For Huma Adnan, a brand so big in her home country Pakistan and around the globe, “India has broken the code of commercialising the indigenous craft by creating a connection between large scale business houses and cottage industries” something that her home country is yet to achieve.

“Today craftsmen are the second largest workforce in India which is commendable. Pakistan has yet to create that bridge although designers including myself have consciously started indulging age old techniques in their designs… Our textiles on the other hand evolved immensely and have managed to achieve fine quality fabrics which are very suited to our climate,” she told Opoyi from Karachi.

She says “the difference is because India focussed on promoting its cultural values in its textile designs whilst Pakistan concentrated more on yarn constructions and technological development of weaving.”

Among the first few designers from Pakistan who opened a flagship store in California Valley Fair Mall in the year 2010, she now runs a swanky studio in Karachi at the Dolmen Mall located by the seashore. Her designs are available under three distinctive brands namely FnkAsia (fusion pret wear), Huma Adnan (signature bridal couture ), and Craft Stories (jewelry and home accent made by refugee artisans ).

Talking about Pakistan’s fashion industry, it is known for perfecting craftsmanship, elegant clean cuts, and mastery of understated chic- something that was once the most sought after thing in India when both the countries had great trade deals.

But the trade relation is not the same off-late and she says that it has affected both countries’ fashion industry as trade and business is now restricted to digital visibility and small scale informal personal trade.

“In the past, both Indian and Pakistani designers collectively celebrated their creativity via shows and trade fairs. This allowed positive and constructive cross-pollination of ideas. I still remember exchanging notes with Sabyasachi Mukherjee (Indian designer) in Dubai on a common platform and how the use of craft was celebrated by both of us in our respective countries. At that time he was intrigued by our business acumen and I was admiring his ability to utilize craft. Craft is our common thread which both the countries are tied together with,” she said.

“Pakistan being a smaller country, has managed to hold the traditional beauty via its craftsmanship without diluting the craft. India on the other hand has gone towards large-scale production due to the sheer size of the market. The escalation of production often leads to a compromise on the essential quality of craft however retaining the overall look.

“Indian culture is more extroverted, uninhibited, and extravagant in the use of colors and design. Pakistan on the other hand, due to their inherent cultural conservatism, understate their clothing, hence the subtleness and minimalistic use of design elements and colors which is often perceived as understated chic,” said Adnan.

She also says that both the countries have a tremendous amount of art and craft and celebrate their artisans most of which is very similar in taste “together they, as a force, can rule the world of fashion with its world of indigenous craft and art.”

“India because of its sheer size and large internal consumption, always dwelled into its cultural roots when it came to fashion. Pakistan after partition on the other hand, in its quest for its own identity, indulged in its already conservative inherent traditions and mixed that with western subtleness and came up with a variant which was more on the minimal side,” said the designer.

For someone who believes that art and craft is beyond boundaries and it should have the freedom to transcend borders, she says that “it should be celebrated across land rather than restricted into political boundaries.”

The brand’s jewellery line works with the refugees living in Pakistan from different countries and nationalities namely Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Rohingya, Sudan, and their next project is a reflection of their stories of love and hope.

“It has been two years since I have been working with the refugee community in Karachi and training them in hand techniques for our accessory brand,” said the designer and added that she will be launching her fall collection of handcrafted jewellery soon this month.

“The new collection celebrates Afghan craft and culture through hand techniques that have been passed down from generation to generation,” she said.