HSY talks openly about his tough childhood and how he learned to take care of himself.

A designer shares his struggle with blindness, his mother's sacrifices, and the experiences that shaped his career.

Fashion designer and TV star Hassan Sheheryar Yasin, known to everyone as HSY, said that he went completely blind in both eyes for almost a year. This hard time made him very sad and changed how he saw life.  

In a recent chat with Frieha Altaf, HSY talked openly about losing his sight, his tough childhood, being raised by his mom after his parents split, his difficult bond with his dad, and the hard times he faced before making a name for himself in Pakistan's fashion world.  

He also thought back on his mother's hard work, his early days doing many different jobs, and his plan to start a new ready-made clothes brand.

He lost his eyesight

HSY remembered that he lost his sight while coming back from getting food with his best friend.

"One day we were sitting, everyone was fasting, and we thought, 'Let's go get some food.' We went, got the food, and were on our way back. My best friend was driving, and we were listening to the call to prayer. When I picked up my bag, steam came out and blocked everything. When he wiped the windshield, he swerved off the road. I lost sight in both my eyes," he said.

Losing his sight all of a sudden hit him hard. With no vision, he depended a lot on his other senses. "When your eyes stop working, your other senses get stronger. I could hear my mom crying from four rooms away, as if she were right next to me," he said.

His sight stayed damaged for nearly a year before he got help. Later, with the support of the Layton Rahmatulla Benevolent Trust (LRBT), he had several surgeries. "I gave myself to LRBT as a surgery case, and they helped me get my sight back."

This experience eventually led to a lasting connection with the group. "Today, I am a global ambassador for an eye hospital. I had 14 surgeries on me," he said.

The mother who fueled his dreams

HSY also talked about growing up with his mother's influence. He said he was born in Islamabad into a family tied to politics and the military, but his parents split early, making his childhood tough.

"I was born in Islamabad. Both my father's and mother's families were linked to politics and the armed forces. My parents divorced when I was two, and we left Pakistan. It was really hard for my mom to raise me by herself. It was even harder for her because she had come from a comfortable, easy life," he said.

He spent most of his early years in New York City, where his mom worked many jobs to care for him. 

"She escaped, and I spent most of my life in New York City with an amazing mom."

For HSY, seeing his mom start over became a big reason for his drive.

"The reason I'm so ambitious is my mom and the struggles she faced, which I watched—a woman who had never done such things before, working four jobs. There were times I wouldn't see her all day."

His mom took any work she could find, like babysitting, working at a gas station, being a secretary, or helping in a shop. "She babysat, worked at a gas station, served as a secretary, or worked in a store. No matter the job, big or small, my mom was my mom. She was my hero."

HSY's sister was with him at first, but they were split up when they were young. "My sister was with me, but not for long. We got separated when I was about four or five and she was nine or ten. She went to England. I didn't see her for eight years, and I was alone."

Much of what he picked up, he said, came from watching others and learning on his own. "I don't really recall learning from one specific person. It was like learning as I went. I'd see my friends shave, so I'd start shaving. If there was a way to eat, I'd figure it out."

His experiences also influenced how he viewed independence. "I live a positive life because I don't expect anything from others. I believe that if you want something done, you should do it yourself."

Even with all he went through, HSY said he felt lucky. "I am also very fortunate. Allah has given me so much," he shared.

Starting from the bottom

Before he became a fashion designer, HSY said he was ready to do any job he could find.

"I started teaching English when I was 15. Later, I would go door to door, saying, 'I'll teach you English.' I even worked as a cashier in Lahore. I've carried wood. I used to travel by rickshaw. Getting 30 rupees was a big deal for me back then."

He said he never saw any of those jobs as making him less important than anyone else.

"Whether I worked in a small place or anything else, I didn't feel bad about myself because my mother was never looked down on. Whether she was a tutor or had a smaller job, she was respected. She worked and raised me at the same time."

He said that way of thinking came straight from watching his mother.

His relationship with his dad was complicated, and they grew apart over time. He said, "My father—things ended badly between us, so I don't talk about him much." His mother never pushed him to hate his dad. "She never said anything bad about him. She just told me about him and said he would ask about me when I was little and wanted me back."

When HSY came back to Pakistan at 16, his father offered to let him live with him, but by then he had already been raised by his mother. "My mom wanted to raise me. But when I came back at 16, my dad said I could stay with him. I didn't really want that. I had grown up with my mother."

HSY mentioned that his father didn't pay for his schooling or upbringing, though he once asked his dad for money. "When I was 35 or 36, he called me. He had a stroke and became paralyzed, losing all his money and his ability to care for himself." It was his mother who told him to help his dad despite the past. "Then my mom said, 'Maybe he's done nothing for you, but he's your father, and you'll regret it later if you don't help him. So thank Allah you're able to help him.'"

HSY said he ended up supporting his father for 15 years, which changed how he saw their bond. "I helped him for 15 years, and during that time I learned that nobody has everything, and no human being is perfect or automatically good at being a father."

Discovering His Path in Fashion

HSY's entry into the fashion world was anything but typical. With few connections in established circles, he took matters into his own hands and reached out to magazines directly.

"We had about six magazines back then, and I sent each one a handwritten letter. I wrote, 'You don't know who I am. I'm sending you some of my work. If you can publish these, I'll become a top designer in Pakistan.'"

His hard work paid off. "Out of seven magazines, five used my designs on their covers," he said.

Soon after, he started getting calls from some of the country's most famous people. "My first calls were from Tahira Syed and Babra Sharif."

Although high-end fashion was a big part of his career, HSY revealed he was getting ready to move into everyday clothing with a new label.

"I'm about to start a ready-to-wear brand, and I'm really excited. It will be separate from HSY. I've always focused on couture, but ready-to-wear is an area that needs fresh thinking too," he explained.

He also talked about how Pakistan's fashion industry needs better organization, especially for shows and timetables. "We need the right kinds of shows. Right now, everything feels chaotic. We need to get things back on track and get everyone on a fixed schedule."

For HSY, becoming a well-known name was about much more than just clothes. From seeing his mother work several jobs and learning to take care of himself at a young age, to losing his sight and starting over, his life story is deeply tied to the person behind the public image.

These experiences still shape how he views himself today. "If people are judging you, don't judge them back. I believe you should share everything about yourself with others. You're a whole person full of experiences," he said in conclusion.

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