[🇵🇰] Pakistan Fashion

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Another style that continues its upward trajectory is minimal accessories. Not only is it budget friendly, it helps lend a sleek, clean look to an outfit without overburdening your personal style. The minimal accessories look promotes sustainability, offering the consumer a chance to really invest in timeless pieces.

Minimal accessories trend also surfaced through delicate wristwatches as seen on numerous celebrities and social influencers.
[H2]Draped silhouettes and statement sleeves[/H2]

Who could forget Mahira Khan's iconic wedding dress sleeves by Faraz Manan? — Photo: Mahira Khan/Instagram


Eastern womenswear this year saw longer hemlines and draped silhouettes with statement sleeves. All of which are total winners. Longer hemlines lend a taller look, offering more sleekness. Drapes and statement sleeves give room for experimentation and personalisation of style.

An excellent example of statement sleeves was seen on Mahira Khan's Faraz Manan bridal this year. It steps out of the everyday boring and gives a touch of femininity to the outfit.

Designers like Saira Shakira and Republic Womenswear opted for such silhouettes in their haute couture lines. High-end designers like Suffuse also incorporated longer hemlines in their pret wear.
[H2]Functional handbags[/H2]

Sabah Bano Malik knows how to rock a functional handbag — Photo: Sabah Bano Malik/Instagram


The retirement of micro bags has been long overdue. Not only are they heavy on the pocket but offer little to no practical use. As we head into 2024, in this crippling economy, there must be more functionality in style. If anything, this year taught us it is time to embrace the crossbody bags, baguettes and totes that add style rolled in with practicality.

[H2]Expressive Menswear[/H2]

Mohtaram knows how to dress men in style — Photo: Mohtaram Co/Instagram

In menswear style, 2023 gave men more space to add drama in their outfits. Gone are the days when men were expected to endorse a mundane suit — morning, noon, and night. This year allowed men to embrace a more dynamic and expressive wardrobe.

There was more diversity for men through addition of prints, signature emblems, accessories and layering options. We saw brands like Republic Menswear, Mohtaram and Munib Nawaz create collection that are expressive and masculine.

[H2]Inclusivity and body positivity[/H2]

We definitely want to see more bodies of all sizes in fashion — Photo: Generation/Instagram

In the lead-up to 2024, the momentum behind body positivity and inclusivity needs to continue and carve out a more substantial presence in the world of style.

Although a few brands in Pakistan have taken steps to broaden their plus-size offerings, there remains an urgent call to prioritise this effort further. Brands such as Generation and Khaadi are championing campaigns that challenge ageism and celebrate diverse body types through their clothing lines. We hope this trend will not only endure in 2024 but even further!

 

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[H2]STYLE: BACK TO SQUARE ONE[/H2]
Maliha Rehman
December 24, 2023

Fahad Hussayn with his mother, showstoppers Mehwish Hayat and Zaviyaar Naumaan Ijaz and models at the Bridal Couture Week solo show on day one


It might matter where you showcase your collection — but what will always matter more is what you show.

In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, with fashion councils having bitten the dust, this is what one can safely conclude. Designers need to put their best fashion foot forward on the catwalk, making good use of the platforms that are available to them.

And the last and only platform still standing in Pakistan, consistently showcasing fashion, is the yearly Pantene Hum Bridal Couture Week (BCW). Credit goes to the Hum TV Network for continuing to put their faith in fashion when no one else is.

For years, fashion purists have been dismissing BCW as a "TV show", organised by the network so that it can have content to air during national holidays and long weekends. There has also always been the critique that collections at BCW are not selected discerningly. The line-up bunches together promising names with atrocious ones. Many a major designer has been known to cock an imperious eyebrow at the BCW catwalk, and declare that this was simply not 'their' market.

However, even Pakistan's most prestigious labels can't always be put on a pedestal. Veteran designers have been known to botch things up at major fashion weeks. And the TV mileage can actually be an added benefit. Many a regular BCW participant vouches for the boost in sales resulting from the mileage generated by the show.

Besides, this is not a time to be condescending.

Competition is tough, with new brands surfacing constantly and gaining eyeballs with the aid of intensive social media marketing. There are no other platforms for collective fashion shows. In the case of the more established brands, the mileage generated by fashion shows that took place some years ago can only go so far.

