What Inspired You to Enter the World of Fashion and Design?

Zain Ahmad (ZA):

Rastah Brand. In all honesty, it began quite accidentally. By the summer of my third year at university, many of my peers were landing six-figure job offers while I was left with empty hands and no real plan.

Around that time, I took a trip to Los Angeles. While browsing through high-end boutiques, I noticed a recurring pattern:

many of the clothes were made in Pakistan or Bangladesh. Yet, the tags bore the names of Western luxury brands.

Rastah Brand. That realization stuck with me.

It reminded me of how Pakistan manufactures some of the world’s best footballs, yet it’s always the Nike or Adidas logo that’s celebrated. I started to question why countries like ours, rich in craftsmanship, were left out of brand ownership and creative direction.

The Initial Spark: A Business Idea Rooted in Heritage

Rastah Brand. It wasn’t that I dreamt of starting a fashion label. What I did know, however, was that I didn’t want to work a traditional 9-to-5 job. I wanted to build something of my own.

I returned to Pakistan with a vague idea of buying and selling shawls internationally. Looking back, that would’ve been a terrible business model due to competition, scalability, and the limited value you can add to a shawl. Thankfully, that plan evolved.

Alongside my cousin and now-business partner, we pivoted to experimenting with T-shirts and hoodies. The twist? We would incorporate fabrics and patterns that were quintessentially South Asian. That was our minimum viable product, our first test—and from there, Rastah was born.

Rastah : Streetwear Rooted in South Asian Culture

Rastah Brand. Streetwear has grown up. Once seen as the uniform of hypebeasts, it’s now a medium for cultural expression. Around the world, brands are using their platforms to explore identity, history, and heritage.

Take Mobilize, for example—a label that educates people about Indigenous traditions through each clothing drop. Similarly, Rastah, our Pakistan-based streetwear label, aims to champion South Asian culture through every stitch and silhouette.

The Founding of Rastah

Rastah was founded in 2018 by myself, my cousins Ismail, and Adnan Ahmad. Though based in Lahore, I’ve lived in London, Toronto, and Vancouver—and each city has shaped my creative eye. Still, Lahore remains a powerful inspiration. It’s chaotic, loud, colorful—and that energy pulses through our designs.

Volume V: Merging East and West

Rastah Brand. Our latest fall collection, Volume V, blends Eastern prints with Western silhouettes. We’re talking hoodies, tees, and jackets in bold graffiti-style prints and layered logos—each crafted using traditional Pakistani methods.

Rastah Brand. One standout piece is a yellow silk suit adorned with red roses, block-printed by hand by our in-house artisan, Aslam Mirza.

Our woven jackets are produced on a traditional Pakistani hand loom, a craft that is sadly fading. Most of our printing involves hand-carved wooden blocks—another dying art form we’re trying to revive.

The goal? To reinterpret and modernize these techniques, making them relevant and desirable for younger audiences.

Telling Stories Through Streetwear : Rastah Brand

Some Rastah pieces make direct references to Pakistani culture. For instance, our “Notoriety” twill jacket, famously worn by Riz Ahmed, features photos of me in Lahore as a child, alongside images of iconic

Rastah Brand. Pakistani figures like Imran Khan—cricket legend turned Prime Minister, who led Pakistan to a World Cup victory in 1992.

On the back of the jacket is a rare image of the Murree Brewery—Pakistan’s only brewery. These details aren’t just aesthetic choices; they’re cultural commentaries wrapped in wearable art.

Reviving Craftsmanship Through Modern Design : Rastah Brand

Rastah is more than just clothing—it’s a mission. A mission to revive fading crafts, reinterpret identity, and reclaim ownership of narratives often overshadowed by Western brands.

We’re not just producing garments; we’re preserving legacy while pushing creative boundaries.

And perhaps most importantly, we’re showing the world that South Asian craftsmanship deserves a global stage—not just as manufacturers, but as storytellers and brand builders.