Maheen Khan

In 1973, a young village boy came to Maheen Khan’s old Lahore shop Seamstress, which she used to run from the verandah of her home. Mohammad Afzal was then hardly seven years old at the time, and an exceedingly naughty seven-year-old at that. His mischievousness landed him in trouble, when he wringed the neck of the neighbour’s hen, and got sacked by Maheen. Three years later, Afzal knocked on Maheen’s door once again, pleading for a job. Maheen agreed, considering that he is from a family of nine siblings, and initially allowed him to do just hemming. While he soon learnt how to stitch a complete outfit, he didn’t know how to read. “The learning came later with my daughter teaching him the Urdu alphabet,” says Maheen. “He couldn’t read the clients’ measurements and today, he reads an entire newspaper!” Afzal is now the head master of patch and cutter of the label Maheen and Gulabo, and has also bought a house for himself. “He is simple man, faithful and loyal, someone who is fiercely protective of me and my brand,” she adds.

Nida Azwer

Years ago, when her label was a small and relatively new brand in the market, Nida Azwer’s eager young helper boy Naveed Nafees came on board. “He was a helper boy who learned how to use the computer very eagerly,” she says, adding that he wasn’t paid much then. “Today, he looks after most of the computer related screen work projects of my design house.”

“When he started, he had a simple Bachelors of Commerce degree and lived in a rented space. Today, through his sheer hard-work, he has his own house, a motorbike and sends his only son to an English medium school,” she says, adding that he has groomed his inter-personal skills and is quite savvy when it comes to business.

Huma Adnan

“Eighteen years ago, when Amir Adnan started his company, we had a little guy in his early 20s who had just completed his Matriculation,” says Huma. “Raheem was hired as a hath ka karigaar and held the junior most position of assistant sardoz. However, in a team of some 200 men, his capability completely outshone — today he heads the department of hand embroidery,” adds Adnan. From the lowest paid worker, Raheem is now the highest-paid worker in the factory.

“Earlier, we would help him out [charity] and look after him. Now, he looks after his community! His lifestyle has changed. He is a dedicated worker in whom we blindly trust.”

Deepak Perwani 

“What does one write about people who have worked for you for 15 years?” starts Deepak. He then talks about Alan Bhai, a worker who has worked with him for almost two decades. “I have not come across anyone as diligent and amazing as this man who was the Pure Embroidery in-charge for 10 years.” So diligent is he in his work that Perwani confesses, “I don’t even know when the work happens and when it is delivered.”

He adds, “He is the only man I know who has come to work without taking a holiday whether it’s been a strike or the city has burnt — this man has had perfect attendance. In a country where we generally take too many holidays and lack work ethics, there are just a few good men like him who put Pakistan on the map as a hardworking country.”

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

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Pakistani/German model Cybil Chowdhry has been in the industry for 13 years. 

From modeling on the ramp to photo shoots, Cybil has names like Karma, HSY, Umer Sayeed, Mehdi and Muse among others on her portfolio. She is now the brand ambassador and face of Khaadi.

The model’s style philosophy is simple — she doesn’t have a set style nor does she follow anyone.

“I’m not one of those girls who does her own blow dry as soon as I wake up, and if I’m not working, I don’t wear make-up,” she said.

The model loves colours and wears comfortable, causal outfits, sprucing them up with funky accessories.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2013.

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If you’re part of the lawn lovers anonymous club, you have probably been subject to the “are you crazy” looks from your husband, kids, friends or even strangers standing behind you in the never-ending queue at the exhibition counter.

These looks may be a reaction to your waking up an hour early to arrive at an exhibition before the gates open to make sure your favourite Nida Azwer or Elan lawn is still there. They may be conjured when you rush to your closest lawn shop to pre-book your Sana Safinaz joras three weeks before the collection releases and so forth. Even if you are too embarrassed to admit that you’ve invested in twenty suits and you tell your best friend “I just bought two or three”, we’re here to tell you there is nothing wrong with you!

It is a simple case of lawn fever that sometimes results in mob mentality and temporary insanity amongst the best of us. The hardest part is selecting which ones to get and which ones to forget — because they all look so terribly fantastic on the models wearing them on billboards and in catalogues. It makes us suddenly think that we too, would look like Nargis Fakhri or Neha when we don the same outfits! It is important to know the difference between what will look good on you and what just looks good on paper. We have tried to accomplish the difficult task of making a list of our top 10 picks from the top designer lawn labels.

