Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

Lifestyle Wedding, Fashion & Beauty
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I am sick and tired of these designers’ horrible attitudes and if I didn’t live abroad I would show my middle finger to them and get everything made myself.

I went to order my valima and mehndi outfit at Sana Safinaz. Safinaz is usually very lovely and helpful. However she said some really horrible things to me today and I was seriously appalled that this is considered acceptable behaviour in Pakistan.

Whilst discussing the valima outfit, I asked her to make it fitted from the top and she goes ‘No, we won’t do it. I hate that look I’m not going to do it.’ so I said ‘I think it will suit me better’. She had the audacity to say ’ No, we don’t care what you people say, we do our own thing. We are setting trends, and this is not in fashion so I’m not going to do it. We just don’t care.’

I was gobsmacked. Here I am placing a huge order worth over 4 lakh rupees and this is MY wedding and YOU are telling me you don’t care what I have to say?!?!?

SO I replied, ‘that’s a bit harsh considering it’s MY wedding’ and she goes ‘if you want to tell a designer what to do go find somebody else, we don’t listen to anybody.’

I wish I had taken my order back and told her to go eff herself. But I’ve only got a few days in Pakistan so I’m too desperate to fight. Anyway, it gets worse.

Second rude thing she said. My mother asked her if the shade of orange in the mehndi outfit would suit my skin tone. Let me point out, I was wearing a lot of sunblock. Safinaz goes to me ‘See, you are wearing completely the wrong base. You are trying to look WHITE. Your real skin tone is beautiful, it will look great on you’ I politely told her I was wearing sunblock and she starts telling me there are foundations that have spf in them and I should get one of those. Are you kidding me!? Do you really think I do not know that???

I normally get hounded by my family for wearing foundations that are too dark and piling on the bronzer, I’m sorry I have no desire to look white. And if I needed beauty advice, the last person I would go to is a fashion designer. Who the eff do these people think they are? Just because they are a bit famous they think they can say anything they want to people.

I’m seriously disgusted and pissed off. I didn’t make a scene. Placed my order and left fuming.

Has anybody else had similar experiences?

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

OH.MY.GOD.

That sounds unbelievably AWFUL! I was shocked to see the thread because i've not read any negative things about this particular designer. That's so terrible, I would have told them to eff off if I was you!!! Are they making the changes that you told them to? In response to the bronzer/foundation comment, I don't want to generalise; but on my recent trip to Pakistan I found that shopowners or designers or whoever are really 'frank' (rude) and they think they're being blunt and to the point...they don't realise that they are being offensive AND crossing the line! I really don't get it!!!!

InshaAllah your clothes will turn out lovely, and just take her comments with a pinch of salt. If she continues with her unprofessional and rude behaviour - you should definitely say something just for your own tusulli (after your clothes are in your safe possession) For instance, I was not happy with the service and I will not be recommending any of my friends or family to you. That's what I did with my designer here in London.

xxx

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

ok i have a worse story...my friend went to sana safinaz to order her bridal..i am not sure if it was sana or safinaz...she told my friend..tumara weight tora over hai or hum over weight bride ke liye design nahi karte..wth..how can someone tell her customer like that.

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

Oh wow! That sounds horrible. That's really impolite but apparently it's the trend among the Pakistani designers to serve their overpriced clothes with lashings of rudeness.

My friend had a similar experience with Maheen Kardar at KARMA a few years ago when she refused to tone down the design because my friend wanted something simpler. Maheen told her that if my friend was so cheap that she thought this was a street embroidery shop where they would reduce the price if they reduced the work, she was wrong. And Maheen would not charge her for the extra embroidery but she would not compromise her fashion sense. She just couldn't understand that my friend wanted something designer but not OTT but simple.

So, after much mis-communication, my friend decided to go with the estranged half of KARMA: Kamiar Rokni. And it was the best decision she ever made. He was so patient and actually understood what she wanted. And modified his original design to create her dream dress for her. And it cost her less than half of what you're quoting: 1.5 Lakhs. Of course, this is like 4 years ago so he may charge more now.

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

I heard Sana and Safinaz say in a TV interview that they were trend-setters and that they would not do certain colors and cuts and would not modify their designs to suit any customer's demands.
I don't think that's the right attitude but there are people who are willing to put up with their rudeness.
They have a pretty strong clientele in Pakistan and they have established themselves very well and captured the imagination of all these Pakistani women willing to go to any lengths to get a dress from them. Also the people who get the best deals from these designers are those who are either related to them or know them personally or belong to the same social circles as them.

They don't need your money, granted they're not French Couture designers but that won't keep them from charging exorbitant prices and maintaining a certain standard in their clothing.

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

I would NEVER ever give a single penny of my hard earned money to anyone with this attitude. it is just an outfit afterall, much more important than my self respect and ego ! bhaar may jayen with their trend-setting aims !

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

Thanks for sympathising guys. People in Pakistan must be really thick skinned because I have been quite upset about this. I hope my clothes turn out good at least!

That is terrible :o but I can imagine them saying that.

So glad your friend ended up getting something she loved after all that! That's such a horrible attitude. Even Sana Safinaz refuse to lighten work. There were a few aunties there who wanted a lighter jora but were willing to pay the same money and the woman still wouldn't do it?!

