NAVEED RAZA – THE MAN BEHIND ‘GHAZI1984’
We had an exclusive conversation with Naveed Raza, the man behind the successful active-wear brand ‘GHAZI1984’. He talks about the inspiration behind ‘GHAZI1984’, the story behind the name of the brand, his future plans and much more. Read on …
Hey, so happy to have you here. Before we dig into your entrepreneurial life, please tell us a bit about your personal life.
My personal life is simple and all about my family and loved ones, I like being surrounded by them. When I am not working, I prefer staying home. Meaningless socialising is not my thing.
You’ve recently started a new activewear brand ‘Ghazi1984’, what is the inspiration behind this new venture?
Everyone knows about my crazy fitness regime; I train for MMA and gym is an everyday thing. I don’t see local brands taking interest in making activewear and those who do, are not giving properly engineered clothing or good quality. So, I started working on this idea that I will start designing and producing my own activewear properly engineered clothing line inspired by ‘Under Armour’ and ‘Nike’. And above all the main purpose is to make them wear activewear in an affordable price range. So here I am with a brand called ‘GHAZI 1984’. In Ghazi, we have basic gym gear which includes tracksuits, golf wear, shorts and polos. In 1984 every product was colourful, vibrant, and stylish.
Is there any story behind the name of your brand? We would love to hear.
My partners came to me with this idea, and they wanted to name the brand ‘GHAZI’. I was already working on the 1984 fashion gym series. So, we collaborated and named it ‘GHAZI 1984’. BTW, 1984 is my year of birth, sssh don’t tell anyone lol.
According to you, what is the WOW factor of your brand? What makes you different from your competitors?
This is Pakistan’s biggest activewear brand, and we challenge this. We have Golf, cycling, running, gym, swimming, MMA, boxing, travelling and yoga wear and every product is different and properly engineered according to weather and workout regime. And the best part is we have sizes from four years to 6XL in all categories. No one in Pakistan focuses on and produces in sizes as we are.
You have just started a brand and we’re still facing the aftermath of Covid and Floods, did you face any challenges while setting up your brand?
Sadly, the world is not the same as it was before, People have lost lives, jobs, and lifestyles. Starting with a small setup, I might be able to create a few jobs and support people around me. We are new in this business and still learning. It's just been two months and a lot to learn. But Allah is kind to us.
Have you ever dealt with any difficult client? How do you manage to satisfy them?
Customers in the sub-continent are cute and confused. They want to buy new arrivals and recently launched items on discount and sale. They are always full of queries, but we satisfy them and luckily, in the end, make them spend also.
We’ve seen you act in a few drama serials, are we going to see you in any other serial soon? Or you’re going to focus on your entrepreneurial side for some time?
Since I started this new venture, my day and night check are gone. I am on the go all the time but in beginning, to set up business sacrifices are required. Acting is my passion, and no one can separate me from that. You will see me in a new drama serial ‘BALAH-E-TAAK’ soon and two more dramas also which are untitled and still under production.
What are your future plans? Where do you see your brand ‘Ghazi1984’ in five years?
‘Inshallah’ by ALLAH’s will and support from my customers, I will be opening outlets all over Pakistan. And will take my brand to international malls.
What is your advice for the young generation trying to tap into the business world?
Keep your calm, stay focused and with hard work and dedication, greatness can be achieved. Get out of your comfort zone and start grinding. Rest leave on Allah.
INTERVIEW: MARYAM ZUBERI