Sumptuous furnishings

interiors

This week You! talks to Sana Khan Niazi, CEO of an online furniture store, launched recently...

We don’t just make but we innovate handicrafts. Our goal is to provide fair wages to artisans who may not know the value of their own craft,” says Sana Khan Niazi, Founder and CEO of Paimona.

Paimona is an upscale one stop online store for furniture and home decor pieces that depicts a fusion of classic and modern accents. “The thought came as a coincidence. I was shopping in Dubai for my home once and I have a habit of flipping through tags to see where they are made. Something struck me odd here because I could see tags like ‘Made in India’,

‘Made in Bangladesh’, ‘Made in Nepal’, ‘Made in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia’  but no ‘Made in Pakistan.’ I went through the whole store looking for that one tag that would curb my curiosity but couldn’t find it,” recalls Niazi. “I came back to Pakistan, determined to find out what was going on. I knew that we had such great skill and craft in the country, such beauty in the work, but why was it not being shared with the world? I set out on a search to find these answers. And here I am today with my own online store and brand - Paimona,” shares Niazi.

Her brand offers an extensive product range from wood furniture to artwork, rugs, lighting, outdoor decor, window fabrics, interior decoration and also caters to customised orders. The furniture and furnishings that this online store offers is different from the handcrafted furniture you find in the market. These elegant pieces are designed by Sana herself and made by skilled artisans that are based in Hala, Bhitt Shah, Umer Kot, Multan and the outskirts of Lahore. The brand celebrates creative and artistic designs, showcasing a fusion of upbeat hues and cultural accents. The furniture is a perfect blend of modern aesthetics and cultural relevance, and is also serving a greater purpose - empowering the artisans in Pakistan on a global scale and contributing towards their training and education.

Niazi’s journey to redefine the culture of Pakistan and paint it in modern colours hasn’t been a bed of roses. “From Karachi to Hala, Bhitt Shah and Shahdadpur, to Multan, Gujranwala, Gujrat, everywhere I went it was the same disappointing story: lack of resources and government support in the face of international competition, and of course lack of education and skill development. It made me want to help the craftsmen and artisans while taking our crafts and culture to a global level. That was the turning point that finally made me start Paimona. The solution was simple... I design, train and educate. They create.”

According to Niazi, the passion and talent that these artisans possess drives her to take her business forward. “I work with artisans on the craft that they know all too well through generations and merge them with modern designs. Through our online store, the artisans and craftsmen are not only earning a sustainable living but also enjoying the work. Knowing that the pieces they make with such care and love will be used by someone sitting across the globe was something they had not even dreamed of and this really liberates them. They now believe they can break boundaries with their craft!”

When asked about her advice to women entrepreneurs around her, Niazi says, “My advice to women working on their own startups is simple - be fearless, be fierce.”

The brand has been around for a year, and Sana is currently selling via Facebook within Pakistan and to Pakistanis living abroad like in Dubai. Sana Khan Niazi first started her venture with her sister who helped her out for a while. However, since the past few months she is managing the brand solo, and has also been incubated at The Nest i/o, P@SHA’s Tech Incubator. With the launch of her online store, she plans to expand to other major cities of the world and get the ‘Made in Pakistan’ label touch every corner of the globe!