As a paralegal and then a marketing executive, Ayesha Mustafa had a series of steady jobs with a secure income. In November 2010 the 30-year-old from Karachi, Pakistan, decided to give up her role in public relations to pursue her dream - launching a fashion firm with a conscience.
Fashion ComPassion is an online firm that aims to provide style with ethics. Mustafa sources clothes and accessories from companies and female artisans in poverty or from trouble-stricken regions in a bid to improve their lives.
"From a young age, I wanted to do something in fashion and work with brands which empower women," she tells Tahira Yaqoob. "I want to make sure these beautiful products get a voice in the western world."
Mustafa lives in London and Dubai with her husband, Salman Mankani, 32, a finance and strategy consultant.
AYESHA'S WORLD
MY CAREER HIGHLIGHT WAS... forming Fashion ComPassion. MY STYLE IS... feminine and classically chic. MY MOTTO IS... you live only once so do what you can to make the journey memorable and interesting. THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE GIVEN TO ME WAS... from my father, who said, "Run your own race". IN MY SPARE TIME I... love to relax in my pyjamas looking through magazines with a cup of tea. I AIM TO... empower and improve the lives of women through my love for fashion.
