Women in IT: the lack of diversity in fashion is no barrier to determination

 Barjis Chohan was born into a traditional Pakistani family and has pioneered her way into the fashion industry, one of the least diverse industries, without compromising her culture and Muslim faith.

Speaking ahead of the Women in IT Virtual Summit, Europe 2020, she explains what drove her to succeed and how she is helping to inspire people from marginalised communities to become future leaders.

What do you do when a white, middle-class PR man tells you that high-end fashion is elitist, with very little diversity, and that there are very few designers from a Pakistani background who wear a hijab?

If you’re Barjis Chohan, you don’t let it stop you. “It was difficult to digest, but I respected his honesty because he was looking at it from a different perspective. He wasn’t being racist but showing me the reality and that it is a tough industry to break into,” she recalls. “So, it put a fire in my belly to say I want to do it and I can do it.”

She could, and she did. Chohan is CEO of an award-winning fashion and lifestyle company and Director of the Barjis Initiative. This involves working with schools and industry to inspire youngsters to be future leaders and support their artistic aspirations.

The initiative was born out of her own experience of studying at the London College of Fashion and then Central St Martins, which had instilled the impression that fashion and the arts were mainly for the privileged class. That, plus the hard work involved in forging a successful career in an industry she was told was not for people like her. 

Empowering children

Chohan says: “There are so many who are quite aspirational, who have the creativity but they don’t have the networks, the money or go to the best schools, but they still have these dreams. Starting this initiative allows me to go back to the grassroots level and into schools to empower young children. 

“We hold competitions and workshops, and the winners attend my fashion shoots or get front row seats at fashion shows so that they can see what someone from my background can achieve. I think it can be a life-changing experience for a child.”

Like many people from her background, Chohan’s family expected her to study a traditional degree, such as medicine. Her father argued against the fashion world as being too glamorous. His view changed when she was awarded Entrepreneur of the Year in London and the judge, who was also Asian, told him he should be proud of his daughter.

“Since then he’s just been a rock, he’s supported me every single day,” she enthuses. “He is my mentor, and I go to him with whatever issues I have, and he helps to steer me in the right direction.”