Your Email:

Your Name:

To:

Subject:

Message:
By Yara Souza July 22, 2009 Tackling yet another field in which Muslims have not - yet - dominated are Nyla Hashmi and Fatima Monkush, the creative forces behind the most buzzed-about fashion line for Muslims, Eva Khurshid. The two have combined their passion for business and design to create an innovative concept for the modern Muslim woman. The clothing style, and even the concept behind the name, mirrors the ideas of femininity and strength, originating from the pair’s American and South Asian ethnicities. Nyla and Fatima are keeping busy these days by prepping their company to break into mainstream fashion and by reiterating the importance of making a difference within the Muslim community. Q: Where did you grow up? What were your first jobs? A: We both grew up in Connecticut. Fatima’s first job was a textile apprentice and also a martial arts instructor. Nyla’s first job was working at a men’s clothing store in her hometown. Q: How did your backgrounds prepare you for your career and hands-on involvement (with both the Muslim and American communities)? A: Because of our mixed heritages, we grew up in non-traditional yet conservative homes. Having American mothers has definitely shaped both of us and helped us take ownership in our American identity. Our Muslim upbringing is a huge part of our lives where it has served us with a strong foundation on how we live our day-to-day lives and conduct our business. Q: Tell us a bit about the Eva Khurshid line and who it markets. A: Eva Khurshid is a fashion clothing line geared toward the woman who wants to be fashionable, yet leave some things to the imagination. EK is “Sexy Rediscovered.” It’s about re-inventing what it means to be an empowered, confident woman. Sexy is a feeling, but not in the traditional sense: When you feel good in what you are wearing you feel confident, and that’s sexy. Q: What/who inspired you to become a fashion designer? How has starting your own line enhanced your careers? A: We were inspired by a shared struggle we had growing up as Muslim women in America with the lack of clothing in the market that we could wear and feel comfortable in. Our mothers really pushed us to sew our own clothing and we realized that this is our fate. Starting our own business and being recognized for our work has been the most rewarding thing we’ve done. Q: What have been some high and low points for you, professionally speaking? A: A high point in our career so far has been our launch at the premier trade show, Coterie. It is an extremely difficult show to be accepted into, and we were accepted based on our first collection. We were jumping up and down screaming when we received that phone call, and of course celebrated with a favorite cuisine of ours: Korean BBQ! A low point in our career has been to maintain everything with just the two of us. This year has been one of the most difficult times in our careers since we are starting from nothing and building a brand and business. Q: What’s next on your to-do list? What are some of your professional goals? A: We are currently working on the Spring 2010 [collection]. Ladies, get ready for summer dresses with sleeves done right! Also we are working on getting our clothing ready to hit stores this fall. Our to-do list is never ending, so there are many things we would like to accomplish including taking over the fashion world! We would love to expand to do everything from accessories to a men’s line. Q: Complete this sentence: On Sunday mornings, the first thing I do is... A: Repeat what we did the day before, check e-mails, follow up with work and try to fit in some relaxing time. Unfortunately, our Sundays look like every other day of the week. Q: What is the soundtrack to your life? A: Depending on the mood of the day, channels on www.pandora.com: Lady GaGa, Kanye West, Madonna, Lupe Fiasco, Santogold, Nouvelle Vague, Thievery Corporation and Daft Punk. As for an ultimate song that can describe our lives, it would be “Bittersweet Symphony” or any other ‘90s song. Q: What’s your greatest indulgence? A: SHOES! And especially in the summer, Mister Softee Ice cream! No New Yorker can turn down that ice-cream truck. Q: Who would play you in a movie? A: Eliza Dushku would play Fatima, and Anne Hathaway would play Nyla. Eliza, like Fatima, is a tough chick and doesn’t let anyone take advantage of her. She is also from New England and is a nerd, like Fatima. Anne, like Nyla, can play physical comedy well and seems a bit clumsy. But also has a good head on her shoulders. Q: Do you think fashion is an area Muslims need to explore and work in? A: We really encourage Muslims going into the arts; there are not enough of us in this field. If we don’t represent ourselves, who will? It’s so important for Muslims to branch out into non-traditional fields like fashion, even working with other Muslim artists in collaboration to help one another and giving support. Q: What’s your advice for young Muslims looking to start something similar or to network, specifically in fashion? A: First, believing in yourself and your vision/work is most important. People will start to notice the dedication and passion you have. It is also very important to network, and really get yourself out there. Talk to everyone, you never know who you will meet that can help you either then or down the road. In fashion, everyone knows everyone, so never burn your bridges. Eva Khurshid’s first collection hits stores this August and also can be purchased online at www.evakhurshid.com. Top Photo: (L to R) Fatima Monkush and Nyla Hashmi. All photos by Bianca Alexis. http://www.elanthemag.com/index.php/site/blog_detail/sexy_rediscovered_meet_the_team_behind_muslim_fashion_line_eva_khurshid/