South Asian Designer Sana Khan-Patel’s New Line “Our Time” Celebrates the Duality of Her Culture

After centuries of a lack of representation and acknowledgment, South Asian identities are finally at the forefront of popular culture. South Asian influence has infiltrated all aspects of American society, creating a generation of brown people who get to grow up seeing that their experiences are worth being mainstream. For Pakistani Indian American fashion designer Sana Khan-Patel, this indicates that this is “our time.”

South Asian fashion has always quietly influenced popular style trends in the United States. Whether it’s the pajama pants you wear to bed or the paisley pattern that adorns your tote bag, touches of Desi impact can be found wherever you look. Khan-Patel’s brand, Aara By Sana, embodies the presence of South Asian influence and boasts it proudly. This is especially true for its latest collection, Our Time. 

Our Time embraces the duality that exists for South Asian Americans in a way that evokes a sense of unapologetic rebellion. Pure chiffons and silks juxtaposed with leathers and studs set the collection apart. Similarly, the stark contrast of blacks and whites plays on the theme of marrying two different worlds. A feeling of empowerment comes from wearing the pieces, and it says, “I’m loud and proud of who I am.” 

Indeed, this empowerment is the core of Our Time. “Empowerment is in my blood,” Khan-Patel tells Teen Vogue. “I was raised that way…. long before it was trendy.” 

Sustainability is also central to every design Khan-Patel puts out. “These are heirlooms,” she says of her pieces in Our Time. “I wanted products you could pass on to your daughter and her daughter after that.” This desire was a driving force for Khan-Patel to enter the luxury fashion world. Pouring a significant amount of work into each piece, she wanted to create quality garments that customers would cherish forever. 

Khan-Patel also believes that her designs, though inspired by her experiences as a South Asian American woman, can be worn and appreciated by everyone — even those who don’t understand fashion. “I think it transcends to people not in fashion because of the feel,” she says. “When you put something on and it feels amazing, that’s all the understanding you need.”

As with her previous collections, Khan-Patel aimed to ensure Our Time would feel authentic. She wanted to do more than just create repurposed saris and lehengas; she envisioned designing something no one had seen before. Beyond the beautiful artistry of the clothes in this collection, Khan-Patel believes they resonate with people because of the story they tell. “Clothes aren’t inspiring — people who wear them are,” she notes. “When you wear a designer, you become a part of their story. And I love seeing women become a part of mine.” 

Khan-Patel’s story differs a bit from that of an immigrant who moves to the US to live out their American dream. She was born in Lahore, Pakistan, where her family lived a life of privilege. But because her father worked in New Jersey and could only fly to be with his wife and children twice a year, 11-year-old Khan-Patel, her mother, Rehana, and her sister, Saira, moved to the US so the family could be together. After two years, though, her parents’ marriage ended, and Khan-Patel and her mother and sister were left in a 400-square-foot apartment in Newark, New Jersey, without money or a means of making any.