As her most recent collection, the Colonial Collection, reveals, Sonya has delved into the history of the subcontinent to fuse the Raj influence, such as the gharara and the proper British-inspired Jinnah suit, with the drama of modern and flamboyant local hues and influences. At an hour-long solo fashion show sponsored to coincide with the launch of Guerlain cosmetics in Pakistan, Sonya took Pakistani fashion into the new millennium and drew rave reviews fusing the ancient cotton gharara of Hyderabad with Savile Row fabric and tailoring, and playfully experimenting with new cloth, cut and colour. Although the Guerlain launch signalled her coup d'etat on the fashion scene, it was far from the beginning of the story. After graduating from American College of London, she returned to Pakistan convinced that fashion was her forte. Her inspiration comes from nature, and organic forms.
Skin is so alive, so multi-textured.
She uses what she calls mood boards' in order to begin a new collection. Incorporating everything from fabric swatches to colour samples and random sketches, she literally pulls together a host of influences onto large white boards. With these successful collections under her belt, Sonya is poised at the crossroads. For one so young, she has firmly established herself as a major fashion player, with some of her early designs and influences even popping up unacknowledged in the collections of much more high profile designers. But a real one, where there is professionalism and a design team, and where I can have the freedom to experiment with the supply side of fashion as well, such as cloth and fabric development.