Founded by husband and wife duo Omer Farooq and Anusheh Omer, label AOMI accentuates everyday wear by carefully juxtaposing it with the indigenous crafts of Pakistan. Omer and Anusheh have been deeply rooted in the fashion industry since the past ten years with a successful menswear label, Republic, already under their belt. The duo found themselves inspired by pieces that look effortless yet are indulgent and pay special attention to detail, leading to the creation of AOMI.
“These are pieces that any individual can wear and it reflects their personality. We wanted to work with our local crafts and techniques in order to reinvent them through research and experimentation. We wanted to create pieces that can be worn on an international level. South Asia has an immense amount of talent that we wish to learn from and that inspires us, and we wanted to take that and create pieces that can be worn over time and have stories attached to them.” Their intent with AOMI is succinct, they wish to decontextualise how garments are looked at and start a discourse. A discourse revolving around the fabric, the technique, the craftsmaker, and consequently also championing a mindset that moves towards a slower form of consumption.
The conspicuous name AOMI is not only a clever mingling of Anusheh and Omer’s names, but also a Japanese word related to the ocean and blueness. Deeply fascinated by the idea of vastness that surrounds water bodies and the possibilities of what could be, Anusheh tells me, “The name stands for our experiences, our learning but also the people that we meet, the music, the art, the films that we watch. We want to put out our journey and experience in a manner that celebrates self-expression.”
AOMI garments speak a language that is timeless yet current. A retelling of traditional artistry fit for the international market, the husband and wife duo further believe in fashion being used as a tool for communication. “There’s a thought process behind everything that is designed. When you’re sharing your vision with someone, people tend to relate and it’s a two way street. AOMI is this journey of constantly learning and relearning, and taking in elements that exist in society to create something beautiful.” Hoping to build a multidisciplinary brand, Anusheh and Omer wish to truly celebrate design, development and the crafts.
When it comes to their process, it begins with simply something that inspires them. It could be a piece of art or music, something that is titillating to the senses. Then the team educates themselves about the pre-existing techniques and how they can be merged to create something new. The end result is a garment that entails sharp attention to detail. The label’s latest drop, for example, has been inspired by both Anusheh and Omer’s hometown of Karachi, a city that has seen an immense amount of turmoil and growth. Anusheh explains, “One can truly only understand this city and how it has aged after having lived here. Through all the ups and downs, there’s this current that runs in the city.”
An amalgamation of different cultures, there’s so much the city offers as inspiration. On one of their prolonged trips to the city, the duo found themselves looking at everything anew, be it the old buildings, the transport system or the average person’s quotidian existence. This formed the basis for the new collection, in which they merged the ralli and kantha techniques from Sindh. “We didn’t want to use it in a way that’s traditionally been done. Ralli is usually a lot more colourful. We wanted to neutralise it. If you see Karachi in terms of colours, there are a lot of beiges, nudes and greys. We wanted to use the colours of Karachi and mix them with the techniques from Sindh. The patterns have been inspired by the old Parsi buildings found in old Karachi.”
If there’s one thing that distinctly defines AOMI, it would be Anusheh and Omer’s emphasis on making garments that define one’s personality and voice as an individual. This also reflect’s in the co-founder’s opinion on what the fashion of now looks like. She believes it is growing to be intensely personal, and that trends may just be a dying phenomena. “It can seem as if there’s so many trends being followed simultaneously but everyone’s also doing their own thing to find a community. The fashion of now is a conversation starter I would say, to find your individual voice and eventually a community within that space. In today’s world, what’s most important is a need for open conversation and I think fashion can do that — it opens avenues that help find like minded people. Fashion is mostly about connection too.”
Words Unnati Saini
Date 07-02-2023