I grew up in a fairly conservative household where even putting on red lipstick was seen as something totally rebellious. As a child, I was steered away from fashion and clothes. However, as I grew up and started to have some sense of the crazy world around me, I realized that I actually enjoyed fashion in all forms and thus began my Jekyll and Mr Hyde journey – one person who didn’t even bat her eyelid at fashion and the other who lapped it up at any and every chance she got.
Things went up a notch when I started earning and gained a little financial independence. I wanted to try something new with my looks but I was always afraid of being judged and that’s when I stumbled upon one viral video of Uorfi Javed where she used a plastic material to make cut-out pants for herself. I was blown. The woman used her ingenuity and carried the look with confidence. Something that I have always wanted to do.
After this video, I went down a rabbit hole and stalked her profile from the bottom. She designs her clothes from scratch and goes on to wear them to events, conferences, basically everywhere. She has made clothes out of chains, safety pins, garbage bags, tapes, bamboo baskets, teddy bears, and whatnot. I loved her unique take on fashion and I wanted to be her. But at the same time, I saw the barrage of hate comments she received for her fashion. Those comments reduced her to her body, the religion she was born into, and her gender. And that’s exactly what I was afraid of.
What really stood out to me was how Uorfi responded to her trolls and haters. She paid no attention to them and carried on doing what she loved, and that made me love her even more. That’s when it clicked to me. As a woman, no matter what you do, your actions will always be put under a microscope and scrutinized by people who don’t even know what your favourite colour is. People who are not even related to you will treat it as their birthright to pass comments and judgments on how you should sit, walk, dress, talk, and even eat. However, that should not stop you from doing what you love.
It took me Uorfi Javed to learn this and that is when I started experimenting with my looks because what’s the most people can do? Talk about me? That they always do, no matter what I wear. I might as well be better dressed. While Uorfi’s fashion doesn’t resonate with me, I like how she carries what she wears. She is comfortable in her skin and wears her creations with ease and that is what I wanted to emulate.
That is how my fashion journey started. I took out my old denims and started ripping them and creating my own ripped jeans. Pinterest became my best friend and I started saving fashion inspiration and creating mood boards. I dug out my old oversized tees and gave them cool cuts on the neck and collars. I bleached my clothes and made whacky tie-dye fits. I started going all out. I have been trying things that are out of my comfort zone and sometimes that includes doing blue eyelid makeup.
She taught me how to have fun and not be so rigid when it comes to fashion. It is individual and personal. Getting out of my comfort zone, pushing my limits, and just having fun – that is what Uorfi Javed taught me- and that’s what fashion is all about.