Designers simply need to get off their high horses, think business and make good use of Hum Bridal Couture Week, the only collective catwalk platform now available to them

It is important for designers to consistently flex their muscles with the aid of innovative campaigns and fashion shows. The latter goal can either be achieved by taking on the Herculean task of hosting a solo show, or by becoming a part of a collective fashion week.

Designers simply need to get off their high horses, think business and make good use of the only platform now available to them, hosted consistently by a major TV network.

The country's slew of newer ateliers realised this a long time ago and avidly take part in the event. Some other established names have also been aware of BCW's immense marketing potential, and are now regular participants. Many more seem to have also gotten the memo.

This year's BCW featured some very forgettable collections. There was often a long, painful deluge of humdrum clothes that had to be endured. But then, occasionally rearing its head, was also creative, covetable design…

You win some …

The event started off with a whopping line-up of 70-odd designs by Fahad Hussayn. Celebrating having completed his 15 years in the industry — Fahad's debut show had also been at BCW — the designer's 'The Collateral Convention' was a nod to his evolving ethos over the years.

There were glittering short dresses, statement capes and jackets, and long, fitted gowns that are more likely to be seen worn by celebrities and models on the red carpet rather than get purchased by the largely conservative Pakistani audience. And then, there were varied options of wedding-wear, running the gamut from flowing gowns with trails to saris, angarkhas, and lehngas paired with cholis, as well as long shirts and a beautiful, old-school chata-patti gharara.

Fahad is well-known for bending his head towards painstakingly detailed embroideries, spinning them in unique, colourful ways, and this collection didn't disappoint. The colours were simply beautiful and the embellishment meshed together in heavy swathes. Also, the dupattas paired with the outfits were in a league of their own, lined with heavy-duty borders. It was all quite regal.

There were also quite a few menswear options — I personally liked the monochrome kurta and pant sets amped up by waistcoats and jackets. The designer's penchant for statement accessories made an appearance here and there — in the form of a funky pair of huge earrings or an elaborate crown worn by a model. One wishes that more accessories could have been visible, but perhaps the designer had his hands full coming up with such an extensive line-up.

It was a strong start to BCW, but there was more to come. It's just that, in order to see some of the better collections, one had to sit through multiple not-very-good ones. I'll be honest — sometimes one literally slept through them!

On the upside, Ali Xeeshan Theatre Studio returned to the catwalk, guns blazing, after a sabbatical of four years. In the designer's signature style, it was a show that was high on energy and theatrics, brought on with the aid of wacky, brightly coloured props.

Nickie Nina


There were models who came out holding elaborate umbrellas, others held stacks of matkas (earthenware water pots) worked with glittering mirrors. Showstopper Ushna Shah stepped out in green bridal-wear, framed by a doli (palanquin) in matching colours.

Beyond the props, the clothes had some very pretty colours to offer. There were bright turquoises, shocking pinks, emerald greens and reds, and then there were lighter shades of pink and ivory, all worked with a kaleidoscope of glinting gota, jamawar borders and hand and machine embroideries.

Ali has never leaned towards the dainty floral patterns — he'd rather make a loud statement with eccentric florals and geometrics. This all new line-up, reminiscent of his aesthetic but unsimilar from his previous collections, did so very well.

Another major name adding clout to this year's BCW line-up was HSY. In commemoration of having completed 30 years in the business, HSY or 'Shero' — one of the country's most renowned designers — presented a line-up of affordable couture, which included pretty lehngas and cholis, flowing skirts and saris and elegant embroidered kurtas, pants and waistcoats for men.

HSY


The embroidery was a mix of machine- and hand-embellishment with luxe fabric forming the canvas, adding a bit of glitter without making the designs overly heavy.

Looking back upon HSY's 30 years — I've written about his work quite frequently during his design journey — there was a time when the designer professed that he only wanted to concentrate on luxurious heirloom wedding-wear. This, then, was his nod to his changing clientele in a changing world — an audience that loved fashion and wanted to look good but also didn't want to spend an arm and a leg while doing so.

A selection of menswear collections didn't disappoint. Emraan Rajput set himself apart as a designer with a keen eye for cuts and a deep understanding of what works in the market. His line-up included a range of Mughal-esque Eastern-wear in a pleasing palette dominated by ivory, beige, gold, black and pristine whites.