Sania Maskatiya

Her debut collection in collaboration with Sapphire textiles had all the signature elements associated with the label. A rich culturally infused aesthetic inspired by the Indus civilisation along with visual influences of the sub-continent’s colonial era. One could see the amount of research and thought employed in each authentic design. We loved the easy-to-wear stitched kurtas! While the ancient heritage imagery would be our popular choice for the younger crowd, the Zaffran with its intricate fully embroidered back and sleeves using floral and bird patterns for spring was the prettiest of all.

Sana Safinaz

If you were lucky enough to get your hands on any of the Sana Safinaz SS13 jewels then you clearly took pains to do it. We hope the white lace with the fluorescent green or pink dupatta was one of them. While the entire range has out done itself yet again in terms of enhanced intricacy of embroideries and the addition of phulkari and woven fabrics, this one is definitely a timeless design which is hard to come by in lawn.

Deepak Perwani

Having had a few years experience in the world of lawn, Deepak Perwani’s collection provided an array of colour and style to ensure there was something for everyone. Deepak’s most impressive and distinctive marks were the innovative colour permutations. For us the one that stood out was a luscious black and yellow gold that works beautifully for evening wear.

Khaadi

Khaadi lawn has become a staple for women across the country thanks to its competitive pricing and appealing prints. This year the prêt giant went all out to create six unique theme collections for spring 2013 making it incredibly hard for us to choose. The winner was the limited edition digital print collection that is a step out of their usual comfort zone and showcases a stellar range of psychedelic mish mash prints.

JJ Valaya

For the first time a renowned Indian couturier and esteemed member of the fashion design council for India, delved into our lawn industry to produce a regal collection that boasts primal Indian culture and the woven gold Banarsi borders we love. The navy and antique gold detailed suit with the heavy richly embossed dupatta was our top pick.

Crescent Lawn

Faraz Manan drew on rich European baroque influences and the majesty of the palaces of Jaipur and merged it with the vibrant colours reminiscent of Florence to the Orient Express. His collection is filled with opulent luxury and nostalgic flavours. Among the cities of the world collection, our top pick is the emerald green Kashmir print.

Nida Azwer

The young designer, who amazes us every time for how much she has single handedly accomplished at such a young age, characteristically launched her debut lawn independently as well. The detailing in her collection could only be done by an artist, with designs inspired from the glorious east to ethnic pottery crafts and finally the historic architecture of Europe. The Iznik pottery print with the signature gold screen print border would be our pick for being one of a kind in every way from the colour palette to the print itself.

Zara Shahjahan

It seems all the debut designers have been hitting it out of the park this season. Kamal Lawn by Zara Shahjahan’s peachy feminine florals and pastels were a delightful sight. Their signature mark was the consistent refreshing quality to the prints. The soft hues and pencil sketch like print made this one of our favourites.

Elan by Khadijah Shah

From Elan we learnt how to truly celebrate spring with brighter colours and striking prints all the while retaining elegance without going over the top. Khadijah’s use of Persian, Turkish, and Indian mosaic patterns were brilliantly incorporated with classic florals for a vibrant and cheerful collection. The Crown Jewels print would be our top pick for its balanced use of colour and mystical evocative patterns.

Fahad Hussayn

The Print Museum collection by Fahad Hussayn was more than just lawn. The designer took it a step further by adding modern digital silk prints to the mix and for us they were the best part of the eclectic selection. The abstract and pop art prints were something new and therefore one of our top picks.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2013.

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Most modern day multi-label stores seem to be setting a trend of establishing salons in view of increasing their profitability and No.18 is clearly following suit.

No.18 offers a variety of clothes, shoes and bags of renowned international brands. The store had initially allocated the area now occupied by its salon to set up a cosmetics section.

However, the store’s poor range of beauty products in addition to the existence of leading cosmetic stores in the vicinity ruled out this possibility.

No.18’s new salon will offer a range of services from massages to hair care and nail art despite the limited space it has been given.

Owned by Aamra Malik and Tamanna Bukhari, the salon’s main attraction is expected to be its express services.

“This salon will provide women the complete experience that they need. They can come in, shop and go in for express treatments,” said Bukhari.

She added that the salon’s clean facilities were in stark contract to most counterparts in the federal capital who don’t give much importance to hygiene.

Malik said most of the products which would be used for facial treatment were imported from the U.K.

“We want to give our clients the best of everything — we believe in quality products,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2013. 

Designer Wardha Saleem and model Fia Khan were spotted all glammed up, wearing jumpsuits at the launches of L’Oréal’s new hair colour range INOA at Avari Towers and Luscious’ new range of nail colours, respectively.

Wardha Saleem

Hair & Make-up

Sporting light make-up with slightly shimmered eyes and pink glossy lips, designer Wardha Saleem has her auburn hair open and parted to the side. We are in love with that tropical orange nail colour she has on.

