US First Lady Michelle Obama has been named the most stylish woman in the world, beating Queen Elizabeth and Victoria Beckham.

The 49-year-old was commended for using fashion as a “force for good” by Sunday Times Style magazine, reports contactmusic.com.

Michelle is the wife of the 44th and current President of the US, Barack Obama, and the very first African-American First Lady of the US.

She was described as “understanding that, as her primary role as the First Lady is visual, fashion can be a force for good used to inspire and entertain”.

Other names that made the top 25 include Spice Girls singer and fashion designer Victoria Beckham, Shiloh Jolie-Pitt — six-year-old daughter of Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, and actor Dame Helen Mirren.

Meanwhile, singer Lady Gaga has been named worst dressed by the magazine’s editors and contributors. 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2013.

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Bollywood actor Vidya Balan wanted to scare the crowd at film Ghanchakkar’s wrap-up party. She showed up at the Escobar Pub in Mumbai wearing a printed black desi-ish outfit suited more for her role in 2007 film Bhool Bhulaiyaa, in which she played a woman suffering from dissociative identity disorder. Dressed to kill (literally), we can’t decide if Vidya wanted to pull off a ‘desi’ look or a more ‘goth’ one. Either way — it was a total disaster!

The Charge Sheet

Hair

Is that crimped hair? Clearly Vidya has been following out-of-date fashion mags. A simple blow-dry would have been nice, but of course that would be too elegant for her obnoxious outfit. Next time, please hire a hair stylist instead of taking chances with your creative side.

Make-up

Vidya’s stress was on black for that evening; she wore a thick black eye-liner with heavy mascara. She should have highlighted her eyes with some electric colours for liveliness rather than the dark-goth look for that evening. But we love that smile — it’s always a winner.

Outfit

There aren’t any excuses for a B-town star to wear a horrible ensemble, especially at one’s own film party. The black printed kurta and lehenga, without any signs of dupatta, not only looks incomplete, but also mis-matched. If this was Vidya’s idea of making a statement by fusing Indian culture with gothic style, she failed miserably.

Accessories & shoes

Oh my! All of Rajasthan is searching for their elephant jewellery. With busy prints like those, a huge metallic dangling necklace was a bad decision. With that, she’s wearing black plastic beads on one hand, and golden rings on the other. Oh no! She stepped out wearing her dadi’s shoes, tsk tsk tsk. And Vidya please don’t think the black nail colour adds any points to that horrendous look.

Bail Out!

Madhuri Dixit

The queen of Bollywood never loses her charm. We love her ruby red dupatta over her black and cream lehenga embellished with hand-work in two colours. Madhuri wore an elegant stone necklace and a wide gold bracelet along with a couple of rings to accessorise her dress. The dramatic eye make-up with a light shade of lipstick goes perfect with her look.

Parineeti Chopra

Parineeti was all dolled up at Amitabh Bachchan’s 70th birthday celebration. She wore a brown Indian outfit which was a mix of anarkali and lehenga, with a dupatta on the side. Her fabulous and fancy ensemble required no jewellery, but she knew a bright colour on the lips would bring out her look.

Priyanka Chopra

PC looked stunning when she showed up at the 2011 IIFA awards in a white and blue lehenga. She left her hair down and blow-dried, keeping the ends curled. She carried her sexy outfit with grace and needed no accessories except her long pearl-drop earrings. Vidya, please take notes!

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2013.

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When it comes to hits and misses on the red carpet, it is usually all about the ladies. This time, we made an exception for these dapper gentlemen who looked their best at the first Hum TV Awards held at Karachi Expo Centre Tuesday night.

The facial fuzz, rugged looks and chiseled features set the red carpet on fire. Read on to see who scored high on our style-o-metre:

Gauhar Rasheed

Actor Gauhar Rasheed rocked the all black look with Munib Nawaz designed military jacket and pants. Rasheed, who played the rickshaw wallah in Seedlings, has taken us on a ride down fantasy lane with those loose, wavy locks and that cheeky smile.

Farhan Ali Agha

Actor Farhan Ali Agha looked crisp in a Muneeb Nawaz suit. We love that smile he’s always sporting! His gelled hair and sleek overall attire is a win.

Yousuf Bashir Qureshi

With the kind of eccentric dress sense he has, we are not surprised that YBQ is dressed in a sherwani and dhoti designed by himself. We can always count on him to pull off looks that would look bizarre on anyone else. The Jinnah cap and retro round specs perched on his nose add to the Pakistaniat of the look.

Shehryar Munawar Siddiqui

That smirk, gelled hair combed back and the vintage black sherwani designed by Yousuf Bashir Qureshi has us weak in the knees. Actor Shehryar Munawar Siddiqui has taken us back to the pre-partition era by flaunting this grandiose attire. His shiny black shoes go well with his sherwani and we are so happy with how he’s pulled it all off.

