By Sahara is a seasonless 90s inspired clothing brand advocating sustainability and timelessness. With a number of unique yet classic designs, By Sahara is a home-grown business offering stunning staple pieces that can be worn for any occasion.
The concept of slow fashion plays a significant role in the designing and production of By Sahara. Founder, Sahara Shafi explained that when it came to designing the fit of her pieces, she opted for more classical styles “that year in and year out i’ve always loved myself” in aims to stray away from short-term fashion trends.
Also known as ‘micro-trends’, short lived fashion culture is one of the most harmful pollutants to the environment. A ‘micro-trend’ is a term referring to designs that adhere to the quickly changing fashion scene that will inevitably go out of what's deemed ‘in style’ and end up in landfill.
For this reason, By Sahara’s stance on designing pieces with longevity and permanence in mind is a crucial step towards creating a wardrobe to last.
Sahara also takes pride in the composition of her products, using recycled fabrics and lining both the best seller Macchiato top and her Pistachio Matcha dress with rose satin; a fabric that is made from organic rose petals and is also biodegradable.
With this in mind, By Sahara only launches products in small batches, to ensure that there is no product build up whilst also creating a luxurious sense of exclusivity for each piece.
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For Sahara Shafi, a big inspiration for the brand’s designs comes from first hand experiences of growing up as a south asian woman- struggling to find a wardrobe that she loved and was able to identify with. Sahara explained “I had my wardrobe for when I was going out with my friends and then I had my wardrobe for when I was going out with my family. I never really loved either because neither of them felt quite me or quite right. So for me, a big reason for By Sahara was that I wanted to find that middle-ground.”
Sahara aims to keep By Sahara inclusive to her southern asian background as she adds that “I wish that I had seen more people that look like me, doing what I’m doing” recalling “I remember thinking this and thinking, wait, why don't I do it?”
By Sahara is a clothing brand “for everyone” reinforcing slow fashion through the idea that one piece can be worn in a handful of ways.
Fashion has always been a love of Sahara’s, knowing that someday she hoped to pursue a career in the industry herself. Sahara first had the idea for By Sahara in June 2024, and with the support of her family and friends, began designing clothes for pre-order shortly after.
Brands such as Mirror Palais and Orseund Iris are just a couple of the brands that she enjoys for their day to day pieces, whilst also priding Paloma Wool and Gimaguas for their versatile yet distinctive designs.
It was important for Sahara when developing By Sahara to demonstrate a sense of brand individuality as she loves to be able to recognise where an item comes from through its particular style.
Since the website first launched back in August 2024, By Sahara has already seen substantial growth and Sahara reflects on her first months as a business owner to be “the most rewarding and fulfilling” thing that she has ever done- encouraging other budding brand owners that although pursuing a business can be tough, it is undoubtedly worth it.
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