Passion for fashion: Kashmiri engineer Shazia Bhat quits job to pursue childhood dream

Shazia who hails from Srinagar said that it was never easy for her to work in the fashion industry in a conservative society like Kashmir but her passion motivated her to quit her job to work in the field, reports ETV Bharat's Parved ud Din.

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Working as an engineer in Rajasthan, Shazia Bhat was all settled in her life. But she was never settled. Shazia, a 27 year old woman from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, left her promising engineering job to work as a fashion promoter. Her passion for fashion forced her to say goodbye to her profession and return to Kashmir.

The women of Kashmir are moving forward in every field, but for Kashmiri girls, the fashion industry is a new experience in a conservative society. It is not an easy task to make your presence felt in the society as a fashion blogger, content creator and influencer. This bold decision was by no means easy for Shazia, but with courage and determination, she initially started making small videos from her mobile phone and later got the opportunity to promote makeup for the first time through Instagram.

With the baby steps, her work not only began to be liked, but Shazia also started receiving offers for promotion from famous brands here. In a special conversation with ETV Bharat, Shazia said that she received her primary education from Srinagar. After completing her engineering studies in Delhi, she worked as an engineer in Rajasthan for two years.

But Shazia said she was interested in the fashion industry since her childhood which motivated her to work as an influencer and promoter. Shazia said that initially she faced many difficulties in making her dreams a reality as brand promotion was not practiced in Kashmir. She said that in the beginning her family didn't support her as she had to carry her phone and camera all day long.

“It used to be a waste of time and money. But today I am a promoter of different brands on Instagram and other social media platforms. With good earnings, now parents have also understood the work of brand promotion,” Shazia told ETV Bharat. She said that earning money through social media is full of challenges due to strong criticism from some quarters because the society here does not yet recognize the fashion industry as a job for women.

Shazia said that social media is a medium through which women can earn their jobs better and with dignity. Apart from her home, Shazia shoots promotional videos in studios and also goes outdoors to make videos as per the demand.