Tapu Javeri

Not only does fashion photographer Tapu Javeri love his camera, the camera loves him back just as much! We love his more pepper-than-salt hair and that well-cut suit from Stitches. His best accessory though is that camera in his hands.

Noor Hassan

Model-turned-actor Noor Hassan left us hating him after his role in Humsafar, but he won our hearts by dressing up in a black tuxedo (love the bowtie!) 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2013.

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KARACHI: At 16, an indecisive Stacey Broughton picked up clippers, unaware of the long journey he had ahead as a successful hairstylist.

Broughton, who is from Leeds, North England, has been cutting hair for almost 40 years. His journey began when he was assisting his older brother at a salon in Leeds. There Broughton met Angela, a colleague who advised him to join Vidal Sassoon’s salon. He gave up the idea of going to college to take mathematics as a major and continued to work for the salon for 10 years.

After quitting his job at Sassoon, he moved to Hong Kong and Taiwan, but felt that his job was getting “quite monotonous”. As a result, he decided to return to England and joined Sassoon again. Broughton not only cuts hair and educates people on an international level, but is also involved in the video production of his art. The hairstylist loves to travel, too.

He was recently flown in to Karachi for the launch of L’Oréal Pakistan’s new hair product Innovation No Ammonia (Inoa), at Avari Towers on Monday. At the event, Broughton gave live hair make-overs to eight models. Stylists Nabila, Saba Ansari, Peng Qureshi, Nighat Misbah, Nina Lotia, Angie Marshall, Beenish Parvaiz and Ruqaiya Adamjee were also present at the event.

Claiming to be the “world’s greatest haircutter”, Broughton believes that techniques haven’t changed but formulas have. “Previously, colouring was unpredictable and a lot messier, but things have changed for the better. With most of the colouring based on water colours, the hair would just expand and get messier. But Inoa oil-based products are much better and its effects last for six weeks,” explained Broughton.

According to Broughton, the biggest mistake that any woman makes when it comes to styling is not listening to the hairdresser. “When a woman is told that a certain hairstyle won’t look great on her, she refuses to listen, that’s the biggest mistake. My strongest recommendation to any haircutter would be telling the client what suits them best.”

Broughton advises salon owners to educate their staff once about newer cuts and techniques and said that if this is not done, then “the staff grows lethargic”, leading to a lack of motivation and excitement.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2013.                

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Pakistani model and actor Ayesha Omar, who is currently starring in drama serial Zindagi Gulzar Hai, was spotted at the Hum TV Awards in a gorgeous camel coloured outfit. Here are a few tips on how to get her look:

Make Up

Glowing, bronzed skin is a hot favourite on our style-o-meter. We recommend using Maybelline Collosal Mascara (Rs1,000) Rimmel Glam Eyes Pro Liquid Eyeliner — BlackGlamour (Rs650) Sweet Touch lipstick No.904 (Rs350) and Maybelline bronzer (Rs1,050).

Outfit

This beauty is wearing a gorgeous Shehla Chatoor creation. For a similar one, be sure to check out stores like Mantra, Debenhams, Wardrobe and Mango (Rs2,000 to Rs4,000)

Shoes

Her gold peep toes look similar to the ones available at Nine West (Rs8,000). Be sure to check out local stores for cheaper alternatives.

Hair

She wore her hair beautifully in a loose bun, with a few strands falling in waves over her shoulder. To achieve a similar look, loosely tie your hair in a bun, back combing some volume on to the crown and let a few strands of hair fall over your shoulder. Twist the strands with your finger to get the slight wave Ayesha has.

Accessories

She’s wearing chunky gold rings in her finger with a complementing long gold chain necklace, probably with a rustic pendant we can’t see. Sporting dainty pearl studs in her ears and a chic camel beige and brown clutch, Ayesha looks super sophisticated! Check out stores like Accessorize (Rs2,000) for similar accessories, and rummage local handbag stores for this yummy arm candy.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2013.                

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KARACHI: Perhaps it can be blamed on a lack of funds, but the Men’s Fashion Week (MFW) preview that kicked off at a compound called Oasis late Thursday left the audience disappointed with its unappealing venue and mismanagement.

The event, which was scheduled to start by 7:00pm, commenced two-and-a-half hours late. Apart from the poorly lit stage, there was no proper ramp in sight; instead of a wooden platform, the models walked a ramp made out of mud – bizarre to say the least.

Organised by Take II Client Management, PR and Media Consultants, the event which earlier claimed to have followed men’s fashion week trends as seen in Paris, London and Shanghai, was the polar opposite in terms of arrangements. The set-up was the product of a low budget, and it was evident that no one had sponsored the show.

While designer Munib Nawaz had been lined up to open the show, along with some emerging designers, he arrived late to the venue. He presented his monochromatic collection titled Black Friday, comprising black formals with white lowers, which  is meant to depict the depression of the Pakistani youth.

