By Afshan Shafi
Sadaf Zarrar and Amna Niazi of SiddySays have been bringing their honest approach to blogging for quite a few years now. Apart from their love of fashion, they provide a lively take on lifestyle, beauty, food and travel. They have cemented their reputation over the years by providing quality advice on styling, wellness, top trends and the list goes on! SiddySays ticks all the boxes with a great deal of panache to boot. Sadaf and Amna speak to Afshan Shafi in an in-depth interview
What discipline did you receive your education in? How does this aid you in running your successful blog?
Sadaf: I have a Masters in Marketing Communication, which basically is a specialist degree designed to train you to speak to people through the various mediums of mass communication to create engaging dialogues when you’re not face to face with a reader. It does help immensely in running the blog as I can see our content from a personal as well as professional angle, set the right performance indicators and hone the content to ensure those are delivered.
Amna: I did my Masters in English Literature, which is a combination of linguistics, philosophy, creative writing, criticism, novel, poetry as well as traditional and modern literature. The degree is fascinating as everything you are involved with as a student of literature is a journey, a story, a psychological adventure. While it trains the mind to analyze human emotion and inculcates the habit of thinking, I feel it has enabled me to create good content and have a command over the language, which is very important for writing effectively.
What is your favorite evening-wear/formal look? Which designers/brands do you most enjoy wearing for these occasions?
Amna: An all black look is always a favourite. Having said that, I like a play of fabrics. I am not one to over dress or over accessorize, I keep my looks minimalistic. For me, shoes are very important to create the right look, so for me shoe brands are more important than clothes. I love Roger Vivier, Gucci, and Aquazarra.
Sadaf: I love experimenting with my looks so barring the fact that it’s practical and chic I play around with clothes, accessories and even my hair. I’ve always loved MUSE, they make beautiful clothes and their quality is outstanding. If I have to spend money I’d rather spend a little extra for something that’ll last longer.
What would be your go-to daytime look? What are your wardrobe staples/favorite designers in this regard?
Sadaf: I have a collection of shirts I’ve stolen from my husband, my father and even my grandfather’s closet. Love wearing oversized men’s shirts; you can pair them with anything! Additionally, I’m a big online shopper. My go-to sites are Farfetch and Asos and I’ll pick up anything branded or unbranded that I like.
Amna: I would love to live in loungewear. For me it’s about being casual and comfortable. Even jeans and basic t-shirts work for me, with an up-do or messy curls. Or I would wear a simple chikankari kurta with a basic shalwar. A good watch, however, gets me excited. I love Massimo Dutti for basics.
What are your most adored pieces of jewellery, both costume and precious?
Amna: My mother’s wedding set. It is really old school and in gold, but carries sentimental value for me.
Sadaf: I have an old school gold necklace that belonged to my husband’s Nani. It’s simple, beautiful and very wearable. I love that it’s an heirloom piece my daughter will wear some day.
How would you define the term style? Which people do you think exude a stylish persona?
Sadaf: Chic. Locally I always admire Khadijah Shah’s personal style. She’s understated and glamorous.
Amna: It is something very personal. If you borrow it from someone you will not look like yourself. I admire anyone who doesn’t give into pressure and does her/his own thing.
Who are your major inspirations from the fashion world?
Amna: Not really inspired by anyone as I would like to have my own sense of who I am in terms of style. However, I admire designers like Rajesh Pratab and Tibi.
Sadaf: Victoria Beckham, Olsen Twins and Leandra Medine
What is your most favourite fashion show that you’ve attended in person?
Sadaf: Honestly, I wish I had seen more, but really nothing especially memorable about the ones I have seen.
Amna: The first fashion show I ever saw was Nomi Ansari’s. The overall experience makes it my favourite.
You’ve collaborated with a number of leading fashion brands. Please elaborate on which collaborations you particularly relished?
Amna: We do special segments every year for Elan Lawn. They are my favorite, as we get exclusive previews before anyone else. It’s always rewarding to write about things that have so much hard work and creativity put in them.
Sadaf: We did one with Luscious some time back. It’s my favourite commercial collaboration as the output was truly beautiful.
What current trends internationally do you most like/dislike?
Sadaf: Absolutely love the lounge/sportswear trend. Don’t particularly like the short frilly jeans in trend so much these days.
Amna: I love the straight legged jeans trend. I’m also digging the oversized clothes trend that hasn’t really made it to our market yet. There is no trend I dislike as it can totally work for someone’s personality.
Which people (bloggers, designers, celebrities etc) would you say have influenced your style the most?
Amna: I am most influenced by my own mood! Having said that, I do admire some people for their style since they are so clear about who they are, like Leandra Medine. Will I dress like her?? Nope.
Sadaf: I love observing people; everyone is inspiration for what to do and what NOT to do. I have to confess I make mental notes about what I’d emulate or do differently each time I meet a new person.
What are your future projects?
Sadaf and Amna: So many things!! We’re evaluating the blog, which has so much potential in so many avenues. We’re gearing up big time for videos, evaluating e-commerce, also constantly taking on styling projects. The future is ours!
Coordination: Nimrah Khokhar
Photography: Raza Ali
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