FnkAsia turns ten!

Ten years into the successful launch of FnkAsia, Huma Adnan – the heart and soul of the high street fashion label – sits down to talk about her brand that started off as a casual interpretation of European Bohemia with a Pakistani twist and has today grown into a mature high street label with several exciting branch-offs. FnkAsia was one of the first brands, perhaps the first brand in the country, to introduce the concept of separates that included a range of tops, tunics, shalwars, waistcoats and scarves. It followed the Zara model, albeit on a smaller scale. But it was an idea that caught on like wildfire, leading the country to the retail revolution that we see today.

“FnkAsia’s identity remains the same as it was ten years ago,” Huma talks about growth and evolution of the brand. “It’s still Boho, quirky, funky and fun. The only difference is that I have grown as a person and the brand has grown with me.”

Available at a swanky flagship store at Park Towers in Karachi, FnkAsia now offers more than the casual separates that it began with. There’s a wide range of handcrafted jewellery and accessories, most of the merchandise lovingly made by women in rural areas, thereby economically empowering them. Casuals have matured into formals and even wedding wear that retains the powerful and colourful signature of the brand while elevating into evening wear that can be worn anywhere in the world. FnkAsia also has a huge clientele in the USA, mostly amongst the Pakistani and Indian diaspora, which explains why the brand tops the list of every desi fundraiser and fashion event organized in the United States.

Dobara Phir Se: Hareem Farooq, Tooba Siddiqui and Sanam Saeed look gorgeous in FnkAsia’s latest collection, which they chose for many red carpet appearances.

“FnkAsia does have a hardcore loyal following,” Huma smiles as she explains. “There are women who have been buying from our stores for the last ten years.” She adds that while FnkAsia is available nationwide, Karachi has the hugest following, which is why she opts to show at Fashion Pakistan Week over the Lahore-held PFDC led fashion week. “It benefits the brand more to show in Karachi,” she says.

One has to congratulate the designer for the great year that the House of Amir Adnan has had in 2016. Other than showing successfully in Pakistan, the brand has also shown numerous times in USA, most recently at the DIL Fundraiser. Amir Adnan, this year, picked up the Best Menswear Designer trophy at the Lux Style Awards and the brands Amir Adnan and FnkAsia were both red carpet favourites at several movie premieres, including Dobara Phir Se. Who, we asked her, is her dream celebrity, who she wishes to design for more than anybody else?

“The one person who I love in my clothes is Meesha Shafi,” Huma remembers, as Meesha was a fan back in the day and she is quite the style icon. “These days it’s Naveen Waqar and Sanam Saeed, who have been wearing FnkAsia to premieres and they wear it very well.”

We wish the brand the very best and hope to see how it further evolves in the next decade.

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