Clothes

Wardha looked great in this hot pink silk jumpsuit which she designed herself. She totally scores higher on our style-o-meter for that lovely scarf she has added to her ensemble.

Accessories & Shoes

Her look is complete with this multi-colour Tapulicious clutch designed by photographer Tapu Javeri and those hot Fendi shoes. The silver accessories from Aldo and the Tapulicious scarf are perfect add-ons. That dazzling smile is the cherry on the cake.

Fia Khan

Hair & Make-up

Model Fia Khan’s face looked almost washed out, except for her kohl-rimmed eyes. She wore nude lipstick with some light peachy pink blush on.

Clothes

Fia wore this autumn-hues jumpsuit by The Clothes Company. While the outfit is well-structured, we wish that she hadn’t used that belt as an accessory. A tan belt would have done wonders!

Accessories & Shoes

With a few matching rings, Fia is wearing a vintage necklace that is being hidden by that collar. The strappy platforms, however, are a win!

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2013.                

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Jessica Alba

Jessica looked gorgeous in her printed Mary Katrantzou dress, Christian Louboutin shoes, Eddie Borgo jewels and a Stella McCartney bag. We’re surprised she didn’t win best dressed at the awards! We absolutely love her hair and make-up, its glossy, bright and perfectly complementing her outfit!

Selena Gomez

The 20-year-old entertainer won the best dressed award at the event. She looked super chic in an Oscar de la Renta top and shorts, Gucci heels, a Diane Von Furstenberg bag, Melinda Maria hoop earrings, and Dana Rebecca Designs necklace and rings. During the show, Selena picked up the award for Favourite Television Actress for her work on the show Wizards of Waverly Place last year.

Fergie

Fergie flashed her baby bump at the awards in a sea life printed dress. The singer does look cute but she could have done a little better than that dress and those chirpy yellow shoes. Her hair might we add, is looking flat and drab.

Kristen Stewart

Kristen is wearing a navy blue Osman top with matching shorts; she has paired her outfit with some black stilettos. Her make-up is understated and her smoky eyes look awesome! The 22-year-old actor won the award for Favourite Movie Actress and got covered in green slime after she hugged presenters Sandra Bullock and Neil Patrick Harris, who were slimed before presenting the award.

Khloe Kardashian

The 28-year-old reality star showed off her slimmed down figure in a short white dress paired with white ankle cuffed heels. Her smoky eyes and messy hair did justice to her dress.

Victoria Justice

American singer/songwriter Victoria was all about colour at the event. She walked onto the purple carpet in a Pia Pauro dress, orange Aldo shoes, Nancy Gonzalez clutch, Sarah Chloe earrings, CBL by CB Luxebracelets, and a Kami Lerner ring.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2013.

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Bilal studied at Orlando. INC in Toronto in 2002 and trained not only in nail art but also received professional training in nail extensions. “I started privately seeing clients in Lahore in 2004 and then proceeded to open La Rouge on MM Alam road,” says Bilal. “Now I decided it was time to open up a proper place and go mainstream with our services.” Rana came to Bilal as a client initially and before long they both decided to partner up and make the nail bar a reality.

“I don’t know anything about nails or nail art for that matter — that is all Anisha,” says Rana. “I enjoy interiors and since I’ve lived in Lahore I know people here and can manage the business end of the venture.”

While Bilal brings the creativity, Rana brings PR, interiors and the general business acumen to the table. Located next to Mall 1 in Mall 94, The Nail Bar also provides the menu from Cosa Nostra’s Delicatessen to its clients. Even though the space is intimate, it has two very distinct vibes going for it. While the nail art section is very modern with a high top counter and bar stools, the manicure and pedicure area however, has a feminine vintage feel to it. With mismatched chairs and vibrant colours, the space gives one a hip and edgy feel.

The duo focuses on basic nail art as well as nail biting and fungal issues. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

For a manicure/pedicure, the price range is Rs600 to Rs1,200; nail colour change and nail art is between Rs300 to Rs1,500; nail extensions start at Rs2,500 and go up to Rs7,500.

For their launch, The Nail Bar by La Rouge had asked designers, socialites, restaurateurs and media personalities to be a part of their style brigade. The ladies roamed around the launch flaunting their fabulous new nails and inspiring others to do the same.

Apart from basic nail art and manicure-pedicures, The Nail Bar by La Rouge also offers solutions to fungal problems and nail biting. “We give 100% guarantee that after getting the treatments we offer here, your problem of nail biting and fungal issues will go away,” she adds.