The embellishments were neat with just a smattering of bling and the variations in the lowers were interesting, ranging from pajamas to shalwars, straight pants and even a lacha!

Humayun Alamgir


Amping up the collection were the accessories: elaborate turbans, luxurious shawls and dupattas draped carelessly over a silk kurta, and the traditional sehra covering the faces of some of the dulhas (grooms)on the catwalk!

Later, Emraan's show progressed to men's suitings, offering tuxedos, jackets and suits that fit well and oozed glamour. The show ended with actor Ahsan Khan walking out with a placard in support of Palestine, followed by models who all did their final walk wearing keffiyehs. It was a very relevant, very well-put message in support of the people of Gaza and the tragic events unfolding there on a daily basis — and it became one of the event's most viral moments.

Similarly, Humayun Alamgir's collection offered so many interesting options for men. There were hand-embellished kurtas, pants and waistcoats in gorgeous shades of salmon pink, mint green and even an ebullient orange.

Catching the eye were the well-fitted all-black and all-white options — showstopper Junaid Khan Niazi opened the show looking veritably like a Disney prince in an all-white sherwani and straight pants set. Many of the models wore matching khussas with their clothes — the little details are so important in making a design memorable.

Ali Xeeshan Theatre Studio


Marching to his own drumbeat was Munib Nawaz, offering menswear but with a twist. Munib would rather cut a shux — his hybrid version of a sherwani and a tuxedo — than go along with a basic sherwani. He'd rather create colour blocks of embroidery rather than dabble with basic floral patterns, and pair an embroidered jacket with an asymmetric angarkha for drama.

There were some pieces that were perhaps included in the collection purely for the theatrics — the purple-and-green glittery jacket and the elaborate cape with balloon sleeves worn by model Aimal Khan come to mind. Basically, this was Munib Nawaz telling you that, while he could certainly cut a neat, conventional sherwani, he could also cater to the groom who wanted to look like a rockstar at his wedding!

It's commendable that, while the designer must surely be thinking of commerce while designing for BCW's mass audience, he also didn't let go of his edgy signature.

At the other end of the spectrum — and certainly very pleasing to see — was high-street brand Almirah's line-up of beautifully embroidered, pastel-coloured Eastern wear. Some of the designs were worked with mirrors, others with tone-on-tone or lightly coloured embroidery. Kurtas and pants were layered with jackets and sherwanis. It was all very commercially viable without being boring — other brands that were part of BCW should take note.

Also notable were the collections by Nickie Nina and Mehdi, presenting beautifully embellished clothes. One must also acknowledge the work of Haaris Shakeel, who invariably always brings out a neatly embroidered range in a very appealing mix of colours. Other collections that had potential were by Shiza Hassan, Saira Rizwan and Souchaj.

Did one experience a sense of deja-vu while seeing some of the collections, reminding one of other designs by other designers? Certainly. But this critique can be pointed towards the established power players as well as the newer labels. The rampant tendency of Pakistani designers to plagiarise is unfortunately something one can go on and on ranting about.

More significantly, were any of the collections at BCW experimental, introducing new trends to the bridal market? Was there a crazy spurt of creativity that enthralled you completely? Hardly.

You lose some …

Bridal-wear tends to be a realm of design that plays it safe. The focus is more on meticulous craft rather than on wacky, avant-garde statements. Very few young girls aspire to look wacky at their weddings, after all. They prefer traditionally beautiful clothes that they can cherish forever.

This, then, is what designers — even those well-known for their edgy work — tend to create for them. There have been times when even bridal-wear has managed to balance experimentation with viability but, this time at least, the focus was just on beautiful clothes.

Sadly, there was an entire plethora of brands that failed even when it came to neat embroideries and appealing silhouettes. There were plenty of cancans merrily peeping out from beneath lehngas, sometimes so prominent that they looked like trails!

There was a veritable bonanza of untidy, gaudy embellishments and strange styling, such as models' faces completely covered with dangling beads! The modelling pool didn't help — consisting of a gaggle of girls and boys with completely disparate heights, many of them barely managing their way down the ramp.

