“We’re dreaming big. We want to be a global brand,” said Dr. Tabassum Khan, chairman of new Dubai-based modest fashion label Faspiration.
Dr. Khan is better known in the Islamic economy as the Managing Director of AJ Pharma, the Saudi-Malaysia joint venture developing halal vaccines. He has a keen interest in the different sectors of the Islamic economy and wants to consolidate the overall impact of its development. The modest fashion sector, he believes, will only grow in the coming years.
Co-piloting with the fashion business novice is seven-year industry veteran Tara Khanzada, who serves as Faspiration’s creative director.
“I didn’t start out in modest fashion but worked in all fashion genres, and making everything from wedding dresses to ready-to-wear,” said Khanzada, who kicked off her career in India managing a fashion brand before moving to Dubai five years ago when she started to design for women who wanted to dress more modestly. She eventually worked with a modest fashion brand while also teaching fashion design.
“I started to design to the needs of the women here in Dubai and kept on designing more and more modest clothing. I was designing couture, evening wear, wedding gowns, abayas, and kaftans. I eventually got involved in modest fashion ready-to-wear,” she said.