Whether you want to have a fun day out with your girls or get some expert consultation on your nails, The Nail Bar seems to be the new one stop shop for everything nails!

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2013.

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Stylist Asmaa Mumtaz was spotted at the launch of Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC) high street store looking fabulous in this fun attire.

Here is how you can get a similar look:

Hair

Asmaa let her black hair with caramel streaks fall straight down her back. A quick blow-dry can do the trick for you. Apply some Livon Silky Potion (Rs400) on your hair before your start blow-drying it for shiny, untangled locks.

Makeup

You will be surprised to know that Asmaa arrived at the event straight from work! She had a washed out face, but the stylist in her turned that to her advantage. Her instant make-over was completed by Mac’s So Chaud (Rs1,700) and Mac’s Foolish Me (Rs2,700) — awesome!

Outfit

Asmaa is wearing a jade MK Nation outfit by Atelier Karma from their debut collection. You can get the same dress (Rs5,000) from their outlet.

Accessories

The stylist is sporting dangly yellow wooden earrings and chunky colourful bangles to complement her funky casual look. You can find similar accessories at Accessorize (Rs2,000) or Sentiments (Rs1,500).

Shoes

She wore dull gold Zara pointed pumps which look cute. Heels would have worked better, but flats are the best bet when you have to be on your feet at work all day. Check out Charles & Keith (Rs5,000) for a pair of pointed pumps or look through the racks at local shoe stores like Walk Eaze (Rs2,000).

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2013.                

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KARACHI: Bright, sunny and hopefully more peaceful than the previous few weeks (or is that wishful thinking?), April is all set to be a month for fashion.

And no, I don’t mean lawn by fashion. Instead, this is a month when ready-to-wear and bridals will come to the fore and set sartorial trends for the year up ahead. That is, of course, if no bomb blasts or uncontrollable violence are inflicted upon the country in the near future. Here’s a tentative synopsis for the fashionable month ahead, fingers crossed:

Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW)

FPW was supposed to take place in March but was postponed to early April due to the unrest in Karachi. The originally four-day long event has also now shriveled down to two days. And while it’s strange for a ‘week’ to be just for two days, it won’t matter as long as it has groundbreaking, exciting new collections to offer.

Will FPW manage to do so? So far, Fashion Pakistan (FP) executive council members Deepak Perwani, Maheen Khan and Shamaeel Ansari are all showing new collections along with Sana Safinaz (with their soon-to-be-launched pret line), Sania Maskatiya and the youthful, desi-chic Baani D. The list of newer designers is far longer, Deepak & Fahad, Ayesha Hasan, Ishtiaq Afzal Khan along with Arsalan and Yahser, among others. “How will new designers get the chance to learn from their mistakes and improve unless we give them the chance to go under the spotlight and be honestly criticised?” points out FP’s CEO Maheen Khan.

Which is all very well; except that I wish that the division between old and new designers was more balanced out. Collections by newbies are welcome but so are Sanam Chaudhri’s foxy fashion statements, Nomi Ansari’s razzle dazzle, Adnan Pardesy’s artistry and Sonya Batla’s superbly cut silhouettes. All four designers have opted not to show this season while a large number of Karachi-based designer labels who have been part of earlier FPW’s — Shehla Chatoor, Feeha Jamshed, Maheen Karim, Nida Azwer, FnkAsia, Wardha Saleem, Ayesha Hashwani, Tapu Javeri and Misha Lakhani — are showing at the Pakistan Fashion Design Council’s (PFDC) fashion week instead, simply because they want to showcase their pret in Lahore.

With 12-odd shows sandwiched into each day and a not very exciting line-up, FP could still surprise us by putting out well-edited, interesting collections — or else FPW may just turn out to be a long drag.

The PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week

The Lahore-based PFDC’s annual pret-based fashion week is earmarked for the end of April and where earlier the event had primarily featured designers from Lahore, the line-up this year is a mix of some of the country’s best — from Lahore as well as Karachi. Along with the Karachi-based labels I mentioned earlier, the usual long-time PFDC stalwarts are there: HSY, Maria B, Nickie Nina, Yahsir Waheed and Karma. And then there are the younger labels that have also become regular participants in the PFDC’s fashion weeks: Élan, Muse, Khaadi Khaas, Republic, Sublime, Zara Shahjahan and Akif Mehmood among others.

It looks like it’s going to be one heck of a show. Some of the country’s best-known designers are drifting towards the PFDC’s platform because the council has proven its credibility through regular events and a well-organised infrastructure. However, now that the PFDC has more or less established itself, it’s time for the council to spread its wings and fly beyond Lahore — to Karachi, perhaps?

