‘I feel like recently, there has been an opening in fashion towards diversity but I still feel that when it is diverse, it’s singled out,’ says Nafisah Miah, who is currently working on a pair of womenswear trousers inspired by structured ball gowns she saw during a research trip to the V&A.
‘Take modest fashion, for example. It’s still in a box. I feel like it’s still separate but could be integrated more. You don’t have to label it for a specific target market.’
With a passion for looking at different cultures, Nafisah is a designer who has enjoyed seeing her confidence grow whilst working with FAD. ‘I feel like I’ve become more confident in starting with research and developing that into a final design, and making sure that design comes from somewhere,’ she continues. ‘It’s not just random. It’s contextualised.’
She also feels that, personally, she’s overcome a huge hurdle in being able to talk to people. ‘I would never ask someone for help or to give their opinion,’ she says. ‘But FAD has helped me get over that because everyone is so helpful.’
In the future, Nafisah has hopes of a career in the fashion industry and, when she does, is hungry to make a difference. ‘If I had a clothing line I wouldn’t say ‘this is modestwear’ or ‘this is plus-size’, as I feel that limits what you can do.’
