Bronze Winner - GFW Best of Catwalk 2026 - 'Keep the Meter Running' - My work explores contemporary menswear through personal narratives surrounding masculinity, labour, faith, and identity. Across each project, I draw on family relationships, British Pakistani culture, and lived experiences to challenge traditional representations of masculinjty, instead presenting softer, more emotionally considered perspectives. A central project within the portfolio, Rituals of Regrowth, became an introspective exploration of inherited masculinity and personal rediscovery. Through references to Islamic prayer, bodily movement, and natural forms such as poppies and orchids, I explored masculinity through softness, ritual, and emotional grounding. Contrasted against oversized silhouettes and athletic influences drawn from the streetwear environments I grew up around, the project balanced structure with vulnerability, becoming a reflection of both my personal and creative growth. This visual and conceptual language was later extended into a collaborative competition project with Barbour, where I adapted my research and aesthetic approach within a more commercially focused context. The experience allowed me to explore how emotionally driven storytelling and cultural narratives can coexist with heritage design and functional menswear. Working through a combination of traditional and digital processes, I use CAD, textile sampling, photography, and mixed media illustration to develop layered visual narratives. My approach often balances structure with softness, combining workwear, sportswear, and traditional clothing with delicate textures, tonal rendering, and expressive mark-making. Each project reflects a stage of introspection while remaining connected through storytelling and human experience. Through both garment design and illustration, I aim to create work that feels intimate, reflective, and socially conscious, giving visibility to people and conversations often overlooked within fashion, while making space for more sensitive narratives in menswear/ streetwear.