After all, where’s the business sense in having a loyal clientele just in one city? A designer can only bring in big sales — the way Sania Maskatiya does, for example — by having a market all over Pakistan rather than just in one city. (Sania, incidentally, is showing in both FPW and with the PFDC — the more the merrier!) Many of PFDC’s Lahore contingent — designers like Khadijah Shah, Sara Shahid of Sublime and Zara Shahjahan, for instance — should try to strengthen their market in Karachi. The council needs to understand this.

The PFDC had earlier shown in Karachi but lately due to the turmoil in Karachi as well as the logistic complications of bringing a Lahore-based operation to another city it has opted not to. Once the political climate settles down, though, the PFDC should consider making the occasional migration once again. It’s high time that this happens in collaboration with Karachi’s FP council.

Pantene Bridal Couture Week (BCW)

The Hum TV network’s ode to bridals is scheduled for mid-April in Karachi. As always, the event is touted to be featuring an endless array of coiffured and primped dulhans, dressed by a motley crew of designers — the old and the new, the famous and the unknown, from all over the country rather than the one odd city.

The best thing about BCW is that, by repetitively broadcasting the show on television, this fashion week is the best possible advertisement for a couturier. It’s what draws designers from all over to be part of the bi-annual event. The worst thing is that since almost anybody can be part of the show by paying the participating fee, some refreshingly creative bridals get lost in the milieu of mediocrity.

With several years to its credit, BCW needs to step up its game and become more discerning about who is allowed on to the catwalk. It has now built itself to become a show that is avidly followed by brides-to-be, their mothers and every other woman with a penchant for heavy wedding wear. It’s time that the Hum TV network does its duty for fashion and starts editing some of those collections!

And as if three fashion weeks weren’t enough, April is also supposed to mark the opening of Sana Safinaz’s pret stores in Karachi and Lahore, Sania Maskatiya’s flagship store and Fahad Hussayn’s Prodigy outlet in Lahore. Like I said, it’s a month for fashion. And for once, it’s got nothing to do with the hackneyed world of unstitched three-pieces that has been inflicted upon us for the past few weeks!

Maliha Rehman is a fashion and lifestyle journalist with an obsessive, compulsive need to write. Log on for more fashion updates on Twitter @maliharehman.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 27^th, 2013.                

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Last weekend in Karachi saw Saba Parvez wed Sameer Dada with colourful and festive events. The Express Tribune asked the official wedding photographer K Bridals for the qawali, mehndi and baraat pictures, so we could bring to you some wedding snapshots and fun trends sported by the gorgeous ladies who attended.

THE REGAL BRIDE

Saba Parvez looked stunning at all her events. A bronze kamdani outfit for the qawali; a beautiful red sari for the mehendi and a pristine, icy blue bridal outfit looked so lovely on her. Her make-up on all three events was natural, dewy and spot on.

CELEBRITY RADAR

Ayesha Khan, Moomal Sheikh and the adorable celeb couple Syra and Shahroze Subzwari were spotted looking super glam at Saba’s mehendi. Syra and Shahroze turned up the heat on the dance floor with a performance on the upbeat Bollywood number Kukri Kamal Da.

BEJEWELLED

Minhal Malik was spotted rocking this gorgeous maatha patti. Make sure you secure it with the right amount of invisible pins — especially if you are dancing. It looks absolutely regal.

FLOWER GALORE

The bride’s sister Sanya and cousin wore some lovely flower jewelry. It looks so feminine and fresh when paired with a colourful mehendi outfit — do opt for some beautiful motia ke haar the next time you want to go for an understated look.

PASTEL SHADES

From the bride’s sister-in-law Maha to her friends and other close relatives, it seems that soft pinks and powdery hues were the colours of the season. These ladies looked lovely in the lighter shades, considering the weather is getting warmer and the ultra-bright shades are being kept in the closet.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2013.

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Earlier this month, socialite Sonia Humayun was spotted in a horrible combination of what could be called an “all-for-none” outfit.

She attended the Alkaram Textiles spring/summer collection launch in Lahore wearing a bit of everything nice — but a failure all together. We’re surprised to see the always on trend Sonia stepped out of the house in this ensemble.

The charge sheet

HAIR

We can see Sonia put no effort in that long hair — no volume or freshness. The centre parting with her flat long hair is not at all flattering. A nice side fringe would look great on her.

MAKE-UP

We love her big, carefully lined almond eyes, but we’re really missing some colour. With a beige blouse, and that lovely complexion, Sonia could have easily flaunted a brighter shade of lipstick. The gold shade of nail colour is pretty, but with this outfit, a neon colour or fuchsia would have been better. We’ll give her some points for that pretty smile.