The show also featured Sameer Ali, an Asian Institute of Fashion Design graduate, who showcased his collection titled Urban Vogue. His clothes were mostly made from leather and silk. Designer duo Akbar & Babar presented their collection named Kamaliyaat, featuring screen printed kurtas.

Another designer Daniyal, who has a strong presence on Facebook, also showcased his collection of customised menswear. Designer Tayyab Bombal presented his collection of multihued ties and shirts. Bombal also displayed his collection of kurtas titled Namaloom Afraad, inspired by the incidents of terror in Pakistan. The collection James Bond, designed by Waleed Bilwani, was also showcased, in which Bilwani paid tribute to the Hollywood legend.

The show was a preview of the Men’s Fashion Week which is scheduled in the last week of April this year. Let’s hope that the actual event is better organised.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2013.                

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By now you’ve probably noticed that you no longer need five yards of fabric for a kameez. Hemlines have hiked up to knee-length, while panel-stitching and flares have gone out the window.

At first, you may have been reluctant to accept this fact, but we’re confident that after seeing designers like Safinaz Muneer (half of the Sana Safinaz dream team) and Sania Maskatiya in their no fuss straight cuts, you too will become converts. A few days ago, Safinaz was seen wearing a classy black-and-gold gota cut-work shirt with a pop of fresh turquoise that rested just above her knees with tapered pencil pants at the Kamal lawn preview by Zara Shahjahan. The original lawn designers switched to the sleek silhouette a while back and have disclosed that the cut will be a consistent theme in their RTW range at their prêt stores opening next month. Sania was spotted wearing a pretty pastel design from her wildly successful debut lawn collection event and endorsed the change in lengths as well. It will definitely prove to be a more comfortable change, given the heat wave that will hit us in the coming months.

We have always been open to the concept of leather pants in theory, however not as much in practical life. However, after seeing NFK Creative Director, Maha Burney and actor Syra Yousuf wear them at the Toni&Guy Hair Meet Wardrobe event held last week, we highly recommend them. Leather is often thought to be restricted to an edgy, fearless fashion sense. But in truth, when worn correctly, you can pull them off in an easy to wear, street style manner as well. While Syra tones down with a feminine day colour, casually knotted top, Maha understates with a simple loose fitting white Zara shirt, trendy colour block Nine West heels and a neon Zara bag for a young, fresh and ultra cool finish.

Designer Wardha Saleem who was seen cheerful at the INOA Hair Show in a fuchsia silk jumpsuit, shows us how to wear the playful knotted wrist scarf. The peek-a-boo with print is a great way to stand apart and still retain understated characteristics – we love it.

It’s one thing to talk about the latest trends and view them on the runway, but to see them being applied by real people that you can identify and associate with makes them a whole lot easier to swallow and simply more fun! This week we bring you celebrities who picked out their own outfits, rather than having their stylists do the job for them. Recently, we had the pleasure of attending quite a few exclusive lawn preview events and exciting product launches where we spotted some excellent trends that we’d like to share.

For the best casual meets elegant look, we voted for Ayesha Farook Hashwani. She was seen with her daughter at the Kamal Lawn by Zara Shahjahan launch wearing all black cropped pants with a long, deep purple Missoni cardigan and matching Hermes flats. She accessorised with a gold Chanel coin chain necklace, a gold watch and a black Birkin.

The asymmetric off-shoulder has been a popular choice for luxury formal evening wear. While Fauzia Aman and Ayesha Omar both opted for Shehla Chatoor Couture, Humaima Malik chose a shaded lavender one-shoulder ensemble by Khadijah Shah of Elan for a Samsung Galaxy event. We love the fusion between the draped sari-like pleats and the glamorous chic neckline that shows off their perfect sculpted figures. Ayesha enhanced her feminine look with signature metallic logo Shehla Chatoor necklace and cow hide clutch.

Commenting on the cocktail of trouser cuts observed on our outings, the quirky high-street designer Feeha Jamshed said: “Everything is in right now”. Indeed it is; we spotted everything from leather skinnys to floral pants to pleated silk harem pants on Maheen Karim from her signature collection. If you always wanted to try them, take a cue from Maheen’s effortless style. She pairs them with a tucked-in casual Zara top and a printed Satya Paul scarf. Printed wide-legged and straight cut pants were seen on actor-singer Ayesha Omar and model Cybil Chaudhry. While stylist Meher Najeeb posed in tapered gold brocade Top Shop trousers, stylists Tehmina Ali, Maha Burney, Hina Khalid of Natasha Salon were in white jeans and stylist Nabila was caught wearing floral prints – all were excellent examples of how-to-wear trends.