To be fair, the designing blunders were not limited to the up-and-coming brands. One will not take names — and therefore, avoid a bloodbath — but even some of the most anticipated showcases featured an untidy sherwani, a badly stitched bodice and even a male model ambling down the catwalk in shoes that were clearly too big for him!

And then there were shows that were absolute bores, even more so because of the unimaginative music selected by the designers. Designers, please take note: while it is ideal that you come up with creative collections, if this is beyond your abilities, do try to uplift the general ennui induced by your collections by getting creative with the music.

But does all this mean that established ateliers should not try to showcase at BCW? Unless they have the wherewithal to splurge out on regular solo outings, it would not be business savvy if they don't.

There was a time, long ago, when fashion council chairpersons — of both Karachi and Lahore — used to give a frequent explanations for including a few mediocre collections in the fashion week roster. They would say that when these struggling designers showcased alongside more established ones, they were able to realise how they could improve. When their work proceeded to get ridiculed and another's got praised, they would make sure that they did better next time.

The BCW line-up has highs and lows. But, in the absence of fashion weeks, this could become the stage for showcasing the work of Pakistani fashion's power players, for introducing new debutantes along with some, sadly, ghastly collections. Maybe, like the fashion councils used to suggest, the ghastly ones will improve when they see the work of the better designers.

Also, maybe, just maybe, with more of fashion's 'it' crowd coming on board, the Hum TV Network will decide to revive Hum Showcase, the platform dedicated entirely to original, creative fashion, which receded into the shadows following the shrinking budgets in a post-Covid-19 Pakistan.

Searching out the few stars in a sea of blingy mediocrity, cheering for the few spurts of originality seen in a mostly generic design-scape, it seems we're back to square one in the case of Pakistani fashion.

But if it weren't for BCW, we wouldn't even be there.

Published in Dawn, ICON, December 24th, 2023

 

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CAIA Collection

CÀIA is a versatile brand with a minimal yet chic approach towards fashion that also believes in meticulously crafted delicate details. The brand offers a wide range of fashionable pieces from basic everyday ready to wear to wedding formals.


AZURA

Quintessential craftsmanship of glistening and lustrous floral embellishments makes their mark in ‘AZURA’. A soulful ensemble with delicate and glistening embroidery on a cobalt blue net base. It is paired with a sumptuous net dupatta with accent finishing and tonal raw silk flared pants.


NURIT

 

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MIA

Presented in an impactful palette of onyx, jade black and ivory whites, ‘MIA’ is a contemporary silhouette which is immaculately embroidered with blooming motifs in fine thread work. Paired with a straight fit trouser with a classic slit.


DHALIA

Opulence harmonises in the sumptuous crimson and ruby-hued ‘DHALIA’. A sleek notched collar silhouette which is delicately adorned with contemporary floral embellishments in a multi-hued palette paired with a straight fitted trouser for an easy chic impression.

 

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THE UNENDING LOVE AFFAIR WITH LAWN​

Maliha Rehman

Gul Ahmed

There’s bling. A deluge of pastels. A motley collection of floral embroideries. Chikankari, eyelets, appliqued motifs, borders, flotsam, jetsam. And dupattas that flutter far and wide a la Sri Devi waving her sari pallu atop a scenic mountaintop in Switzerland. Then, there’s a picture of actor Fawad Khan. ‘Men’s Luxury Lawn’, the caption underneath the Instagram image declares, and it immediately catches one’s attention.

Why should a wide selection of elaborate unstitched luxury lawn be available for women alone? Why should men have to contend with limited variations of latha and generic woven fabric? Why should they not have the choice to select from similar ranges of festive-wear?

The Hazure Luxury Lawn collection, an extension of SFK Bridals and featuring Fawad Khan as its muse, proceeds to list a number of options: kurtas worked with tone-on-tone silk thread embroideries etching out paisleys and architectural details, light cotton jackets layered over kurtas and the piece de resistance, an embroidered shawl in raw silk.

Although similar designs may be available in stitched options at menswear ateliers, designer Sadaf Fawad Khan realised that there wasn’t much variety available in men’s unstitched fabrics. “It struck me as strange, particularly because while women can still be grouped into different body types, men need to have more tailored fitting, according to details like shoulder width, height, arm length,” she observes.

