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Outlook: Dressing Beyoncé: It started with a Barbie outfit

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Osman Yousefzada poses in front of two mannequins and two models wearing his outfits during London Fashion Week 2020

31/03/2022 GMT

Dressing Beyoncé: It started with a Barbie outfit

BBC World Service - Outlook, Dressing Beyoncé: It started with a Barbie outfit

Artist Osman Yousefzada's love of clothes came from watching his mum sew for neighbours

Artist Osman loved to watch his mum sew, in a part of the house men weren't allowed. What he learnt about style saw him launch a successful label, but soon that wasn’t enough.

Artist Osman Yousefzada grew up in Birmingham, England in the 1980s after his parents moved to the UK from Pakistan. They were both illiterate, and while his father worked as a carpenter, Osman spent much of his time watching his mother make clothes to earn money. By the time he was seven years old, he had made his first doll's dress and enjoyed getting involved with his mum's business; choosing trims and patterns for her designs, and advising her clients - many of whom were also from their Muslim community - on shoes and accessories. It was a childhood passion that would later see him launch a successful career; a clothing label influenced by his culture, and worn by celebrities and royalty alike. But, as Osman discovered, the glamorous world of fashion did not bring satisfaction; it was only by turning his attention to the world of art, where he could reflect on his heritage, that he would find the meaning he craved. His book is called The Go-Between.

Zafarbek Sulaimanov is an entrepreneur from Kyrgyzstan who grew up in a semi-nomadic lifestyle - living in the city of Jalal-Abad for part of the year, and then spending long summer breaks in the mountains with his family. As an adult, he launched his own clothing brand, which combines traditional nomadic symbols with modern Western styles like hoodies and t-shirts. He explains the ideas behind it. This was first broadcast in November 2016.

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com

Presenter: Anu Anand

(Photo: Osman Yousefzada poses with models during London Fashion Week 2020. Credit: David M. Benett/Getty Images)

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