Behind the scenes in the life of Tazrian Binte Ishaque Nity, fashion designer and founder of Pinky Promise by Nity, a brand that is quickly making a name for their snazzy loungewear
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I like to identify myself as a mother of two over anything, because to me, family always comes first. Other than managing my business Pinky Promise, I’m also an environmentalist and I try to prioritize sustainable use of the natural resources we have at our disposal.
What inspired you to start Pinky Promise?
Back in 2019, I realised that I was purchasing a lot of loungewear when returning from trips abroad because it was unavailable in Bangladesh. I started Pinky Promise in mid-October of that year so that people here can have access to comfortable yet stylish pajamas and kaftans, locally. I heavily took inspiration from Victoria’s Secret and even Chanel when starting this brand. When starting I started off with pajamas and robe pajamas. I launched various designs like single robes, slip dresses, kaftans and even stitched kaftans. I wanted to create loungewear of exceptional quality and make them available at a very affordable price. I really wanted to create clothing items that would be a win-win situation for anyone purchasing them, with quality equivalent to that of high-end brands, and affordable pricing.
Your favorite piece amongst the ones you’ve made so far?
I like most of the products I’ve come up with over the past 2 years. I think each clothing item has its own identity, and the patterns are suitable for different occasions. However, if I were to pick one amongst all, I’d choose to go with ‘Starlight’, a pj I released last year during Christmas. Also the ‘Shimmery’ kaftan, which was one of the first kaftans I worked on.
Your favorite part about Pinky Promise?
The fact that I’m able to do what I love for a living is my favorite part. I love providing comfy and quality loungewear to our community and I think the positive reception I receive from people on a regular basis is also one of the things I really enjoy about Pinky Promise. I absolutely adore the whole process of receiving an order, especially when it’s time to do the packaging for it, which I also really enjoy!
What are the challenges of running a brand like Pinky Promise?
I think the biggest challenge is the fact that I have to deal with numerous people who copy my design. Instead of taking inspiration from it and working on their own design, they feel the need to replicate it entirely, which is rather annoying. I love having healthy competition, because it really helps me be observant and understand the progress I’ve made over the years, but I think it’s also very unfortunate how little we can do about having copycats. Even having a legal team wouldn’t be helpful when solving such problems in this country.
I WANTED TO CREATE LOUNGEWEAR OF EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY AND MAKE THEM AVAILABLE AT A VERY AFFORDABLE PRICE
Moreover, at times, because of imitators, people reach out to me and talk about how they’ve seen clothing items of the same designs and how the prices of their items are cheaper compared to mine. At times, this can be quite infuriating since people are unaware of how much effort is put into the process of creating clothing items, how much investment is needed to market the product, and effort I put into designing each loungewear in my collection. I suppose it is important to remind myself that my designs are original, and people replicating my products are my followers.
Given the circumstances, what’s next for Pinky Promise by Nity?
There are a bunch of things that are in the works for Pinky Promise! At the moment, we’re working on making various items, such as skincare items, t-shirts, shorty shorts, and lingerie. Even though the uncertainty of this lockdown is delaying the projects and releases, some exciting announcements will be made soon on the social media channels of Pinky Promise.
What piece of advice would you like to give to up and coming designers?
Listen to your heart and do what you please. Life is too short to be dismissive about your own creative thoughts. Embrace your ideas. Give your dreams a chance and see how it works out for you.