Pakistan has an unrelenting obsession with lawn, and from comfort-wear designed for the long hot desi summer, the lawn umbrella has expanded to include evening-wear, festive-wear and dress-it-up-and-wear-it-to-a-wedding-wear

“And just like luxury lawn for women is often so formal that it can even be worn to a day wedding or a dholki, this men’s lawn line also has options that can masquerade as wedding-wear.” She adds: “We have provided the option of bespoke tailoring, particularly for clients living abroad who don’t have access to tailors.”

The marketing potential of a men’s luxury lawn line also drew Sadaf. “I wanted to make something that I would enjoy but would also make noise. If there are five billboards in a popular marketplace and four of them show a woman wearing designer lawn, the fifth one dedicated to men’s lawn immediately gets noticed.”
Lawn nitty-gritties

Sania Maskatiya

Sadaf admits, though, that she is contemplating delving into luxury lawn for women by next year. It’s a market that is hard to resist for any designer or textile mill, where lawn moves beyond its cotton roots to incorporate a dizzying mix of textures and embellishments.

Omar Saleem, director at Portia Fabrics, one of the country’s largest multi-brand stores, states that approximately 12.5 million basic lawn suits have been manufactured this summer, and 3.5 million luxury suits.

“The demand for unstitched lawn has increased,” he says. “The pandemic has led to a rise in online lawn sales. Also, customers have gotten very accustomed to surveying collections on social media, comparing and contrasting designs and pricing before making their purchases.”


The colossal number of brands in the market indicate that competition is tough. For those that do manage to draw in customers, the business can be extremely lucrative, with a constant demand for unstitched fabric in its many variations: basic voile three-pieces, ‘luxury-wear’ that blends lawn with other textures like cotton net, organza, silk and chiffon, and comes with myriad add-ons and all-out festive-wear that may coin itself as ‘lawn’ but is, in actuality, budget wedding-wear.




Hazure

“The demand for unstitched fabric is unparalleled,” says Shamoon Sultan, CEO of high-street heavyweight Khaadi. “Many women enjoy buying unstitched fabric and then designing it according to their particular preferences and size. Still, we have observed a steady increase in the demand for ready-to-wear, not just because the trend for stitched clothing has caught on, but also because people are travelling abroad less often and the rupee has devalued and imported apparel has become very expensive.
“Buying has become more localised,” continues Shamoon. “Nevertheless, there hasn’t been a decrease in the demand for unstitched lawn because of this. At Khaadi, we release three seasonal collections: basic lawn as Essentials, the Signature collection which is more formal, and Khaas which is entirely festive.”

Khaadi also recently re-launched its menswear which it had discontinued three years ago. The Khaadi Man range is yet to expand to men’s pret — one of their most popular lines in the past — and is currently limited to unstitched men’s fabric.

Maria B


“We’ve noticed that over the past few years, a lot of Pakistani men have been converting from ready-made clothing to bespoke designs,” says Shamoon, “so we decided to re-enter the market with an unstitched range and bring out ready-to-wear some time later.”

Shehnaz Basit, Chief Operating Officer at Gul Ahmed, observes, “The basic lawn suit is a summer essential, and while a lot of brands have shifted focus completely to luxury wear, a large contingent of our customer base appreciates a basic, crisp, good quality lawn suit. Festive wear has its own demand but the shalwar-kameez-dupatta is a part of every Pakistani woman’s day wear.

“Over a span of 70 years in the market, we have observed that customers particularly rely on us for good quality fabric as well as design — basic needs, such as that the fabric should not be see-through, are particularly important. Innovative ideas also gain attention, such as one of our recent lines, inspired by the culture of Pakistan’s four provinces.”

At Maria B., another major high-street player, the lawn collections come in a constant procession: basic collections leading on to festive lines with differing price-points. “Customers always want designer lawn to be luxurious but there are varying categories — the less formal collections amped up by good fabric, schiffli embroideries but not too much bling and the very formal lines,” says Maria.

Doing well in the lawn business comes with its learnings and Maria proceeds to recount them. “These are literally unwritten rules that you learn over time! Most women don’t want to have animals or birds as part of the design because they feel that they won’t be able to pray in the clothes, and so we decided a long time ago to not incorporate them. There is no point in alienating a big chunk of your clientele.

