Defying the Odds – A man with creative mind: Hassan Riaz

Who thought a young boy would make his way into the fashion industry so gracefully that he would be awarded by the President of Pakistan for being phenomenal at his work? Yes, you are reading it write. We are talking about none other than Hassan Riaz who is renowned in the business for masterfully overcoming the odds, whether in fashion design or innovative show directing. He is the creative show director & youthful, conscientious fashion designer of “GOGI BY HASSAN RIAZ”. Freshness, invention, & inventiveness are essential to his work.

I recall thinking that his work was going to be the talk of the town ever since I overheard his fashion philosophy in one of his interviews. Eventually, I sat down with him & discussed his work, vision, & what motivates him to do what he does.

  1. How do you keep yourself creatively up-to-date? What helps you in keeping your creativity alive?

People often assume that we are aliens who only get things on rare occasions, therefore I’m glad this question was asked because the truth is that creativity is all around us, it’s simply a matter of how & from where you view it. The more important it is to begin realizing what inspires you, where, & how, so I believe I have found my ideal locations & work on them day & night to keep my creativity alive. My devotion & desire to change every day also aid in this. I want to keep altering things every day, I want to build new settings every day, therefore I treat every day as a fresh opportunity for innovation & I put myself to the test to improve on my past performance.

  1. When you told your family about your interest in Fashion Designing & direction, did they support you or asked you to look forward to some other career options?

Your family will always push & motivate you to achieve success in any endeavor, & to be completely honest, my family has never once regretted that I chose to work in a field where establishing your position & becoming known for a particular area of expertise can be just as challenging as obtaining a high-ranking position in the government. Without my family’s support, encouragement, & commitment to my profession, I don’t think I could have flourished in my industry. I believe that they have always been there for me through thick & thin, & they have never ceased boosting my inspiration & strength. My family has always stood with me through thick & thin, encouraging me to be whatever I wanted to be. The only thing that matters is how enthusiastic you are about your profession & how well that persuades your family, regardless of trend or direction. Every parent, home, & family should, in my opinion, do all in their power to help their children so they can give you everything they are capable of.

  1. Do you face any challenges as well? If yes then what are those?

The only way to survive in such a competitive market is to be composed & take your decisions at the right time. The challenges we face include monopolies & backlashing, which makes it seem as though they are trying to bring everyone down through their actions.

  1. Three things that people don’t know about you?

Telling someone something about oneself is incredibly challenging. However, it is equally crucial that they comprehend who I am when it comes to getting to know me. First off, let me say that I am not a copycat. I don’t imitate, I don’t create monopolies, & I don’t follow those who only get fame or a following for doing so. The second issue is that I think my work speaks for itself, & while people may pursue me, they stay away from my work because I know that somewhere they are caught up in competition & are unaware of the kind of work I am capable of producing. Thirdly, not many people are aware that I was the only person from Pakistan to work for Fendi. Only a few of my seniors & some of the pioneering Pakistani fashion designers, including Deepak Perwani & Umar Sayeed, are aware that I completed their two sessions as an associate designer.

  1. What is your “being creative” philosophy? What excites you in fashion?

My approach to “Being creative” is to be you. When you are authentic, you will produce things. You’ll act in ways that unquestionably differ from what you do now. Don’t mimic others. The key to being creative, in my opinion, is to be true to oneself. Since I consider myself a fashionista, fashion is my life, & everything about it delights me.

  1. Being a male do you think men have more challenges in Fashion Industry than Women?

As long as everyone must face their obstacles & overcome them to advance in their fields, regardless of the gender they belong to, I won’t t prejudiced between men & women. In our culture, it is a fairly common st&ard to see guys who work in the fashion industry as beings from another planet or an entirely different species. Remember that males occupy the same place as women in Pakistan’s industries as those who helped the industry to flourish. If we use Umer Sayyed, Rizwan Baig, Deepak Perwani, Bunto Kazmi, Faiza Samee, & Nilofer Shahid as examples of pioneers. Men & women are always equal in the workplace, & when it comes to obstacles, nothing is impossibly difficult. You cannot succeed in any business until you overcome your obstacles & look forward.

  1. What’s your thought process when you choreograph a show? Do you take inspiration from different cultures?

Since it’s crucial to establish your base properly, I always start any choreography I do for the show with the premise. I create my notion & then experiment with it. Building an idea takes a lot of energy since it involves the actual paperwork that must be completed before any implementation. Similar to the quiet before a storm, only this one is planned. We work step by step to develop an idea that will inspire others. We draw inspiration from every aspect of our culture, & the way we combine it to form a whole determines the direction & choreography that will be most effective. Although our procedure is the same as everyone else’s, we focus on minute nuances that many directors could overlook. We focus on the progressive mind process rather than the regressive to bring that because the world is progressing with a lot of technology & upgraded, uplifted notions.

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  1. Any advice for aspiring show directors?

One thing to keep in mind is that you live in a universe where everything is seen at a tiny level & is minutely detailed. If you can manage them successfully, you will succeed as a director both now & in the future.

  1. Is there someone who inspires your work? Who do you look after?

Your work would undoubtedly be inspired by Gen Z designers or Gen Z culture since they might underst& your way of thinking because they share it, yeah! I do pay attention to designers because, as you may know, our nation has created some great names who have strived to develop our nation via their projects & directions. One of these names has always been Frieha Altaf, whose work has occasionally inspired me. Tips from seniors & their methods of working as directors have helped me to be a director for Gen Z since new ideas are always being introduced, but the basic advice never changes.

  1. How do you deal with the backlash? Some days you may get tired of it.

I’m quite eager to respond to this topic since I think it contains two ideas: success & progress. If there is no backlash, you will never advance since you only experience it when others begin to recognize you, which is one of the keys to your development & success. Remember that only successful & talented individuals face blowback. Without these negative consequences, you would never have the ability to grow personally & move closer to your objectives. Always keep in mind that those who criticize you are the ones who are aware that you are the one who stands up for yourself, & that makes you stronger. I will never get weary of this pushback since it is both my inspiration & my strength. This pushback, which I would refer to as my commitment, occurs whenever I am recognized. Consider criticism as a challenge since it will help you develop in life.

  1. Hassan, you’re known for your great work in the fashion industry, so when did you realize show direction is your thing? What was your learning process?

Being In the business for the past 12 years, I’ve learned that fashion moves at a breakneck speed & that you need your sense of direction to present your style correctly. I used to attend a lot of fashion shows, & I saw that there was often a lack of the appropriate direction for each collection of a designer. As a result, a lot of things continued to be built. Once in a blue moon, I asked the show director & choreographer at one of my shows if I might offer my personal opinion so that my collection could be properly represented. It thus turned out to be a fantastic thing. I have always been interested in design, & hosting theme-based events calls for a lot of effort & aesthetic judgment. So at that point, I believed that Gen Z required the appropriate modern thought process, fresh ideas, & concepts that were also related to my thoughts & notions. I would want to specifically thank my mentor Saeed Tamimi for helping me realize that I should pursue this course. The assurance he offered me worked wonders. His guidance gave me a lift.

  1. Lastly, can you tell us about your future projects?

Many unexpected initiatives are aligned. There are both domestic & foreign events. I want to keep you in the dark about the initiatives because the sooner you disclose them, the more monopolies will be established & the more chaos they will generate. Therefore, let’s leave them in place & see where we can take them.

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