Montrealer designer Suhaila Niazi showcasing her designs at Semaine Mode de Montreal

Suhaila Niazi is a fashion designer, creative director and retail therapist. She may have been born in Montreal, but the influences for her designs hail from South Asia and her travels abroad.

Niazi is preparing for her upcoming show during Semaine Mode de Montreal.

Niazi explains that a “retail therapist is someone who basically helps you with your style, your budget and your lifestyle and your body shape.

“And I help you with your maybe sometimes changing the way that you look.

“You’ve lost weight, gained weight, just got married, got divorced or want something new in your life.

“And I think it’s something that a lot of people don’t consider and I think it’s very important even just to try it once.

“It’s a consultation that’s one on one, it’s very personalized.”

One thing she does as a retail therapist is help her clients build a capsule wardrobe. She explains it “is something that just recently came into play because it didn’t exist in the ’80s, that’s for sure.

“It’s been about three decades that I’ve been doing retail therapy and I can tell you this much.

“Quality versus quantity is huge.

“Get yourself some great basics, which I would help with according to your lifestyle and your job and making outfits within that capsule that will last you an entire season.

“So at this point now you’re doing 15 to 20 pieces that are going to work throughout a whole season.

“Think about that. It’s very interesting and you save money and you don’t haphazardly go shopping and buying things and keep tags on them.”

Over the course of her career, Niazi has worked with and dressed many celebrities including Celine Dion, Angelina Jolie, Johnny Depp, Michael Kors, and Jean Paul Gaultier.

When asked about her experiences, Niazi shared: “Well, working with Celine Dion, I was working with a really renowned stylist, Annie Horth, and I was basically assisting her at that time because I was brand new in the field.

“And learning from her was a lot.

“And then moving forward with Johnny Depp, it was a film industry.

“So it was basically being coordinated and directed by other people, but then also giving a little bit here and there of what I thought was right.

“And I learned a lot from both of them and both industries.”

Niazi shares that she reaches clients from different generations, “the Gen Zs, the mature people, the people who have been in this industry for a long time.

“And I’ve seen that a lot of people are doing a lot of cultural fashion shows.

“I wouldn’t say mine’s really cultural.

“I would say it’s diverse.”

While Niazi gets inspired by everything around her, there are some elements in particular that inspire her the most.

“Travel is a huge influence on my collection and my children are as well.

“So I feel like sometimes my children will say something that’s very different that I don’t know about and you know how the generation is now and we’re very different from our age group to their age group.

“And I feel like the time that we travel and the way they see the world and the way I see the world is two different levels completely.

“And I think this collection will kind of show a little bit of both.

“And I’m hoping, I’m really hoping that the audience gets to see my vision of how I live, how I breathe, how I eat, and how my collection is going to go into their lifestyles eventually as well.”

Suhaila reflects on her career and says, “I think it’s what I’ve been through in the past 10 years of my life.

“I’ve done Miami Fashion Week for a couple of years and it’s been a little bit of a standstill because I went into a different direction.

“And I came back to this because I love absolutely what I do and I’m so looking forward to this show because it’s going to be a little bit different than what I normally do.

“But again, it’ll still be where I’m rooted from, which is my cultural background.”

In 2013, Niazi’s talent was celebrated when she participated in the Cashmere Canada competition, where she crafted a dress entirely out of toilet paper, winning the prestigious “North American Designer Award.”

Since her debut collection in 2010, she has remained authentic to her origins, reflecting her French-Canadian upbringing in designs that drape luxurious fabrics in vibrant, bold colours, transporting wearers into a world of fantasy without compromising the soul.

Niazi’s latest collection is a tribute to the four main elements — fire, air, water, and earth — while introducing a new, essential element for today’s world. This collection, which pays homage to her first couture runway show in 2010, is designed to envelop the mind and soul, allowing others to experience how she has captured the heart of fashion in her journey.

Beyond her design work, Niazi is a creative force in the fashion industry, known for her ability to make people feel beautiful both inside and out. As a personal shopper, retail therapist, and the designer behind the couture brand Al Shakour, she has spiced up the runway with timeless, one-of-a-kind pieces that build self-confidence and self-awareness.

Niazi’s fashion show takes place Sept. 19 from 5-10pm.