“Also, the palette for unstitched fabric has to be created with the season in mind. Summer collections tend to have more pastel shades and with Eid taking place in the summer, the festive lines consistently feature plenty of whites — they always sell extremely well, although customers demand variations. If there was a white chikankari outfit in the last collection, there needs to be a different kind of white next time.”

 

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Beyond the realm of high-street brands with multiple branches, efficient online stores and a loyal mass clientele, there are hundreds of ‘designer’ lawns that surface every year, investing in billboards, social media advertising, celebrities as models and soirees where guests dress up in the lawn and get photographed.

The collections get retailed via the thousands of unstitched fabric retail stores dotted around the country but many don’t make much of a mark — simply because every collection looks the same.

Designer Nomi Ansari, who once dabbled with lawn and released some standout collections, explains: “Investors still approach me but they want the collection to be designed in a certain way, replicating an international trend or whatever is popular in the local market. There are a lot of very pretty prints in the market, some pushed forward as designer lawn, but there is nothing distinctive about them. Being an artist, I can’t curb my creativity and copy someone else’s work.”

There are other designers who have attempted to find a solution by eschewing mass market aspirations. Many years ago, the likes of Sana Safinaz, Rizwan Beyg and Shamaeel Ansari had pioneered designer lawn by collaborating with major mills and creating collections that truly reflected their high-end ethos.

Now, similarly distinctive aesthetics have resurfaced with exclusive ‘limited edition’ ranges that actually look like they have been created by a designer rather than by a marketing team simply coming up with whatever is ‘in’.

Sania Maskatiya, for instance, launched her eponymous lawn range this year, selling solely through her standalone stores and online. The price-points for most luxury lawn suits for women range between 8,000 rupees and 12,000 rupees — Sania’s collection was, meanwhile, priced between 12,500 rupees and 17,500 rupees.

According to the designer, the production costs were higher because the designs were manufactured in more limited numbers and quality control was prioritised. The designs, which resonated with Sania’s luxury-wear aesthetic, did very well.

Similarly, designer Nida Azwer launched her lawn last year, retailing via her stores and online. Other designers retail via multi-brand stores as well as on their own: Zainab Chottani with her classic ‘Chikankari’ luxury lawn and the less formal Tahra range, Zara Shahjahan, Farah Talib Aziz, Elan and the Crimson x Saira Shakira lines. On the high-street, Image fabrics sticks to their signature chikan fabric, retailing through their own stores.

Marching to his own drumbeat, Fahad Hussayn tends to give lawn his personal, eccentric touch, etching rainbows, flora and fauna on bright canvases, and retailing the stitched and unstitched Fahad Hussayn Print Museum lawn online.

The latest Fahad Hussayn lawn collection is titled ‘Lawndemic’ — the designer has always had a way with spinning words — and no better phrase could truly describe Pakistan’s unrelenting obsession with lawn.

From comfort-wear designed for the long hot desi summer, the lawn umbrella has expanded to include evening-wear, festive-wear and dress-it-up-and-wear-it-to-a-wedding-wear. The designs do get repetitive and yet, every year, lawn inches towards slightly new directions — such as lawn for men this year and the more exclusive, curated designer collections.

 

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Style 101: Komal Nasir​

Playing dress up with Komal Nasir's collection

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Komal Nasir has created unique pieces when it comes to summer dupattas, silk shawls and exquisite stoles. Komal’s collection reflects distinctive use of colours, embellishments, delicate zari work and timeless aesthetic. This summer, Komal Nasir launched yet another exquisite collection where pure fabric meets zardozi and intricate embroidery.

Deep Purple and Florals

You can never go wrong with a printed dupatta. This organza dupatta features a bold multi coloured floral print and is adorned with muqaish and a broad gold Zari border all around. The colourful dupatta is paired with a long shirt in a solid purple hue which features a matching broad zari border and matching floral appliqué motifs around the neckline. The outfit is very wearable and perfect for summer dinners or formal evenings.

Black outfit with contrast red tone shawl

One of the best sellers from the collection is this fully embroidered silk screen printing dupatta which features broad zari and tilla hand work all around. The dupatta’s border features patta patti in two contrasting tones to add more character to this exquisite piece.

The dupatta also has a panel of black chiffon brocade with a gold paisley motif. The silk shawl can be worn with any matching solid colour outfit that will make the shawl standout.