Then there are a few confident trendsetters like Feeha Jamshed, Mahira Khan and Frieha Altaf who can put together anything and end up looking great. Feeha is popular for putting together statement accessories from her mom’s brilliant collection and adding her own edgy touch for a completely original look every time. She did just that at the Toni&Guy Hair Meet Wardrobe Event last week. Freiha Altaf, who we love for taking risks with her fashion aesthetics, appeared at the same event in a Pucci graphic print dress and Michael Kors studded stack heels that are a raging current trend. Mahira Khan, who recently bagged the best actor award at HUM TV Awards, was spotted in an incredibly evolved avatar at Kiran Aman’s Kam Sukhan Photography book launch. She had on a beige chikankari sari with a burgundy full-sleeved blouse; we were struck by her mature and immensely graceful style. The gorgeous Humsafar star, often seen wearing FJ, is more subdued in her taste; but carries an equally strong signature style as that of  her best friend Feeha Jamshed.

Now that you’ve seen these trends come to life, go try them on your own and remember to have fun!

Published in The Express Tribune, March 16^th, 2013.                

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You can have the most brilliant eye make-up and the most beautiful eyes but an incorrect brow can ruin everything. Very few of us are born with naturally beautiful brows so you need to sculpt the best brow you can from what you have been given.

There are actually a few simple rules and tips to help you on the path to beautiful brow land and if you follow them you will get some pretty cool results.

You need to get “the imperfect brow” to resemble “the perfect brow”. How, you ask?

1. If you remember the “eye line” concept that we introduced many, many columns ago (that is, the imaginary measuring rod drawn out from your kajal line), the best brow will be parallel to it, the beginning 2/3rds of the way. If this beginning 2/3rd of the brow is not aligned to the eye line, you will look permanently surprised.

2. Getting a sexy arch, then, means dropping your inner brow till it lines up with the eye line. Many threading ladies take off too much from underneath the beginning of the brow, pushing the brow upwards. Do not let them clean too much up from underneath.

3. The second big mistake is that threading ladies do not trim the brow from on top. The idea is to trim this beginning 2/3rds in to a shape that is parallel to the eye line. This is the area where you can cheat the most. Dropping this line is easy, because you just give yourself a little haircut. Nothing god-given about this maneuver.

4. Only once the inside is pushed down will your arch end up being higher … it stands to reason. If you pull up your inner brow, your arch will inevitably be below it, creating a droopy look. But drop the inside as far as you can and inevitably you will have an arch that is high, as compared to the beginning of your brow.

5. Often the scoop of the arch underneath comes too early, creating a short looking brow. Try to scoop out the arch underneath as late as possible. This will create length.

6. Some helpful tips when you go to get your brows done.

a) Hold your brows in the shape you would like them to end up. If you pull your skin tight to allow for threading but in so doing you create a droopy, horrid shape for your brow technician that is what she will end up following. Practice in front of the mirror; hold your skin tight in a manner that creates a sexy, arched brow. Now you have presented someone with a stencil that they can follow, one that shows them the hidden potential in your face.

b) Ask for a hand mirror and weigh in on the proceedings at the salon. “Hey, do you think we should remove this one hair? Or will that get too thin?” Politeness, as always, is key. Apart from human decency, a nervous, frazzled salon girl wielding scissors and hair removal implements is not a good thing. For you.

7. And last but MOST IMPORTANTLY. If in doubt about whether to remove or not to remove…let it be. There is no question, my friend Hamlet. You can always remove more the next time round. Over confidence can leave you looking like twiggy. In this case, more is more.

Good luck!

Bina Khan is a make-up artist, photographer, skin technician and writer who owns a salon and photography studio in Karachi. All images and content are the property of Bina Khan. Any unauthorised use of the same is illegal and liable for prosecution.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2013.

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Lawn fever is turning up the heat this summer. Here’s what you should look for this week: 

Farah Leghari Lawn

Designs: Six

Colour ways: Two

Price: Rs4,000 to Rs5,000

Launch date: March 16 — nationwide

Five Star Signature Lawn by JJ Valaya

Designs: 25 designs — five themes, each having five designs

Colour ways: Two

Price: Rs5,500 to Rs7,500

Launch date: March 15, 16 and 17 Karachi

Nida Azwer Limited Edition Lawn

Designs: 20

Colour ways: Two

Price: Rs3,500

Launch date: March 15 and 16 — Karachi; March 18 — Lahore

Sana Safinaz Lawn Spring/Summer

Designs: 15

Colour ways: Two

Price: Rs5,150 to Rs5,450

Launch date: March 18 — nationwide

Published in The Express Tribune, March 17^th, 2013.

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Model Alizeh Waqar was spotted at the launch of Luscious Cosmetics—Luscious Loves Fashion post event, in this chic outfit. We absolutely love the hair and the way she’s working that bright pink jacket and mustard yellow top.

Hair

Even though this may be yesterday’s fashion trend, her long gorgeous reddish brown locks are twisted and teased with a curling iron. She is sporting the look well. To achieve a similar look part your hair in the middle and use hairspray and a curling iron to keep your waves in place.

