Artist: https://www.instagram.com/hamd_sohaiil/

Curator: https://www.instagram.com/ellavaughnjohnson/

Photographers:

https://www.instagram.com/osamadoger/

Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design graduate, Hamd Sohail, renders animated playful fantasies from the most methodical of processes. Not only is Sohail's collection “Dyeing the Dead'' a fashion feat but a biology lesson.

Diaphonization is a process used by biologists to study small animals by breaking down the flesh and then staining the bone and cartilage in neon colors. And if you break down Sohail’s thesis collection each delicate look replicates the unique shapes and colors of a diaphonized animal. Fleshy pink hues, knotting veins, and scaly skin come back to life in the form of iridescent fabrics. 

As fragile and dainty as a diaphonized animal is the technical expertise in Sohail's collection “Dyeing the Dead”. Each look is a poetic blend of textures, shapes, and colors. Garment 2 is an exemplary demonstration of both Sohail's creative and technical capabilities, the model dons an ombre blue headpiece mimicking the gills of a fish, but the real eye-catching moment is the trousers. The red trousers sport multiple translucent “fins” off each leg, forming a protective exoskeleton around the models lower body. In Sohail's work,where every detail can be a focal point, it's easy to get lost examining the various inert fabrics twisted to emulate once life-like veins and muscles.

Sohail’s designs are more than just clothes but artistic fossil replicas .Garment 1 is not a dress nor a bodysuit but a sculpture cast onto the body of the model, overlapping translucent pink and purple fabric form a set of broad yet soft shoulders, the body being a hexagonal sculpture of red vinyl with striking cut-outs. 

Because words can't fully describe Sohail's work, be sure to check it out on the designer's Instagram @hamd_sohaiil. All the captivating photography throughout the collection is done by Osama Doger.

Where are you from?

I am a Pakistani and I'm currently living in the city Lahore.

What encouraged you to pursue design as a career?

I was a business major student who loved to create. Something always felt unfit in that combination. The urge to bring out that sense of creativity, to design physical forms of the entire world residing within memory, it gave me peace and the feeling of fulfilment. 

How would you describe your style as a designer?

My work is an expression. It's a feeling of relatability. It's free. 

I believe the biggest inspiration to create something comes from within yourself. It comes from learning to be bold with your instincts, judgements and choices. That is what makes design distinct. That is why I love design. 

 What are some of the key inspirations that influence your work? 

Living creatures and organisms facinate me. How their structure and delicacy go so well together. And chemistry. 

How did your experience in (school/interning) forge your progression as a designer? 

School taught me to be unapologetically free with my work whereas interning kept me in walls of restrictions. I learnt to be myself through it all. A balance. 

What excites you about fashion?

It's ability to be relatable. As humans, more than often we are misunderstood. Fashion bridges this gap and you find people who see themselves in your work. Your expression becomes their expression. It's like morse code for creative understanding. 

If you could dress anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

Mona Lisa; she looks a bit sad in the painting. 

We are seeing a revolution in the way fashion is done. For example, brands are increasingly focused on digital mediums to share their work as a result of the pandemic. What is something specific you would change about the industry?

I believe AI shouldn't be used. Design is losing originality because of it. 

What are the ways you are tackling sustainability as a brand, and how does that fit into your creative process?

I am a huge supporter of doing the creative process digitally. There are full softwares available which give exact measurements of the fabrication to be used and complete patterns can be made. On top of that, the use of material is quite relevant when talking about sustainability. I tend to use materials which aren't subject to the basic wear and tear. 

How is our modern world shaping the future of fashion? Where do we go from here?

The fast pace in the development of Fashion and how its evolving is hard to stay focused in. I think as designers its important to not get distracted to stay relevant but be consistent in our work. Create fashion which speaks volumes and relates. 

How important is sustainable/ethically made fashion and where does that fit in terms of your own design process?

Ethically made fashion is extremely important for us to stay grounded to our values and responsibilities which we owe to the world we live in. Everything you do has consequences which in time affects the living cycle. That's the first thing which needs to be considered in design as it inspires thousands of others to do the same and maybe one day we will bring some change. 

How important is size inclusivity to you, as well are shifting beauty standards?

When it comes to fashion, it is the most important thing. The world has set unrealistic beauty standards which has changed the entire dynamic to the negative. The human body is beautiful in its natural form, no matter what shape, size or color. With the passage of time, people are getting more confident about themselves, in their bodies rather than a model physique and its one of the best things to have been happening. 

What should we hope to see from you in the next few years?

More fashion which knows no bounds yet relates with everyone. 

.If you could have a dinner with any six people throughout history, who would they be and why?

1. Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) 

2. Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah the founder of my country Pakistan. He had a great vision and I'd love to know what he wanted for the country. 

3. My grandmother. I've heard so greatly of her being a one of a kind human. 

4. Pablo Picasso. To know what actually inspired him.

5. Frida Kahlo - for her version of the female experiance. 

6. Martin Luther King - for his strong humanitarian views