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[title]What it is Dresses, summer shawls, blazers and collars featuring rich color palettes and fashionable embellishments.
Who she is Chicagoan Azeeza Desai Khan studied fashion in India for a couple of years as a teenager, but switched her focus to marketing when she was a student at DePaul University. After college, she spent time working for Mayor Daley, but it was while doing marketing for other fashion designers that she decided to start her own line, Atelier AZZA. Instead of quietly launching it, Khan made her debut last fall showing her 2012 spring collection at Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week. “First impressions count the most, so that’s why I chose that elevated approach [to launch the line],” she says. The showing was well received by Vogue India, The Wall Street Journal and other publications.
What she makes Khan says her line is High Street meets high fashion. “It’s definitely meant to be attainable,” she says. “The highest price point I like to pay for a dress is $395.” (Some of her custom order bespoke pieces do come with higher price tags.) Although Khan was born and raised in Chicago, her background is South Asian, and her Indian influences are evident in her designs. “I’m interested in bringing traditional embroideries onto modern cuts,” she says. Flowy, draping dresses in spring and jewel-tone colors contain beaded and embroidered embellishments along the collars. Accessories include unisex fine cashmere shawls and scarves, bow ties and more. “You’ll get noticed in my clothes, but it’s not over the top,” she says.
Where to find them Khan plans to be in boutiques soon, but for now you can find Atelier AZZA at atelierazza.com.