Make-up

Her make-up screams retro! We recommend using Rimmel Pro Glam Eyes eyeliner (Rs650) for a flicked eye liner like hers, Loreal Million Dollar Lash mascara (Rs2,000) and Mac’s Speak Louder lipstick (Rs1,700). Remember to paint your nails hot pink for finishing touches.

Accessories

If you don’t own statement jewellery already, go and buy some! For a necklace like hers be sure to check out Saffron and your local stores (Rs900).

Outfit

She’s paired up an interesting combination of colours for an outfit, and it looks awesome! Look for white skinny jeans available at Outfitters (Rs1,200) with a mustard loose fitted blouse which you could probably find at Mango or Monsoon (Rs1,500) and lastly a statement bright pink jacket like hers. Check out stores like Debenhams and Next (Rs3,000) for a similar one.

Shoes

Wedges are known to be one of the most comfortable pair of heels you could own. For a similar pair check out stores like Charles and Keith and Vincci (Rs4,000).

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2013.                

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KARACHI: With images of animals, female figures and European buildings across the fabric, risk-taker Nida Azwer decided to take lawn prints to a whole new level. Even in her shoot, she preferred to keep the setting private, instead of opting for swimming pools and deserts. Titled Nida Azwer Spring Summer Collection 2013, the collection was anything but traditional. The two-day exhibition began on Friday at The Palm.

“I really don’t know how to express my feelings — I’m a little nervous and yet very excited,” says Azwer about venturing into lawn for the first time. With no textile mill by her side, she adds, “It’s a lot of responsibility when it comes to doing everything on your own. From the creative aspect to the technical side, it’s a lot of hard work.”

Within the first half hour of the exhibition, Azwer’s exclusive Masai Maroon Grey design, which had traditional African women printed across the border, was completely sold out. In addition to the lawn suits, she has also provided Nida Azwer buttons and screen-printed borders. However, the clothes on display gave off a rather informal touch as they were not ironed and this could’ve easily been avoided.

For the shoot, she chose to stick to the calmer indoors, as compared to a desert safari or poolside, where the brand’s ambassador Humaima Malik was seen in various poses showing off the playful collection.

“Shooting with Humaima was a lot of fun,” says photographer Nadir Firoz Khan who was present at the event with wife Maha Burney. “This was a very interesting shoot. It was funky as well as classic; there was a European feel in the background.” He adds, “It was elegant, simple and chic.” Khan feels Azwer didn’t play it safe — she took a risk and her approach was completely “out-of-the-box”.

Visitors left the exhibition impressed. Customer Umaimah Khuhro found the collection “very different and something which isn’t easily available in the market” while another lawn buyer, Hafsa Rehman, who was busy placing an order for herself, felt “the exhibition was a hit and not to be missed.”

Azwer doesn’t plan to reprint these designs and exhibit them again, so ladies went all out trying to get their hands on a Nida Azwer lawn jora.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 18^th, 2013.                

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On Sunday, some of New York’s finest attended the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) Awards.

The stars went all out with their wardrobes; some entered the event in glamourous ensembles, while others were spotted in hideous costumes. Here’s a round-up of the not-so-nice looks of the night.

Madonna

As a child, Madonna was refused entry into the boy scouts club — but she took that rejection to heart! The singer and dancer showed up at the awards ceremony dressed in a boy scout uniform to make a statement. All we can say is: get over it and get a stylist. It’s about time!

Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi

The Jersey Shore celeb Snooki was arrested in 2010 for disturbing the peace of the public; but apparently she didn’t learn. At the GLAAD Awards, she was spotted in a disturbing dress, which seemed more like lingerie, but gave no signs of being sexy. Next time, please do something with those red locks!

Bernadette Peters

This actor-singer turned children’s book author wore her red dress to camouflage with the carpet. Although we love Bernadette’s choice of colour, the horizontal pleats give it a red mummy effect. She apparently didn’t care to do her hair — oh but then again, she didn’t care much about her shoes either. Sorry Bernie, no points for style here!

Jenni ‘JWoww’ Farley

JWoww also came into limelight with MTV reality series Jersey Shore, and in 2010 launched a clothing line by the name of Filthy Couture. She’s not making any style statements today in that dress, which resembles an arts and crafts project. We are also wondering, why she decided to wear that awful pale lipstick, it looks like a vampire sucked the blood right out of her lips!

Milla Jovovich Trevor

This model and actor Milla Jovovich Trevor looked as if she was going to an official meeting with the vampires. Milla’s creamy white attire did no wonders for her pale skin. And is that a black ribbon over her shirt? We wonder if Trevor knew what she was dressing for before stepping out. Even her costume as Alice in Resident Evil series is much better than this.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2013.                

