It’s the end of October, and a little birdie informs us that something big is about to land in Dhaka. This something comes with the intention to stir up the men’s fashion scene, and in style. Shehzad Aaqib, the man behind Sarto, is a Toronto-based Bengali designer ready to shake up a storm in Dhaka with his Fall/Winter 2020 evening wear. We, at Avenue T, decided to get in touch with Shehzad and get the exclusive scoop on what’s been cooking.
Having worked with Shehzad in the past for a cover shoot of our very own July issue (have you checked that out, by the way?), there was no doubt about how smoothly this would go. But what was meant to be an interview turned into a catching up session; talking about everything from cats to whips, to even some precious life hacks, there was never a dull moment in the almost two hour-long conversation.
Shehzad exudes a kind of charm that’s hard to explain -- and that is translated in everything he does, too. Sarto, his brainchild, started off as a bespoke fashion line in Canada about three years ago. Catering to mostly corporate employees, Shehzad designed suits personalized for every client. But the itch to design more led him to decide to branch out. He believes Canada doesn’t need any more competition, and there are more opportunities for growth here. “Competition is healthy,” he said. “Just because you buy Dior doesn’t mean you don’t shop at Chanel.” And to create that very kind of healthy competition, Shehzad decided to tap into the Dhaka market.
