Fashion stylist Ozzy Shah back in Bradford to launch new business

Ozzy Shah, 31, was born and raised in the Leeds Road area of Bradford and has carved out a successful career in the fashion world, working with huge celebrity names and brands over the years.

After more than a decade in London, he’s now tipped to launch a new venture - right here in his home city - aimed at fashion-conscious Muslim women who are looking for stylish yet modest clothing.

Ozzy Shah

Ozzy honed his talent at the London College of Fashion.

“Back then, all the other students in the class were international students, they were from very wealthy backgrounds,” he said.

“It was a catwalk for them - fashion college wasn’t necessarily just a university - you went there to be seen.

“As I was there, I kind of started to get the gist of fashion and really just fell in love with it. I always loved clothes growing up.

“The Asian community, the parents, they would go to somebody’s house and instead of giving them money or whatever, they used to always give them cloth so they could make themselves clothes.

“So growing up, that was always kind of in me, but I put it at the back of my head because it wasn’t a career option.”

After landing internships at high-profile magazines including Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, his career took off.

Over the years he’s worked with high-profile celebrities and iconic brands, but now wants to bring a boost to Bradford.

He said: “The older you grow, you kind of learn to love where you’re from and I absolutely love Bradford.

“Now I’m back, I couldn’t be happier. It’s a big industrial town and it’s lost its kind of charm in that sense.

“I really want to bring something back. It was known for its fashion back in the day - it was a huge textile industry.

“Now, my new business, I wanted to bring it back.”

Ozzy has been inspired by Asian women who want to wear the latest trends.

He recalls one experience where he went to a wedding where a guest was wearing a Gucci dress from the runway - with a hijab.

“I thought that was amazing,” he said.

“One thing I definitely found, a lot of girls, especially my nieces for example, would say ‘love this, love this, but I can’t wear it’ - because it’s too revealing and stuff like that.

“So I kind of joined the dots. I want to cater to a luxury lifestyle, but give these guys something that’s not out there.”

His answer is AI-powered digital shopping mall DSTNKT - a curated collection of modest fashion with both high street and luxury pieces.

With a £500,000 investment, there are plans to employ around 15 people.

“It’s essentially pieces that Muslim women can wear - but you don’t have to be Muslim to wear them - there’s lots of non-Muslim women who dress modestly,” he said.

“We’ll have pieces that are longer sleeves, higher necklines, lower hemlines - it’s just from these brands that are very curated.”

He added: “With our marketing strategy, we’re using models with hijabs - that’s a really big thing in fashion now.”

Ozzy wants to build on the momentum behind models like Halima Aden, the first hijab-wearing woman to be signed to a major modelling agency.

“I definitely want to tap into that representation,” he said.