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The three-day lawn exhibition — a collaboration between textile giant Five Star and Indian fashion guru JJ Valaya — began on Friday at The Palm.

As the fashion show began and models made their way to the stage, the mystery of the bed was revealed and probably justified — it was used as an additional prop in the fashion show.

The collection incorporated fabrics such as chiffon and georgette with motifs and intricate embroidery. It was divided into five main categories: Zari, Nizam, Naqaashi, Jamawar and Sanghaner. While the first three depicted subtle maroons, browns and blacks and were not that aesthetically pleasing for the younger lot (and were more suitable for elder women), the final two categories included brighter summer shades which were more de rigueur in the world of lawn, and brought life to the show.

However, the price range, Rs5,500 to Rs7,500, seemed a little much for a rather ordinary collection.

Model and actor Meesha Shafi, who is the label’s brand ambassador, also graced the stage with her presence. “The collection is different from other lawn exhibitions we’ve seen in the city. It doesn’t always have to be bright, funky and loud,” she said, adding, “Valaya’s lawn has a sort of elegance about it which is what I really like.” She feels the level of professionalism she witnessed while working with Valaya was noteworthy and admits Pakistan has a long way to go as far as that is concerned.

A spiff of bug spray here and a little air freshener there made it a little hard to breathe. Unfortunately, the bug spray didn’t kill all the mosquitoes and the addition of rose-scented air freshener didn’t do the trick either.

The customers on day one of the exhibition did seem excited but did not create a frantic situation — they surprisingly did not conform to the typically-frenzied lawn exhibition scenarios, and calmly selected their suits. And while Karachiites were ready to welcome this designer from across the border with open arms, unfortunately, he didn’t turn up. He was, however, present at the Lahore event.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2013.                

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If the summer heat is keeping you from going heavy on the eyes, a bright pout is a great way to make a style statement. From models and socialites to designers, the attention-grabbing pout is being rocked by these femme fatales. Here are the ladies who left us gawking in awe at their dazzling lips:

Samina Khan, Iman Ali & Natty

If you haven’t bought a red lipstick yet, it’s time you invested in one. As proven by a scientific study, a dash of red lipstick can make you look younger because it increases facial contrast. Dress up your lips in a bright shade of red and you don’t need to fuss about the mascara or eyeliner. To get this look, try out Color Studio’s Bomb Shell (Rs550) and you’re good to go!

Amna Kardar, Nadia Hussain & Rabia Butt

Although slowly phasing out after winter, plum lips are still in fashion as flaunted by these beauties of the fashion world. If you can dare to pull it off, stain your lips with Mac’s Heroine (Rs1,800) and don’t be surprised if you overhear people saying “what a pout”!

Asma Mumtaz, Meher Tareen

Beautician Asma Mumtaz and Publishing Editor of Paper Magazine Meher Tareen flaunted this flirty shade of fuchsia. Nothing beats a neon pink on your lips and we are totally in love with this gorgeous look. To get the same pout, try L’Oréal Velvety Fuchsia (Rs1,200).

Nooray Bhatti, Mathira & Alishba

The striking citrus shade is an immediate attention-grabber and looks uber pretty on all skin tones. This shade works like magic, transforming a tired face into a cheerful one that’s ready to rock. Mac’s Watch Me Simmer (Rs1,800) is super bright and super awesome.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2013.                

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This two-day affair saw women come and shop their hearts out and get ready for the upcoming summer season. While casuals were expected to rule the event, it was surprising to see that majority of the designers had focused on semi-formals. “I was expecting a lot more lawn and cotton outfits,” says Anum Akram of Labels, “but not only are there more formals but people have been buying them more too.”

Rabia & Nevine are one of Label’s best-selling brands with their screen prints and innovative cuts. “This season is all about bringing a change in your wardrobe,” says Rabia. “Sequins are ruling the formals and as for cottons, embroideries are out and appliqués are in. We have used a lot of appliqué work on our casual summer wear.”

Arjumand Bano’s Opera House saw some interesting pieces, moving away from her usual style, Opera House ventures into textured cottons and focuses on cuts and embellishments. Her cigarette pants with appliquéd embellishments were a best-seller and were the first to sell out.

Shafaq Muzzamil’s crepe based semi formals were another hit with the ladies at the fair. Colour blocking still seems to be trending well when it comes to home based entrepreneurs.

Whether or not crepe is a practical summer fabric is questionable but it seems to be the fabric of choice at the Labels Spring Fair. With a live violinist serenading the shoppers and a lawn booth placed separately outside, this organised affair was not only fun but targeted serious shoppers.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2013.

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Singer Fariha Pervaiz has entered the fashion world with her brand new clothing line, Inspirations. We can’t make a comment on her designing skills just yet because we are too distracted by this awful combination of all things bizarre — having a really blue day, Fariha?

