"I don't speak for myself
my clothes speak for themselves."
Q: When did your label BeGe's start?
A: I launched my label in 1987 in Liberty Market where Cynosure is situated these days.
Q: What is the significance of BeGe's?
A: BeGe is a village name; a name of love and respect. It was my pet name. I was always addressed as BeGe that is why I sticked with it. I was BeGe first and Najeeba Zulfiqar afterwards.
Q: What was your source of your inspiration?
A: I was not that educated to work in an office or get a technical job. I just did my matric that is why I started a thing which I thought I am good at.
Q: What is most important for becoming a designer?
A: The most important prerequisite for a designer is his "eye". A designer must have an eye for the colour, cut and style. Besides that the aesthetics sense of the designer should be well developed and mature.
Q: What motivated you to start designing and why you started designing?
A: The thing which motivated me was money for my daughter. Inspiration came from God and the things which he created because I love nature and I draw my inspiration from nature, plants, birds, and animals.
| Q: What was your target market when you started designing or which particular age group are you most comfortable while designing? A: When I started designing fashion was not very common. My clothes were too fashionable for that time that is why sometimes they seemed weird to the people. The acceptance level was quite low in 1987 and fashion was only for 5% of the total population. Q: When did you get yourself establish country-wide? A: I was designing for Zeba Bakhtiyar and Adnan Sami way back in 1991. At that time two film were launched, One was "Hina" which was an Indian film and other was "Sargam" which was a Pakistani movie. These movies made BeGe a house hold name in Pakistan. I also got the national award in 1994. |  |
Q: When did you get international recognition?
A: Bride and Groom show was organized in 2000 and 25 designers participated from all over the world. I used Diana Hayden and Neha Dhopia as my models. Daily Times India declared my Lehnga as the "Lehnga of the Century" and I also won the best designer award for that.
Q: Are your clients satisfied with your work?
A: Whenever I design, I initially satisfy myself and when I am not satisfied I keep on redesigning until I am satisfied. These days, customers are really very conscious. He takes a complete tour of the market and then he makes up his mind. My clientele has increased with the increase in the number of designers because after seeing their work they can appreciate my work more as they can always compare the quality. I always design clothes keeping the body of my client in my mind and what is going to suit him or her and that is how I keep my clients satisfied.
| Q: Do you have any plans to go nation wide or even international? A: No I don't plan to go International or even open up a boutique in India because there is a difference between an investor and a designer. The presence of a designer is a must at his work place because only then he can deliver custom made clothes. I am not into ready to wear clothes line because for me designing clothes is not a way to earn money. Designing is an art and I design clothes to satisfy my sense of creativity. I have a big collection of clothes which I keep in my library. In my collection I have clothes belonging to every major era and clothes designed according to major popular themes. I can sell all these clothes and end up making millions but for me art has more value than money. | < name=FP1></> |
| Q: Isn't it difficult for you to convince your customer because they always come with a made up mind concerning what sort of clothes they want? |
Geet - Hui Sabse Parayee
CID
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