your work. Is your approach the result of – as you have mentioned - the “Indian Fashion Sensibilities”?

"India is a land of festivals and grand weddings, where people prefer to go for a traditional wear. Due to mass scale awareness about fashion, people want to wear fashionable clothes but with in the parameter of tradition and culture, so i define Indian sensibilities as my clothes should be appealing not revealing and rich Indian fabrics with embroidered embellishments in an innovative manner, which should be with the trend," Umair Zafar


fig.: Portrait of Umair Zafar


Question: Umair Zafar fashion is available in 3 different lines: prêt a porter, drapes, haute couture – what’s the difference between; are drapes traditional Indian clothes?

"Prêt a porter are garments which are ready to wear, whether it is casual or formal wear.

Drapes: Saree is one of the prominent garment which is considered to be drape, nowadays one has introduced several version in it, like stitched saree the pleats and the belt is stitched, like skirt but it is saree only, it is for those women who are not use to of draping or doesn't know how to drape a saree but one cannot make out unless it is told.

In Haute Couture we are presenting garments which are usually made for occasions like wedding. Bridal is one of the principal garment falls into the category of haute couture, it is exclusively designed for keeping in mind an individual's body type, skin color, event timing, climate and any symbolic obligation and above all the designer has to incorporate the latest trends with it."


fig.: Actress Divya Diwedi in a design by Umair Zafar in the film "AISI DIWANGI" (2008) where she plays the leading role.


Costume design for the renown Indian film industry is for Umair Zafar a strong medium to promote Indian fashion with its richness in fabrics and embroideries on a global standard.

In December 2008 the fashion designer is in a process to finalize an awareness campaign in cooperation with the United Nations (World Food Program). Many Bollywood celebrities for whom he has designed clothes like Celina Jaitley, Yukta Mookhey, Padmani Kolhapuri, Geeta Basra, Aditi Sharma, Divya Dwivedi etc. will attend his fashion show to help raising funds for WFP. The presentation of Umair Zafar's prêt a porter and drapes will happen in February 2009 in Mumbai.

Check out more about Umair Zafar www.umairzafar.in.


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