Inaaya is a fashion startup endorsed by Amal Alamuddin

For ten years Naushaba Brohi, founder of Pakistan-based fashion startup Inaaya, was an employee at a local television channel, producing shows centered on lifestyle and fashion. Describing the job as one she “hated”, Brohi found herself at a crossroads. She needed the money to tend for her two-year-old daughter, but found it impossible to motivate herself to work a “dreary and lifeless” job.

As Pakistan found itself engulfed in an unprecedented humanitarian crisis caused by deadly floods in late 2010, Brohi was motivated to do something meaningful. She made a life-changing decision to quit her job and travel to the affected areas. “At the time I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was, I’m healthy and I have two good hands. If nothing else, at the very least I could prepare meals for the starving families,” she tells Tech in Asia.

It was during this trip to the flood ravaged region of rural Sindh that Brohi witnessed firsthand the depth of suffering amongst the local community. At one point a woman begged her to take her daughter back to the city and give her a job. “I found this difficult to digest,” says Brohi. “I knew more could be done to empower the community.”

The silver lining of Brohi’s visit to the affected region was that she noticed the remarkable design and aesthetic standards of local artisans. Women were highly proficient in weaving cloth, making jewelry, and stitching bed sheets. More importantly, they adhered to cultural traditions that were centuries-old and had been passed down from generation to generation. She instinctively felt that much could be done to harness this potential by providing the local women with the right guidance and access to a mass consumer market.

Innaya founder Naushaba Brohi flanked by her team of rural artisans

Prior understanding helped

Brohi’s exposure to the fashion industry as well as experience gained from frequent international travel helped her realize there was a large market for ethnic goods and crafts. “Retail outlets such as Anthropologie and Pottery Barn frequently stock products sourced from rural communities in South Asia,” she affirms. “I knew the opportunity was there and I needed to grasp it.”

Despite candidly admitting that, at the time, she had “no idea what she was doing”, Brohi proceeded to place an order for floor cushions, intricately detailing the design and color palettes she wished to be incorporated. Her workers – women in rural Sindh – were confused. Why would a woman from Karachi be interested in their products? What was her agenda? Brohi – who had the advantage of being able to converse with the women in their local dialect – did her best to alleviate their concerns. She assured them that they would be paid in cash up front and that she wasn’t out to take advantage of their plight. Slowly, the rural artisans began to trust her.

“I didn’t know what would stick, what would sink, what would swim. Ended up doing a bit of everything and hoped for the best,” says the founder.

At the same time, Brohi approached home and lifestyle outlets in Karachi and pitched the idea of stocking these products in their stores. One store manager offered some words of advice. “Don’t waste your time making cushions. They won’t sell. People here want clothes, make those instead,” she recalls being told.

After quickly pivoting her model and diversifying the product range to include clothes and jewelry, Brohi went back to the same store. A couple of days later she received a call from the manager informing her that the stock had sold out completely. “He wanted to know how soon I could send another batch,” she adds, smiling.