Iqra Collection

Being on the top floor of Rahe Naam Allah Ka Manzil means a lot of stairs every single day. My legs definitely feel it by Friday afternoon. We are tucked away on Plot 45 in H.M.N. Lane. Bandra West is always busy and loud, but up here at Iqra Collection, it is a bit more manageable. Most of the time it is just the sound of the sewing machines or someone folding up fabric on the big table. The space isn't huge, so we have to be really careful where we stack things. If you trip over a box of thread, that is just a normal Tuesday for us. The windows stay open to get a breeze from the coast, though mostly we just get the smell of local cooking from the neighbors downstairs. We do a lot of handwork on the pieces. It takes time and sometimes we stay late when a big order is due. We drink a lot of tea to stay awake. My cousin helps out when it gets really busy, but mostly it is just a small crew of us. We don't have a big storefront with bright lights. It is more of a workspace where we focus on getting the clothes put together. Sometimes the rain gets heavy and leaks a little near the door, so we keep the fabric far back in the dry spots. It’s just how it is working here.