She's not Miss-behaving

"I derive my inspiration looking out of my window and use birds and animals as part of my designs,” says the young and exuberant Shazneen Chiniwala who runs a successful garment business under the banner "Miss Behave.” Her studio window overlooks some lovely greenery which houses many parrots and other birds.

Putting all her dreams and designs onto a variety of fabrics she started a line of trendy, funky designer wear which was easy to wear and easier to like. The brand name Miss Behave, she says, "Just came to mind. It is also a pun that defines youth while being eminently feminine.”

Working from a comfort zone in her own environment, with the steady support of family (parents Rashna and Viraf) and friends, Chiniwala produces a variety of garments pleasing to both the eye and the senses. Her line of clothing, though trendy does not restrict itself only to teenagers, though the youth are her target audience. She works with a plethora of fabrics like nylon, satin, cotton, jute and lycra in bright and varied colors. "The designs are bold and yet are wearable both on a ramp or in everyday life,” notes the 24-year old.

Chiniwala stitches almost all her own garments which she embellishes with embroidery, sequins, appliqué work and bits of handicraft. She says, "I design all the garments, work on all the color schemes and stitch on the embellishments myself. I only have the embroidery done by various tailors.” The workmen though need her constant supervision as they are apt to make mistakes. She does not normally sell from her studio but supplies her wares to various stores and boutiques in Bombay such as The Oak Tree, Na-telzee, etc.

She held her first exhibition over Diwali last year and it was the resounding success she wanted it to be. Some day in the future she hopes to have her own boutique.

Her ‘passion for fashion’ began from her school days at New Activity School where she doodled with designs which subsequently took her to Sophia Col­lege’s three-year diploma course in fashion designing and garment making. Accolades soon poured in for the young and imaginative Shazneen who won the Amarson Shield for "Best Annual Display” and who stood first in design technology. On the heels of this award came the "Best Designer of the Year” awarded by the fashion house of Gabbana.

Armed with these honors, Shazneen found herself accepting an on-the-spot offer to join the London College of Fashion where she did a one year course followed by three years of varied work experience ranging from a stint with the house of Gap, as a visual display artist to an internship at Toy Shop to a shot at a gents store, Paul Smith. The experience in London gave the designer a very firm conviction that she was in the line she most wanted to be. Soon thereafter "My home turf beckoned and I wanted to come back to start a venture of my own which would allow me to be my own boss.” She thus converted her hobby into a very promising career.

Chiniwala’s infectious enthusiasm sees her putting her creativity to many uses. From decorating her mail box with postage stamps, to painting a stained glass effect on the light fittings, to making fun purses of jute, cane and sequins, her imagination knows no bounds. It is that same imagination that gives her garments a look all her own.

Warm, bright eyed and grateful for what life has offered her, she claims, "I am of a religious bent of mind, but religion to me is also to think good thoughts, and basically be good to people around me,” which exemplifies the Zoroastrian motto of "good thoughts, good words and good deeds.”

The best part of her career is that she is in total control of her own life and time. By her own admission she claims, "I can work non-stop for weeks or not work at all for a week if I so desire.” As the bubbly businesswoman sums up, "There is good money in fashion, but I am also aware that I have to stay with and ahead of the competition, which in today’s fashion conscious world can be quite overwhelming.”