Meet The Team - Afshan Ahtesham

Exceptional Designer, Stereotype Breaker & An Absolute Gem 💎 - one of our leading designers behind the work we do here at Manto.

Walking into our office, you’ll always find Afshan surrounded by endless samples, painting in a sketchbook or running around gathering feedback from our team on upcoming collections. 

Behind all that, lies a woman who overcame obstacles that many Pakistani women experience and face - a family’s desire for a son and the inequality in opportunities provided. Afshan faced reluctance from her family when it came to her further education, working a job and even riding a scooty. 

But with the never-ending love and support from her parents, she was able to shoot for the moon with her designs here at Manto reaching a Times Square Billboard in New York, meeting Zeba Bakhtiar at our studio and watching TV only to find Shae Gill wearing one of her designs. And to top it all off, Afshan’s father helped her master riding a scooter within 3 days and she would ride from Korangi to Clifton alone (and filled with confidence). 

For many of us at the office, Afshan is a leading example of how women have the potential to achieve so much so long as we don’t try to hold them back.