ACCESSORIES

OK, so rule number one: if you’re not sure what purse to carry, the safest option is something that goes with your shoes. The purple envelope does no wonders for Sonia’s outfit. We love the watch and that bold ring, but a small pair of earrings wouldn’t hurt.

OUTFIT

We’re almost dizzy looking at those animal print leggings. And the shirt is also quite boring. A solid bright colour shirt or a black jacket-style top would look chic with those tights.

SHOES

What a way to waste those shoes! These lovely black peep-toe heels are the only point-winners for Sonia here. While we command you to burn that entire outfit, we recommend that you keep those sexy stilettos!

Bail out

Model 1

There is nothing wrong with animal print tights if you know how to wear them. This model put her outfit together using hot-pink cheetah tights with a cut-sleeve black blouse that came right under her belly button. She also left her hair down, but it has volume and wave. We love the black suede platform heels!

Amy Andrea Childs

This 22-year-old reality TV star knows how to rock her cheetah print tights. With her hair teased and appropriate make-up, it seems like she spent some time getting ready. We love the way she wore her black button-down shirt ending in ruffles over her criss-cross cut-work leggings.

Model 2

This model wore leopard print tights with a bright orange button-down shirt which looked fabulous. She also had her hair down and very light make-up. Her long chain necklace, bold watch and the black long strapped purse gave her a trendy style. She finished off her look with plain black pumps.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2013.                

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Indian fashion guru JJ Valaya and Five Star textile mills collaborated on lawn earlier this month.

At the launch, we spotted Fareha and Seenum in smart casual outfits.

Fareha

Hair & Make-up

She’s got a lovely bounce to her hair, but it seems that nothing much has been done to it. Her make-up is complementing her outfit well; with her highlighted pink cheekbones and well-defined eyes Fareha is looking classy.

Clothes

We absolutely adore her outfit. The grey sleeveless top tucked in the black skinny Forever 21 jeans and slim waist belt is totally chic.

Accessories & Shoes

The grey Hermes Birkin is a good match for her outfit, along with the other accessories. We especially love the big dial silver watch and over-sized ring! Good job on the sexy sandals Fareha!

Seenum

Hair & Make-up

Seenum’s braid looks nice and neat, but orange lipstick with a maroon top doesn’t go well at all. The rest of her face looks glossy. Maybe some face powder could have been used.

Clothes

The outfit could have been worn better; we wish she had not worn that reddish brown shrug over that maroon top. The slim belt with the black skinny jeans is fashionable.

Accessories & Shoes

Some accessories would have been nice! The chapals look comfy, but not our favourites.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2013.                

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We have always felt that our designers have a more developed aesthetic and an increasingly multi-dimensional approach to cut and craft, but when it comes to the sari, we have a lot to learn from our neighbours.

If you thought the sari was still simply a traditional silhouette, prepare yourself to be amazed by the twists and spins inserted into this timeless classic style by the new age of Indian designers. They showcased at Lakmê India and at Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Weeks, held back-to-back this month. The diversity of cultures and ethnicities that make up the sub-continent gave way to a surge of innovative techniques, some of which we quite admire.

Let’s start with the classic Indian Banarasi sari. Gaurang Shah’s shiny black-and-gold brocade with the reverse pallu was a sensational showstopper worn by Bollywood actor Chitrangada Singh. The designer used only traditional elements yet managed to infuse a current feel to the finished product.

Yogesh Chaudhry, Vikram Phadnis, Anushka Khanna

Ever think of pairing your sari with a belt, furthermore an obi belt? After seeing the works of Anushka Khanna, Yogesh Chaudhry and Vikram Phadnis, we are quite in favour of the style. There is no outfit that the right belt can’t improve upon.

Ashdeen, Shruti Sancheti, Dev R Nil

To package an intellectual look, sari designers like Aarti Vijay Gupta, Shruti Sancheti and Ashdeen, successfully paired the drape with various versions of a full-sleeved jacket instead of the standard blouse.

Tarun Tahiliani, Aarti Vijay Gupta, Akaaro by Gaurav Jai Gupta

The result was sleek, crisp, and sophisticated. Akaaro by Gaurav Jai Gupta incorporated a waistcoat layer while Tarun Tahiliani and Dev R Nil used an open bolero for a younger working woman look. The pallu twirled back around the neck like a scarf was a stroke of genius.

