Varah Mussavir: The Firefly Girl

It started off with a random doodle on a notebook and has now developed into Pakistan’s largest crafting and keepsakes store; it not only introduced an entirely new concept of gifts and mementos but also gave way to a blooming crafting industry in the country; it’s firefly, also hailed as the Hallmark of Pakistan.

Varah Mussavir graduated from Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture with a degree in textile designing. she started off with what was a small e-store delivering customized gifts and has come down to being the owner of the biggest crafting store and a name in the arts and crafts industry of the country.

Be it a high class social event, a diplomatic gathering or an ensemble of country’s influential women, you will not miss Varah Mussavir among the attendees. She’s bright and young and aims to take arts and crafts of the country to an international level.

‘It was the journal I wrote that I named Firefly. Once I put up pictures of the first wallet card I designed, orders started coming in. that’s where firefly started,’ CEO of Firefly, Varah Musavvir says.

A textile designer by profession, Varah Musavvir believes crafting industry in Pakistan has just found its way and is blooming fast.

‘Over the last few years only, competitors have come up. The best part about crafting industry is we’re all friendly competitors. If I know someone is better at something, I’d gladly give away the project to them,’ she said.

It’s been 5 years to firefly’s beginning and Varah boasts Pakistan’s largest crafting exhibition along with the most diverse e-store.

‘My concept behind firefly was all about revamping the idea of giving gifts. Adding personalized touch to the gifts hyped people. It just grew on our costumers over time,’ shared a contented Varah Musavvir.

In 2013, Varah hosted the first exhibition for Crafters in Pakistan named The Crafters Expo at Royal Rodale Club, Karachi. While the first Crafters Expo had near to 40 vendors, the exhibition has acquired status of a brand and recently had 143 vendors at its third installment presented December last year.

Varah plans to bring the fourth Crafters Expo this December and hopes it will be bigger than the previous 3 ventures. ‘The work for the fourth Crafters Expo is already underway. We are registering vendors and I am hoping it will be the biggest expo so far,’ Varah said sharing her excitement about the forthcoming exhibition.

Apart from designing and delivering keepsakes Varah has also dipped her hands into event management business and has done baby showers, corporate luncheons and art events. ‘I do it all now and then under the same banner of firefly but I’m still too choosy about the events I take up,’ Varah said.

Varah completed her degree in Textile design from Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture and is currently running the Firefly E-store along with The Crafters Expo. She is also an executive member at the British High Commission Ladiesfund and is also the Art Instructor at Prima Marketing Flowers.