Clothes maker spins childhood hobby into wealth

Shenu Hooda, fashion designer. Courtesy Photo 

By  Mwikali Lati

In Summary

• Shenu Hooda’s unique creations are made in Pakistan and have ready market in Kenya and Tanzania.

Fashion designer Shenu Hooda does not shy away from eye-catching, brazen colours. She weaves silver and gold threads into intricate embroidery, it has become her style. In the end, her clothes demand a closer look to appreciate the beautiful art that she creates.

“I mostly design formal, semi-formal and bridal clothing. This season’s collection reflects Asian-African works. I used western cuts in Asian (Pakistani) work, which is getting a lot of positive response among Kenyans,” she says.

Hooda sketches patterns of her embroidery then a Pakistan-based workshop brings them into life — with patience and precision — mainly using traditional embroidery techniques. She travels to the workshop, which is owned by her mother, once a month. The outfits are mainly hand-made.

How long does it take to finish a Shenu Hooda outfit? “It depends on the piece, if it’s heavy embroidery work it takes four to five days. However, contemporary pieces can take two to three days to finish,” she says.

When Hooda was growing up in Pakistan capital Karachi, the city’s fashion trends and socio-culture influences inspired her to start designing her own clothes as well as for her sisters, cousins and later friends.

Hooda’s childhood hobby eventually turned into a successful venture that grew into a family concern — two of her sisters sell clothes in Canada and UK.

Traditional colours

When the mother of two got married and moved to Kenya, her love for fashion took a break as she concentrated on raising her children.

During a family financial crisis eight years ago, Hooda decided to start selling clothes which her mother made in Pakistan. Soon she was designing and making her own exclusive clothes.

“I like bright, ethnic, traditional colours from South Asia. I’m always inspire by South Asian fashion and having lived in Kenya I have learnt to blend them with African fabrics such as Maasai beads,” she says. Her creations begin with sketches of new ideas and draping of fabrics on mannequins to construct new pieces.

“Cutting, stitching, mixing, making combinations and contrasting is a complex and messy part of designing and making clothes. But I love the final product and that gives me energy and motivation to continue,” she says. Today she boosts of being a fashion designer and wardrobe stylist.

Often, Hooda’s clients give her orders and allow her the creative freedom to come up with clothes for them. She deals in both made-to-measure and ready-to-wear clothes.

A client’s order is delivered in about six weeks, she says. On the ready-to-wear front, Hooda stocks up 100 to 200 outfits every two months.

“It is usually new designs, sometimes I make different clothe sizes out of one design because designing an outfit it takes a lot of time,” she says.

Since coming on the Kenyan fashion scene, Hooda has earned recognition as a professional designer with something different to offer. She has presented her creations at fashion events in Kenya and Tanzania, most notably at the Swahili Fashion Week.