About Me
Hi I'm Sabine Hussain, a graduate from Manchester Metropolitan
This collection tells my personal narrative of how I’ve grown up dealing with being British Pakistani and how I’ve balanced both cultures to try and fit in. Thinking about where I actually fit in? Not British enough for Britain and too British for Pakistan. Fusing my Pakistani heritage with British norms I want to proudly celebrate South Asians in the UK.
I am a conceptual designer. I have drawn from my own experiences a collection that is very personal to me. My graduate collection is full of my own and my mother's experiences growing in England but in different generations. Coming from a South Asian background I want to celebrate the beauty of South Asian people. We deserve to be recognised. I've grown up to realise the colour of my skin is beautiful. My work is for those who can relate and have had similar experiences around south Asian British culture. I would hope they start to embrace it rather than be embarrassed when viewing my work.
INSPIRATION
The inspiration behind my collection is my mother!
I started my collection by looking into my mother's life when she came to England at the age of 11, researching how difficult she found it to fit in. My project explores racial tension between Pakistani immigrants and British people in the 70s but also looking at how racism is very much still a part of today's generation. In conversation, my mother quoted "the colour of your skin, the religion you are and the language you speak differentiate you from the people around you."
My concept derives from the juxtaposition between South Asian womenswear and British menswear. It considers the transition from the first generation to second generation British South Asians, looking at how differently we dress and how different our lives are from our parents. This collection compares and brings together the salwar kameez occasion wear with the western suit, a key outfit worn by South Asian men of all generations, which was adapted by south Asian women in the mid-19th century.
MY WORK
PORTFOLIOS
Concept page
Research page about racial tension in the 70s
Dress code - looking at what my mother wears
looking at Savile Row for British inspiration
Mixing western clothing with traditional clothing
pakistani cultural influences
Influenced by jingle trucks and hand weaving
Final outcome development of weaved shirt
Documentation of the iconic trenchcoat
Drape silhouettes - Standwork
The split between British and pakistani
looking at my life and how I grew up
Pub windows and traditional Pakistani prints
Initial print and silhouette ideas
Final print designs
Colour and fabric
Design development and final outcome
Technical flats
Final line up
DETAIL
I used my mother's old salwar kameez's to create to weaved shirt
By creating a mix between my Pakistani and Western cultures through silhouette and garment construction, I aim to portray the benefits of a multicultural society in the UK as a British Pakistani. British tailoring Savile Row inspired the outer pieces of my garments as they give a visual representation of the British ideal. This was blended with Pakistani traditional and contemporary styles to combine intricate cutting and softer feminine silhouettes. Savile Row tailors are known for intricate hand details which I wanted to translate into my collection through machine topstitching, hand embroidery stitching, and weaving. Taking inspiration from jingle trucks and the hand weaving baskets, I was inspired to adapt a similar hands-on technique to add to my final collection. I decided to hand weave old traditional Pakistani garments that once were worn by my mother. The use of these garments gave the busyness feel of the jingle truck with the colours and textile, as well as a personal connection to my mother.
You only built a piece of this place, bruv, the rest was us - Riz Ahmed
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