Talented and charming, Tanjim Haque, the owner and CEO of Ecstasy and the creative mind behind the Ecstasy staples, sat down with us at Lifestyle for a tête-à-tête. In between cups of tea, Tanjim talks about his life and future plans.

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED? TELL ME ABOUT THE START UP.
Ecstasy was the materialisation of my ideas back in the year 1997 when I started out in a 120 square foot retail store. I began with screen printed t-shirts which were a huge knock out. Then, gradually I started selling assorted garments.

WERE YOU ALWAYS INTERESTED IN FASHION DESIGN?
Yes, absolutely! Fashion was and still is something that I am deeply interested and passionate about. Back then there was a revolution in terms of music, movies and fashion and I was entirely engulfed and simultaneously influenced by it. To feed my fashion hunger, I used to frequent Elephant road and window shop since back then that was the place for fashion wear.

IS THERE A MESSAGE AT THE CORE OF YOUR PRODUCTS? 
My products are influenced by street style and youngsters' fashion. Since I did start up my business against all odds, my message is to stand out from the crowd and make ones own rules, and fashion is by far a wonderful means of expression.

HOW EASY OR HARD IS IT TO CATER TO THE YOUNGER GENERATION?
Having been in this trade for some time, I have grown to cater to the younger generation. I am always rejuvenating my products to satisfy the needs of this generation as the fashion they follow tends to change quite rapidly. Travelling and having international exposure has also helped me develop a keen sense of understanding in terms of how to approach my target audience.

HOW FREQUENTLY DO TRENDS COME AND GO? 
Bearing in mind the technological advancement and how collectively creative individuals are - trends develop spontaneously.

HOW IMPORTANT IS BRAND MANAGEMENT? 
Brand management is extremely important if you want to build a rapport with the audience and gain their trust and support over time. 

TELL US ABOUT THE NEW STORE IN BANANI.
The store in Banani didn't have a grand opening since we opened during Ramadan. Given that we did not exhibit it in a grandiose manner, it has been doing really well. 

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS LOCATION?
The reason behind choosing Banani is because it is the hub for retail stores at the moment. Besides, we did have a store in Banani a couple of years back so this spot is still familiar to us in terms of business.

WHAT ELSE CAN WE EXPECT FROM ECSTASY?
You can expect Ecstasy to broaden its horizon to ensure we fulfil customer's needs and demands. We are here for the fashion savvy people and we intend to be perceived that way. We initialised a fashion revolution and will definitely continue to express ourselves accordingly. 

WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP FOR YOU?
The next step for me is to be two steps ahead. Or at least that's what I hope it to be.

IS THERE SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO TELL THE READERS WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN FASHION DESIGN OR BUSINESS START-UPS? 
What I would like the readers to know is that there is much more involved in this field of work than just talent. It involves a lot of hard work and effort. What is truly important is to be honest with yourself and plan ahead no matter what you are interested in. 

By Naveed Naushad