It’s not common to find bespoke artisanal sartorial and ready-to-wear couture in this part of the world. What is even less common are distinctly designed ensembles that require delicate hand embroidery to transform each piece into remarkable crafty creations. But fashion designer Nida Shay pulls it off. 

Her namesake label Nida Shay’s niche sophisticated hand-embroidery couture reflects her Pakistani heritage.  

Nida’s mother played a pivotal role in igniting her passion for luxury clothing and fine tailoring. From an early age of eight, her mom began to create awareness and educate her in the art of hand embroidery, textiles and the importance of quality. To this day, her mother’s guidance and input are still invaluable as the designer explores the various techniques of hand embroidery that have become her signature throughout her collections.

Hand-embroidery work is a distinctly unique method of delicately sewing intricate patterns onto a piece of fabric manually. It is time consuming and calls for great expertise. Thus, hand embroidered apparel and accessories are much more valued than machine-stitched clothing.

Nida says the art of hand embroidery is all in the detail from the fabric to the embellishments, whether they be crystals, diamonds, pearls, sequins, feathers or beads. 

She believes in supporting artisans from the rural areas of Pakistan, giving them the opportunity to thrive through their centuries-old crafts which have been passed down from one generation to the next. The brand focuses on building a structure of equality and opportunity for all its employees and this ethos is embedded in the brand’s DNA. 

The growth in Nida Shay’s business allows it to give back to its artisans’ community by supporting educational ventures and vocational training. Nida also recognises that her dream wouldn’t have been fulfilled without the artisans behind her.

“It’s because of your love and trust in my vision and our craft that we are going strong… More artisans will be joining the team because of the overwhelming number of orders…The artisans that join us become part of the family and stay with us for years, their loyalty is of utmost importance for me because I don’t share my vision with just anyone and we have to work well together to ensure we give the best of ourselves to each and every piece… I am proud of them and their dedication… I dream of patterns, silhouettes and colours, but their experience in this beautiful craft makes it all the more beautiful. I am grateful to have such a wonderful team,” she posted on her Instagram.

The quintessential international expatriate was born and raised in Abu Dhabi, where her early dreams of being a fashion designer took shape. 

 “I still remember when I told my father that I wanted to become a designer and he put it in the most subtle of ways that I will need to be prepared for what I will experience in the industry and it won’t be easy.  I told him I could manage it. I was only 20-something then. I can still remember sitting in his office and, as I reflect back to that exact day, I can say I’m proud of me. I didn’t give into the pressure. I didn’t doubt myself. I didn’t sell my soul to the devil. I give my 100 % to all my clients and I am fulfilling my promises to myself.  

“I wanted to create my name from scratch, in a place where no one knew me and that place was Singapore. I guess, it was a challenge for me. Often people asked me why I wanted to go and do it all on my own and not use the connections and names I was associated with, wasn’t it foolish of me they’d ask. I always shrugged it off. Some days, I did wonder why I did it this way. I think it was because I wanted to win that approval from my father, show him that despite my leaving banking, I had done something of significance. I struggled and I learnt, and now I can talk about my experiences with my sons and lead by example just the way my father inspired me with his own role and vast accomplishments. I haven’t quite reached my goals, but my dreams don’t end here, I’m still learning,” she says on another social media post.

Nida graduated with honours in BA Economics from the University of Manchester and had a brief stint in banking at Citibank before pursuing her fashion degree at Parsons School of Design in Paris. Soon after completing her studies, she got married and moved to Dubai – where she set up her first atelier before making the move to Singapore, which is now home for her and her family and where she founded Nida Shay couture.

Her hand-embroidery body of work include: The Signature Collection, Enchanted Garden, Floral Kingdom and Bridal ensemble. 

Nida has taken part in numerous fashion shows over the last few years and has quickly gained recognition and support from media, celebrities, influencers and socialites, and successfully established a niche in the market.  Among her clientele are Princesses from the Royalties of the UAE and Malaysia as well as other dignitaries.    

In 2017, Nida won the Fashion Futures Award presented by Singapore Fashion Week in partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America and was subsequently offered a mentorship opportunity with Carolina Herrera in New York. The Nida Shay brand is a regular participant in the annual Singapore Fashion Week and has been featured in major global and local publications including Vogue, Tatler, Harper’s Bazaar and the Straits Times. 

Weekly Sparks’ interview with Nida recently gave us a glimpse on how she has had to nimbly adapt to the challenges and opportunities within the current retail environment. 

Nida says: “Our business continues to grow strong despite the pandemic and I didn’t have to change too much in terms of our operations. We’ve been busy with bridal orders and our customers continue to request custom pieces designed for milestone birthdays, anniversaries, themed parties, or even for future travels.

I think everyone really misses dressing up for special occasions. Fashion and clothes tend to lift your spirits and give you that sense of hopefulness that things will eventually normalise… ‘If you look good, you feel good!’ My parents always reinforced the importance of getting up and dressing up even if you aren’t going anywhere.  You make the effort for yourself and you shouldn’t wait for an occasion to look your best. Being on lockdown shouldn’t stop us from deriving pleasure from a beautiful outfit.”  

As an independent luxury brand marking her own space vs. global luxury brands and popular, mass brands Nida believes that her label can hold its own. 

“I have never been fond of mass production because of how much waste is created within the industry.  I have a deep affinity, appreciation and regard for luxury designs and artisanal hand embroidery. This was honed after years dedicated to perfecting and ensuring we only provide high quality craftsmanship on modern, timeless silhouettes.” 

“Couture has always fascinated me, however, I wanted to make the notion of couture, which can sometimes seem unattainable, more versatile and wearable. By offering the option of customisation, I’ve been able to create a more cross-generational, inclusive brand that women from all over the world can appreciate and value. The customised and tailored option allows our customers to feel fashionable yet still comfortable through minor adjustments such as tweaking necklines, hemlines and sleeves. It’s important to celebrate and embrace all body types rather than restricting our range to certain shapes, ages and sizes,” she adds.

She generally doesn’t follow fashion trends. Sometimes, she would only give a subtle nod or pay homage to a particular trend but would not let this hold centre stage in the collection.

“My design silhouette and aesthetics have always focussed on the timeless and classic look. The women I design for expect timeless, investment pieces which are season-less yet versatile and can be styled in various ways to make them more current,” she says. 

Nida counts Queen Rania of Jordan, Princess Diana and Kate Middleton as her top three fashion icons for their timeless elegance and the grace with which they carry themselves. 

“Princess Diana was a tremendous source of inspiration as I was growing up. I have a memory of my father gifting my sister and me a book on the Princess and I spent hours poring over the photos. In particular, I was impressed by the respect she accorded all cultures, which was evident during her royal trips. At the young and impressionable age of eight, I decided I would one day become a fashion designer.” 

It’s been five years since her label’s debut at Singapore Fashion Week, and so much has happened since. But she still believes they’ve  only just begun. She’s excited about future prospects not just locally, but also regionally and internationally.

When asked about her future plans, Nida shares that on the business front, “I am about to launch something completely different from anything I’ve ever done before. It has been fascinating to learn and work on this special project over the past few months and I’ll share more details at the right time. I will be holding a 5-day pop-up as well as launching our new collection in Paris in October, which I’m delighted about as Paris is where my dreams became a reality.”

With travel restrictions slowly easing up, she is looking forward to seeing her family again, being able to travel and experience different seasons as well as visiting her atelier in Dubai. 

We have no doubt that the trip will spark new inspired ideas for more classic silhouette designs to add to her artisanal hand embroidery couture collection. 

Michelle | ws

Images: @nidashay and Nida Shay