Happiness is handmade

exhibition

What began as a small effort to bring together the people and effort behind handmade craft 10 years ago, is the catalyst for today’s movement toward handmade crafts and urban craft fairs. The Crafter’s Expo is a flagship event which brought together 55 makers in a span of 3 weeks to celebrate the first ever event of its kind – specific to crafters and creatives pursuing a path less travelled. Over the years, the platform has evolved. Not only does it curate some of the most attended craft fairs and artisan bazaars, but has been a means to catapult over 1300 craft based businesses with opportunities to scale their work. Here’s exactly what makes initiatives at this event different from the rest.

Varah Musavvir, also referred to as The Firefly Girl, is the brains behind not just Firefly but also a community under the name of The Crafter’s Guild (TCG). The community was founded in 2012 in a bid to overcome the gap in the market which specifically catered to craft centric ventures. TCG works with individual brands through workshops, craft shows, pop-ups, collaborations and vocational training programs too. Firefly is Pakistan’s first bespoke gifts and greeting cards brand, which is a powerhouse of quirky, catchy and creative products created and inspired by life’s most auspicious moments.

From there onward, the initiative began supporting women led businesses with income generating opportunities, representation at various high profile events, commendations at The Governor House, workshops for growth, corporate connections, and even television appearances and features to highlight respective brands and their stories. This did not only uplift the urban craft scene, but began bringing to light fruitful opportunities for artisans from interior Sindh and other villages of Pakistan, as well.

The secret to success and popularity of this solely lies in the essence of community and personalised approach. The exhibitions are not purely commercial, they push one’s boundaries and help you see beyond business. They inculcate a sense of story, a sense of ownership and a level of personal connection – not just with customers and potential buyers, but with each other. This has sustained growth and uplifted networking opportunities for success.

With the 10th Anniversary celebrations nearing, and preparations underway for the Annual Crafter’s Expo, we have some heart to heart conversation with fellow creatives who found home at this craft fair over the years.

“TCG events have helped me immensely in the last 4 years, with marketing and bringing more traction to my ecommerce business, I even made a few business relations through it,” shares Sahar Zakir of Kohenoor Collection, a popular jewellery brand.

Like her, Kaneez Fatima from SK Attires states, “The previous experience was really good. My business was promoted by getting new clients.” She is looking forward to participate to make more connections and new clientele.

Some stories are even more inspiring and build on the power of human connection like Nafees Halai’s at Picklenary. It is after she registered for the craft fair that life took a turn when she lost her husband, her biggest cheerleader. “The Crafter’s Guild has given life to Picklenary in a social platform through their vision, commitment, empathy and a mission to bring home entrepreneurs to the next level. I had just started my work a few months ago in 2015 with just one product. Got an opportunity to exhibit my brand for the first time. There is no looking back now. Six years seem six decades. The love, motivation, encouragement, support that was given to me and my brand has been phenomenal,” she enthuses.

More family centric support comes to light with brands like Beads Desired. Afsheen Asif, the owner recently opened up on her journey and how such events were a catharsis to help combat her struggles with mental health. “TCG is the launching platform for my brand Beads Desired - it has been instrumental in growing us and refining us and has given us a repeating cliental, hone our communication skills and refined our products and gave us an opportunity to build us a brand.”

“The marketing, the awareness and the exposure given through their events has always helped us scale our business higher in terms of brand reach and sales at the event and also later on our social media handles” states Ghunwa Memon from the popular skincare line Pure Desi.

Like Ghunwa, Asma Shaikh at Neeya’s also shares similar views. “TCG has been a great platform for people who are eager to grow and start an independent lifestyle. It increases our network and provides exposure. It helps market our product and encourages new comers to take a step.”

Some regular exhibitors and popular businesses from the event are actually looking forward to the festivities in store for this year. “This time the venue has changed, and we are excited to engage with a different audience and are eager to exhibit our creations to them,” elucidates Urooj Saeed of brand Homemade Wholesome – famous for their sell-out brownies.

While it is a misconception that the platform only caters to a particular age bracket, Naghmana Rao is breaking stereotypes through her brand Rao Collection with one success after another – that too for 8 years straight. “By exhibiting our products, we discovered the true value of our brand. Their support and amazing response from clients has encouraged us to come back every year with better and more unique products. One of many ways that TCG has uplifted our brand is that they provide us with the most sophisticated clients. We must admit that they have provided small businesses, like ours, with a big platform,” she exclaims.

When asked what’s next for this journey, Varah Musavvir, who also spearheads the creative aspects of Firefly, delves, “The culmination of ten years at the moment is a big responsibility to uphold since so many creatives rely on our efforts. We have found countless ways to give back to all the people who’ve believed in our platforms and this year the celebration is no different. Countless creators have been beneficiaries through our platform. This includes widows, divorcees, young people who are orphaned or struggling to pay their college tuition, or even housewives finding ways to help their husbands combat the economic crisis and inflation. We are also driven by inclusivity and hope to support businesses working toward sustainability. Happiness is Handmade – and it’s made right here in Pakistan.”

The exhibition will be held on 13th November at Area 51, DHA, Karachi. Come and see the efforts and creations of these artisans. Entry is free.

-You! desk