I understand they are setting 'trends' but bridal dresses are couture pieces and they should be accommodating to the client.

Let me compare this experience to the one I've had with my shaadi jora designer- Bunto Kazmi. First of all she only does one to one appointments and they are as lengthy as you want. Contrastingly, at Sana Safinaz there are always 10 other people fighting for her attention for the most important outfits you will be wearing in your life and there's always a rush because their timings are so stupid. Bunto listens to absolutely everything you want. I gave her such detailed explanations that my sister told me to shut up because Bunto was the designer and I should let her do what she wants. Bunto said 'no no no, it's a really good thing she knows what she wants and we'll make exactly what she is after.' Every time I have met her she has been so sweet and loving and greets me with a hug. I didn't get the Bunto hype before but I definitely do now.
I have ordered stuff from Sana Safinaz before, my sister ordered both her wedding and valima dresses from her. Safinaz KNOWS who we are. She still doesn't give a hoot what rubbish comes out of her mouth.

I really wish I didn't have to give her a single penny but my desperation for wedding clothes is greater than my ego right now. I've been to so many designers and half of them won't even make the clothes in the time frame I require.

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

Wow, these stories are really shocking.

Designers may think they are at the cutting edge of fashion, but true fashion designers would and SHOULD cater to that specific person's style.

After all fashion fades, style remains.

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

:D welcome to Pakistan guys!

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

[QUOTE]

I really wish I didn't have to give her a single penny but my desperation for wedding clothes is greater than my ego right now. I've been to so many designers and half of them won't even make the clothes in the time frame I require.

[/QUOTE]

People like you are part of the problem.

The more "desperate" people who put up with the crappy attitude, the more they're allowed to fester. It doesn't matter if you're the customer or if you have money, if you have no respect for yourself that you'll put up with this, how do you expect others to respect you.

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

My sister got the same comment from them 10 years ago when they were less known - seems they haven't changed but just gotten worse.

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

I agree with you that I added to their ego problem but firstly I don't really have time to hunt around for alternatives and secondly the reason why I didn't say anything rude is because I have self respect. I'm not the type of person to create a scene in front of ten other people.

And I know for a fact that me not giving them business wont make an ounce of a difference to their attitude.

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

that's really odd. i am assuming she just wanted out of that order due to time constraints or she was not happy with the budget or something. Arent the designers out here to make clothes suiting to the individuals style/taste and structure?! Weird people.

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

That is so shocking, i LOVE their clothes and was thinking about getting a bridal from them...i dont think that will be happening!

Customer service is so important when you are getting a bridal outfit....im gna go to Burooj, loved what they had!

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

Most designers do have this attitude and it sucks. They dont understand that by doing this, they wl only be loosing their potential customers and in no way this wl add to their expertise as designers.

I recently got a dress made by a well known designer and he's a family friend too since we have been his customer since he started. But even then he would not be very patient with my suggestions though ofcourse he would still listen and accomodate them as much as he could strtch his self. I still got tht vibe that it made him uncomfortabl that a customer (even if she may b qualified to make those suggestions) is making changes to his design. I can understand this to an extent that for ex someone wnating something which the designer knows wont look good on them and it does affect that dsigners name too cuz at the end of the day peopl wl say he/she did a horrible job. But there is a limit to the restrictions u can put on yr customer and there is a right way of saying no to a suggestion and you ought to satisfy them with a sound explaination for the no.

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

Random point, but you shudve told her sun block has UV and spf protection whereas make up only has spf protection which basically stops you from burning but does nothing for problems that can develop from uv rays like cancer!!! sorry random point- what a horrible horrible way to treat a customer!!!!!!

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

That's a horrible attitude. You know even world renowned designers like Elie Saab and Max Azria don't mind making alterations to their designs.

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

Well if people stopped giving them buisness maybe their attitude would change.

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

exactly. :rolleyes:

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Re: Bad experience with Sana Safinaz

Yes but that's only if everyone stopped giving them business. They are so ridiculously popular right now I really don't see their business being affected by their attitude. I'm not going into personal details about why I'm desperate and how much time I have wasted going to different places but all I'm going to say is that if I had known she would be this rude I wouldn't have stepped inside their shop. She came out with these comments after I had spent a good hour there choosing all my stuff.

I know it still doesn't really justify it but I have my reasons and I don't think people like sara516 should be pointing fingers at me. My wedding is more important than some *****y designer's bad attitude problem. The reason why I created this thread is to spread the word about these horrible people. Maybe next time I see Safinaz I will give her a piece of my mind. Preferably after I have received all my clothes ;)

They are basically uneducated people. Just because they speak English doesn't make them educated.

Dude this woman is so stupid that despite my strong British accent she is treating me like some village idiot. It would be a wasted effort trying to explain to her the difference between spf and UV protection. As well as the fact that foundations usually only go up to spf 15 which is not sufficient for Pakistan and I prefer foundations without spf because they don't make you look white and ghost like in photographs.

Anyway, she made me feel so ****. If any of you guys go order something from her, be prepared for the assault and don't be ultra nice like you usually are. Basically in Pakistan the more horrible you are, the nicer people treat you.