Yugen by Safa

Fashion – Toronto

Bangladesh-born Safa Hossain, is the Toronto based fashion designer behind the women's contemporary ready-to-wear label Yugen by Safa. Art has always been part of Safa's life. It was a mandatory course at her elementary school where she learned basic hand sewing embroidery as well. "I remember my dad used to send me Barbie dolls from KSA, I never liked the dresses that the dolls had on, so I decided to make dresses for them myself out of my mom's used sarees." Having promised her parents to pursue academic studies, Safa completed her BBA at East West University and obtained her MBA at University of Dhaka in Dhaka, Bangladesh. She thus applied to study at the National Institute of Design in Bangladesh to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a fashion designer. She acquired the basic skills like sketching, pattern drafting, digital design, however, Safa had in mind a higher ambition to pursue an international fashion career. She graduated from the Toronto Film School's Fashion Design Program and during her time at TFS she had the opportunity to compete at the Creative Festival Competition as part of the school's team. She also worked as an intern and later on as pre-production associate at Greta Constantine. Safa designed her first-ever collection Spring/Summer 2019 'Wabi-Sabi: The Beauty of Imperfection'. Safa addresses herself as an introvert who considers fashion a way of expression. In her words, "I find it hard to express myself through words. I use music, philosophy, cultural views or concepts and connect them with my thoughts to express different perception of the world. As a designer I engage fashion as a medium to communicate these perceptions."