Sougat Paul, Shivan and Narresh,  Kiran Uttam Ghosh

We first fell in love with the short dhoti version of the sari when we saw Masaba Gupta design it for Sonam Kapoor. The trend has caught on and there were newer exciting versions of the cut displayed by Sougat Paul’s Soup, whose tangerine pleated skirt and belted sea green top version without the pallu brought new meaning to the phrase sari. Kiran Uttam Ghosh combined the belt and the short sari over a fitted skirt, while Shivan and Narresh gave birth to the modest bikini sari that could be the new ‘LBD’. Tarun Tahiliani innovatively draped an overlapping traditional chunri sari over dhoti style pants with the bolero jacket for a complete authentic Indian fusion look.

 Farah & Firdos

Long blouses are a trend to keep, not just for an edgy twist but also for classic formals, as demonstrated by Farah & Firdos with a gorgeous emerald and gold maple leaf brocade lehnga style sari with a cropped midriff one-shoulder blouse.

Debarun, Agnimitra Paul, Naeem Khan, Farah & Firdos, Agnimitra Paul

There were some intricately complicated statement twists, handkerchief drapes, and scarf knots by designers Agnimitra Paul, Farah & Firdos, Be You by Debarun, and our personal favourite, Naeem Khan. These worked beautifully with the graphic prints that adorned them. If these styles could be stitched as ready-to-wear, we would love to see them reproduced at home.

Masaba Gupta for Satya Paul, Tarun Tahiliani

Masaba Gupta introduced suspenders to the sari drape using layered palazzo pants for Satya Paul, keeping true to her quirky style. At the Lakme off-site show, Tarun Tahiliani worked with a white Roman de-constructed goddess-like draped sari held in place with a chunky ethnic belt.

Now you can safely say that a sari befits any occasion, from a wild weekend party to a quintessential wedding!

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2013.                

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The lawn frenzy is not over yet!

While you prepare yourself to juggle shopping bags as you go to the bazaar to get your favourite dress, here is what you should be looking out for this week:

The Original Lawn Volume 2 by Gul Ahmed

Designs: 100

Colour ways: 70 designs in one colour; 30 designs in two and three colours

Price: Rs2,500 to Rs5,500

Launch date: March 22 — nationwide

Pareesa Lawn by Sahar Atif

Designs: 40

Colour ways: Two

Price: Rs3,500 to Rs 5,200 (unstitched); Rs2,000 (kameezes)

Launch date: Available at all ChenOne stores from March 21

Umer Sayeed Lawn Collection by AlKaram

Designs: 12

Colour ways: Two

Price: Rs5,000 to Rs5,750

Launch date: March 15 — nationwide

Nadia Hussain Lawn by Shariq Textiles

Designs: 20

Colour ways: Two

Price: Under Rs4,000

Launch date: April 2

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2013.

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Nabila Junaid, better known as Nina, was spotted recently wearing something that could be called a casual-brunch ensemble.

The other half of the famous Pakistani fashion label Nickie Nina, looked stunning, as she posed in these breezy cool shades. Here’s how you can mimic her look:

HAIR

Those long, brown locks with a wave and big curled ends stole our hearts! If you don’t already have a wide curling iron, it’s time to invest in one. Once you air dry and curl the ends, just make sure to part, with very little teasing required. Make sure to use hairspray before stepping out.

MAKEUP

Nina has definitely not over done  her make-up. To get a similar natural glow, use Cover Girl Trublend minerals loose powder (Rs1,200), then apply the rest of our recommendations. The Mac luster Jubilee lipstick (Rs1,000) is the perfect shade for the summer. For eye make-up like Nina’s, use Mac Humid shade (Rs800), Luscious black eye-pencil (Rs400) to outline the whole eye and Revlon’s Grow Luscious mascara (Rs1,000).

ACCESSORIES

We love Nina’s bold turquoise beaded pendant. Try searching through the local bazaars like Gulf, Tariq Road or Hyderi for a cheaper yet similar necklace (Rs600). For a better quality product, go to Accessorize and Outfitters (between Rs1,500 to Rs2,000). For a real leather boxed purse with a long gold chain, go to Debenhams, Jafferjee’s, or SilkSkin (between Rs5,000 to Rs8,000).

OUTFIT

The gorgeous Nina wore an elegant beige, baggy shirt with an aqua blue border printed palazzos. You can try shops like Mango or Outfitters for a similar shirt ranging between Rs2,000 to Rs 3,000. We recommend that you get palazzos stitched in cool prints, if that’s not your thing, try out Ego, Fnkasia or Khaadi (Rs2,000 to Rs3,500).