The Charge Sheet

Hair and make-up

The blowdry and make-up is nice with the well defined eyes and pale lipstick, but the coloured lenses are so tacky.

Outfit

That t-shirt is like a wannabe Versace design that died in the reject bin. It looks positively awful and she should toss it out of her wardrobe the first chance she gets. Why she decided to wear a deep purple velvet coat is beyond us — maybe she is dressing up for Halloween? Or a Harry Potter-themed party?

Accessories & shoes

Those earrings look like something a 10-year-old made in art class and the bracelet is totally out of place as well. The shoes are ugly and the blue toe nails are just too disastrous.

Bail out!

Sarah

Sarah was at the same event wearing this blue kurta. She broke the blue well with the black and white checkered scarf. Fariha could take cues on how to match and complement colours together.

Sania Maskatiya

Sania was recently seen showcasing her lawn launch. The coat she wore to complement the embroidered kameez was unique and we love the funky ethnic print running down the front and sleeves!

Another guest

Fariha posed next to another guest at the event, who wore a fun printed coat paired with a plain black paneled shirt inside. She looks elegant and chic with her matching red lipstick.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2013.

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Ten dresses worn by the late Princess Diana, including a velvet midnight blue gown she famously danced in with John Travolta at the White House in 1985 fetched more than $1.2 million at a London auction on Tuesday. The Victor Edelstein creation worn at the US gala dinner was the top lot of the sale, held by fashion specialists Kerry Taylor Auctions, selling for $362,470, within the pre-sale estimates.

A beaded black Catherine Walker evening gown worn by Diana in a Vanity Fair fashion shoot by photographer Mario Testino raised $163,091, as did a crushed velvet burgundy dress by the same designer donned by the then Princess of Wales during a state visit to Australia.

Diana originally sold the pieces at a charity auction in New York shortly before she was killed in a high-speed car crash in Paris in August 1997. The selection of mainly evening gowns charted the former royal’s style evolution from ingénue to global fashion icon, a transformation that captivated the world as much as her private life.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21^st, 2013.

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Earlier this year, Pakistani television model and actor Zhalay Sarhadi was spotted at the launch of PappaRoti at Dolmen City Mall looking fabulous. She smiled for the camera as she posed in her semi-formal trendy outfit, looking chic from head to toe. Zhalay’s complete look ranked high on our style-o-meter. Here is how you can get a similar look:

Hair

Zhalay chose to straighten her hair and part it on the side, using some hair-pins to hold her rolled bangs. Steps for this easy and sexy hair: blow dry, straighten, part using a tail comb, roll bangs loosely and then pin them up (giving it a little bump). Good luck!

Makeup

We love those bright lips! With a light base powder, Zhalay has on a bright peachy lipstick, shimmery gold eye shade and long, thick eye-liner. We recommend using Mac’s Ravishing lipstick (Rs1,500), Revlon Colorstay liquid black eye-liner (Rs500) and Color Studio’s Professional gold shadow (Rs400).

Accessories

This Pak-TV diva knew how to accessorise without overdoing it! Zhalay wore a peach rose ring and a big cut-out heart necklace. Try getting your accessories at Outfitters, Accessorize or Mango (under Rs2,000). Check Jafferjees or Silkskin for the brown leather bag (Rs12,000).

Outfit

Zhalay was fashionable all the way! From her cream-and-orange floral blouse and a big brown leather handbag, to her black skinny jeans and strappy orange sandals — we give her full points for style. You might have a pair of black skinnies in your closet, for a similar top, check out Mango or Debenhams for a similar blouse (Rs3,000) or browse through the racks at Mantra for a cheaper option.

Shoes

As much as we love her beautiful smile, we can’t stop drooling over those shoes. You might just get lucky to find similar shoes at Charles and Keith (Rs6,000) or Nine West (Rs4,000).

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2013.                

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Aamir Bukhari, a 25-year-old fashion blogger, has pointed out that the designer duo’s lawn prints (marked 11A and 11B in this year’s beautifully shot catalogue) have mimicked a Zara design. He writes, “The design in question is [Spanish brand] Zara’s silk wide leg pants from last year’s collection. In Sana Safinaz’s version, the exact same design motif is used on the front of the shirt piece. Although the silk pants [are] retailed for around $90, this printed fabric retails for around $57.”

A careful examination of the Zara pants and the Sana Safinaz lawn suit in question will show you that the motif is indeed quite similar, the only difference being that the pants have used it as a print and SS have included it as an embroidered panel.

When asked about this evident duplication of the Zara design, Safinaz Muneer did not shy away from accepting the truth. “Designers get inspired by [other] designers all the time,” she said frankly. “From books to catalogues, [they are inspired] all the time. So yes, we saw these Zara silk printed pants and were inspired. Our respective designs bear embroidery which is similar to that.” We must give credit to Safinaz for being so direct, but are positively amused that the very same designer had once complained about the copying of SS designs by local textile mills to freelance journalist Maliha Rehman in an interview for Instep.

