Classic, comfy and practical, ballet flats are an essential for every wardrobe. While they will always be a classic, the typical Western ones can sometimes be a little bland when worn with traditional South Asian clothes. This is where Fatima Nadia comes in, with her store Needle Bee, which offers a wide selection of comfy, blinged out juttis for the shoe lovers. Needle Bee began as a small entrepreneurial venture around November, 2016 and Nadia has been the sole proprietor of the business. She sat down with Avenue T this month, to discuss the ins and outs of footwear manufacturing.
When asked about her motivation to become a footwear designer, Nadia informed, “I think it was deep-seated in me since I was young. Over the years, I had seen my mother wait in anticipation for the Dhaka International Trade Fair to buy her favourite piece of footwear – juttis. Back in the day, there weren't many options when it came to ethnic footwear for women in Bangladesh. So, we had to resort to buying what was available. Neither were the finishing of these shoes done well, nor were they comfortable.” 
