Saadia Zahid - Conversations with Artists

What is the art of what you do?

I have the ability to find and use creative expression to bring community together across genres. What I've always done best is recognize talent in the art and fashion world, and I’ve found a way to offer creative people a platform for exposure and ultimately, sales.   I actually started off as a menswear designer at a time in Dubai where nothing existed in terms of fashion and opportunity in retail.  My friends and I ended up with the right combination of people coming together in their early 20's — right after graduating with our Bachelors’ degrees.   After returning to Dubai from wherever in the world we had been going to school, we realized that we had incredible knowledge and experience, but that we needed to create our own opportunities.  So it was really a bunch of us together .... I'm a designer, one of my friends is a DJ, my other friend does interiors, one's an artist, and we created little get-togethers where we invited everyone to express themselves.  We all also had day jobs at the time. I was at Swarovski, my friends had their jobs — and then it just kind of grew into it's own thing where suddenly we were looking for talent abroad and bringing it to Dubai. Sometimes it was street culture or art or spoken word or music... I think music has been the core of everything I've done.  

What is it you're looking for when you're looking for talent?

Something that connects beyond just culture.  It needs to be something that I feel and has the ability to connect with more people.  It could also just be something I like - that makes me laugh or feel good. I love the arts, but I'm not an art major or an art historian.  I connect with art, I love it, and I want to share it with people.  Luckily, I guess I've had success, though I wouldn't say I'm a gallerist or a curator.  I just end up finding good talent and being able to provide opportunity for it to grow. That's what I do and that's my world. 

So boiling that down to it's essence what is the art of it?

I create an environment where everyone feels connected to the art or fashion or music they're listening to.   Somehow I manage to provide an environment that feels very real.  Maybe it's because I don't take myself too seriously.  I give people space to express themselves and then make sure that I can manage to give them good visibility, create an interest around them and then also create commercial opportunity for them.

That’s incredible!

I moved to New York literally overnight.  I always loved it — my mom's family lived here for a very long time, so it felt like home.  Not having a US passport at the time, I never thought that I could just get up, move here and hustle.  At 33 I shut down my business with my friends in Dubai.  It was a tough time.   In 2008 we were really impacted when the markets crashed globally.  I closed down the business, and started another one that I thought was going to be a co-working space but it turned into a cultural membership sort of space because we had to make revenue.  People wanted a place to connect that was casual outside of a bar, somewhere to express themselves, so those things kept evolving.  I also got really sick in my early 30's when this was happening so I decided to try hypnotherapy to heal myself because I didn't want to be on medicine.  That just opened up a whole new door for me.  It opened my eyes to possibilities. I didn't realize I had it in me to manifest and invite abundance ... That experience changed my whole trajectory in life and ultimately led me to New York.

How do you feel you manifest abundance?

Once you start seeing the patterns in your life and realize that you actually have the ability  - not like a super power - but we as humans have the ability to make things happen.  If we become aware of collective consciousness and are aware of how our thoughts affect our environment and how everything is connected -- then obviously your whole perspective on how you approach things changes.

So you’re a believer that everything is connected.

Yes.  Absolutely.  I read The Celestine Prophecy when I was really young. That was a game changer for me.  Then I went through a lot of really intense things in my teens and early 20's - through college - that I could never share with anyone.

You’ve had an amazing life!

Yes, it’s been amazing. I grew up in a dream.  We were wealthy, but it was a prison.  My grandfather was a very well-respected bullion trader, globally.  At that time everyone snuck gold into India and Pakistan - it was no big deal.  But he was a very well respected man, and my family was wealthy.

How did you avoid the arranged marriage scenario?

I don't know. I was open to it -  I had to be.  I had no choice.  I was constantly introduced to suitors.  Growing up I was dark skinned and we have a lot of very fair skin in our family.  My sister looks exactly like me but is a tall brown-skinned, brown-haired, fair version of me.  People in my family were like "oh don't go out in the sun, you'll get too dark, you're not going to get marriage proposals."  And it's true.  My sister got the better marriage proposal, she got married and I didn't - which is what I was aiming for anyway.  

You were aiming to not get married?

Yeah.  I wanted to hit 30 and be like ‘I'm off the shelf now.’  And it worked!  Now I'm 42 and I'm still off the shelf and I'm ok with it.

So you would've had a say in an arranged marriage?

Arranged marriage was very much practiced in my family. My sister is the first girl in my family to have a love marriage.  But she also found the right type of suitor to fall in love with; a nice Pakistani boy.  Well-raised, from a good family in London.  She's 14 years younger so it's a different generation and times change.

How do your parents feel about you being in New York?

They're so proud of me, but it took them a long time.  They were always secretly proud, it's just the society we were dealing with and the pressures of my extended family that was so heavily involved in my life.  I was the first grandchild, and my grandfather being a well-respected man in that region, had certain expectations.  Being a woman.. you're supposed to be one way and I was going the complete other way.  I think my grandfather recognized that I have his energy which is why he wasn't too critical but was always somewhat upset with me.  Eventually they accepted it, because they realized I'm not being bad but just living, wanting to do beautiful things for people, and wanting to make money myself.  My father lost a lot of his wealth in the stock market, and everything changed.  I had been a rich spoiled kid in Dubai, and then literally last year I had no money.    But I always had a couch.  I have amazing friends and family.  I was never living a bad life even when I had nothing.

How did having that money and losing it affect you?

I was in my mid-20’s when this happened.  I was just starting work and I was desperate to work - I wanted my independence.  If my dad was still really rich it might’ve been a different story.  But I suddenly had to support myself and help my parents as much as I could.  I think it was the best thing that could’ve happened.  It taught me to value what’s in my mind, what I am contributing as a human being.  I’m so glad I have that foundation because it helps me not to have greed.  I just want to be rich inside.

What are you doing now?

Luckily, I ended up at Studio 525, running the venue.  My main focus is the space, and with the revenue that we bring in, we are able to support the cultural programs that we want to have for the community.  My boss has vision, and an eye and sensitivity to what’s going on in the neighborhood and in the market. He gives myself and my fellow team member, Elizabeth, the opportunity to put it together.  I think this is the direction forward for everyone - how to balance making money with your passion projects, and bringing something of value to the world.  We’re on 24th Street in NYC.  We have a beautiful space and we’re using our program to launch new talent.  We have something happening all the time that’s experimental and fresh for the neighborhood to inject new energy.  

As you were saying, you want to bring it to the world.

We want to collaborate with everyone.  There are so many people that have talent and we have the space and the vision - so let’s bring people together.  We’re trying to bring the best out of peoples’ talents and show them in their most authentic light.  I live for those moments.  That’s why I’m in this business.  I want people to have fun and feel good.  

Saadia Zahid is the Director of the event space Studio 525 in the heart of Chelsea. Learn more about Saadia and her vision for Studio 525 here.