“They may be able to copy our work for now,” Safinaz had said in 2011. “But soon, we’ll have innovated and moved on to something new. Then, with no genuine talent to make them go ahead, they’ll be left with the old designs.” The quirk of fate is unmissable, especially since an SS design had reportedly inspired a Valentino design the same year, an incident the designer duo had celebrated as “a flow of fashion from east to west”. Safinaz had also clarified that the Valentino design “looks inspired by the east but is definitely not a copy”.

While the subject has again become hot with the Zara-SS hullaballoo, it is unfair to single them out. In a blog entry last year, Bukhari pointed out that other big names help themselves to designs from Western brands too. According to him, Origins’ ready-to-wear collection 2012 was lifted from Chanel’s Bombay Collection showcased in December 2011; Gul Ahmed paid “not-so-subtle homage” to the famous YSL Piet Mondrian day dress from 1965; and Khaadi has imitated the signature pattern of Italian brand Missoni. While the Gul Ahmed and Khaadi allegations made by Bukhari are quite a stretch — since versions of Mondrian’s grid-based painting designs can be found on everything from table mats to earrings; and Khaadi’s print is different to Missoni’s — the similarity between Origins’ design and the Chanel collection is apparent. In the same post, Bukhari also drew attention to one of Sana Safinaz’s lawn prints from last year, which was quite similar to a runway design from Emilio Pucci’s 2011 Spring/Summer collection.

“Established designer brands shouldn’t slack off like this — they should hire a better design team,” the blogger says, adding that he is not on a campaign against anyone. “It hurts me that they are charging so much for copied designs, and then have the audacity to put copyright disclaimers on their catalogues.”

From Ghausia Market in Karachi to Liberty in Lahore, there are a dime a dozen kaarigars tirelessly replicating the designs found in local catalogues; SS copied one single pattern and used it to make a beautiful lawn jora. Does it really matter?

When we asked the gurus of fashion, perspectives varied. “Even Zara’s print is inspired by ancient motifs,” says fashion writer Aamna Haider Isani. “This comparison just shows that Sana Safinaz are inspired by Zara. I don’t think it is a big deal at all. Plus, the international Schumer Bill for protection of intellectual content in fashion clearly states that colours and motifs cannot be patented.” Maheen Khan agrees. “Cutting-edge designs parading down a fashion runway in Paris or New York are digitally photographed and emailed off to design houses where they are reverse engineered and then mass produced at a discounted rate for the general public,” she says. Fashion journalist Zurain Imam points out that it is interesting that SS have issues with their work being copied, but have now done the same. However, he adds that “fashion is basically functional, so there should be no issues as such.”

Verdict: Have Sana Safinaz used a Zara motif in their lawn? Yes. Do consumers care? No (their lawn is selling faster than you can spell Zara). Does this undermine their reputation of being one of the most forward-thinking and creative design houses in the country? That’s really up to you.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2013.                

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Who says you can’t look good when you’re pregnant? Celebrities make everything possible. Here is a round-up of our favourite moms-to-be this year.

American singer, songwriter, designer and actor Fergie came to limelight with the hip-hop band The Black Eyed Peas. She made her pregnancy announcement in February and was soon after spotted all dolled up for an afternoon party. With her own unique style, she was in a all beige, knee-length dress with a shaggy shoulder jacket. Fergie made sure to accessorise before she stepped out to show off that baby bump.

The American actor and singer Jessica Simpson is expecting her second child. The Weight Watchers fan is now taking a break from her diet while she focuses on giving her unborn son the best she can. Jessica was spotted recently in a black tank and tights, with a baby pink jacket on top. She accessorised her outfit with a gold box clutch and a thin gold chain. We love the wavy blond locks over her shoulders.

This Spanish actor is expecting her second child with husband Javier Bardem later this year. She is the perfect example of the new-age woman. While juggling work and motherhood, Penelope always looks fabulous. She was recently spotted in her winter wardrobe, dressed in all black with gold accessories. With minimum make-up, a messy ponytail and a charming smile, Penelope posed with confidence.

Socialite Kim Kardashian and boyfriend rapper Kanye West announced her pregnancy in December at a concert in Atlantic City. Although Kim is worried about her figure as reported by Huffington Post, we think she looks stunning in her preggo outfits. Recently, she was seen in a hot pink dress with a low neck, sexy neon yellow stilettos and aviators — we loved everything about her look!

The Duchess of Cambridge, married to Prince William is drop-dead gorgeous, even while she’s pregnant. The royal beauty was seen earlier this month wearing a long-sleeved wrap-around dress that ended just above her knees. With very little make-up, minimum accessories and hair down, we can see Kate likes to be simple. We’re hoping the royal baby soon to arrive gets mommy’s natural beauty.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2013.

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