SHOES

With an outfit that’s casual and drapy, a nice option for shoes can be flat pumps. If you don’t already own a nice pair of black baby-doll flats, try Nine West, Charles and Keith or Debenhams (Rs3,000 to Rs4,000). Keep a look-out at local shoe stores for a cheaper deal. Good luck!

Published in The Express Tribune, April 1^st, 2013.                      

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Actor Sarwat Gillani and socialite Pinky Durrani were spotted at Farah Leghari’s lawn launch.

Here’s the lowdown on their looks for the evening.

Sarwat Gillani

Hair and make- up

Sarwat struck all the right chords with her gorgeous hair and make-up. Her lovely locks fell in curls over her shoulders giving her a soft look. Her bronze/gold eyes, rose pink cheeks and bright raspberry lipstick were fabulous touches to complement her look.

Outfit

Skinny jeans and a tucked in, loose fitted shirt are high on our style-o-meter! We absolutely love the colour of her shirt, it’s working magic on her gorgeous skin tone.

Accessories and Shoes

Tiger printed pumps are a great choice! Can’t get our eyes off her classy Gucci bag and trendy oversized ring. Even though Sarwat’s opted for minimal accessories, her look is elegant.

Pinky Durrani

Hair and make- up

She definitely could have done better with her hair — maybe a little more volume on her crown would have done the trick. The make-up is nice but we wish she’d brightened up that lip instead of sticking with the neutral.

Outfit

The palazzos are awesome! You might just want to grab a pair just like those at Sheep. The combination is classy and look super comfortable.

Accessories and Shoes

We really wish she had not worn those shoes; something dressier would have made a world of a difference to her overall look. The accessories are fun and her tote is cute!

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2013.                     

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Zainab was caught on camera last month at the Élan Lawn preview in Lahore.

Unfortunately, she wasn’t wearing anything that went well together, so she gets no points on our style-o-meter.

The charges sheet

Hair

While we love her long hair, a bit of volume would have been nice. The straight, flat hair is boring — it’s time to style those locks! A nice up-do on a hot day always looks elegant.

Make-up

We don’t see any make-up. We wish Zainab had flaunted a bright colour to bring out those lips and that outfit. With that beautiful glowing skin, simple lined eyes, a light blush and a bright lip is all that’s needed to look fresh.

Accessories

Zainab forgot all her accessories, except that yellow bag. She could have worn a couple of bracelets or rings on that bare hand. While we love the colour of the purse, we can’t understand why she carried it with this outfit? It’s a classic case of mismatch!

Outfit

Panelled shirts are so passe! Though we love the pink appliqué on the bottom, our recommendation is to wear this kameez at home.

Shoes

What we can’t seem to digest are those cobweb-inspired sandals. With all the beautiful flip flops and slippers available, why would one ever opt for these?

Bail Out!

Cameron Diaz

Actor Cameron Diaz was spotted at an airport in a casual outfit with her yellow handbag. She had on light colours, so our eyes were glued on that big, happy yellow purse. Make some notes!

Rhianna

Singer and designer Rhianna was bang on trend with her lilac jumpsuit and light make-up. She clutched on tight to her yellow purse as she posed for the camera. We love the combo and her sense of style.

Jessica Alba

Actor Jessica Alba smiled wide, as she was caught dressed in a metallic gray dress, sporting a shiny yellow handbag. She looked trendy with her high pony-tail and black stilettos carrying all a girl needs in her huge purse. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2013.

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She even walked the ramp to showcase the creations. The IPL’s sixth season opens Wednesday (today).

“We are excited about this new venture with Provogue. Designing clothes has been a wonderful experience and I am delighted to have had a chance to do it for our fans. The collection is innovative, high quality, originally designed and priced to suit the taste and desires of our fan community,” Shilpa said in a statement.

The idea behind the line is to embody suave and sophisticated yet youthful and fun dressing at the same time.

The exclusive yet-to-be-launched line features a range of linen shirts and polo T-shirts in colour palettes comprising shades of blues, greens and pastels.

Taking a break from their on-field performance, the entire Rajasthan Royals brigade including cricketers Rahul Dravid, Ajinkya Rahane, Shaun Tait, Brad Hogg and Kevon Cooper, walked the ramp displaying Provogue’s special merchandise at an event on Monday night.

The high point of the evening for Provogue’s grand collection was the dazzling Shilpa, who sashayed down the ramp with panache in the fan wear designed by her. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2013.

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First on the cards is Fashion Pakistan Week 5 (FPW 5) which is to be held on April 9 and 10 in Karachi.

FPW was to be held last month from March 20 to 22, but was delayed due to the security situation in the wake of the Abbas Town tragedy. Though skimmed down to two days, it still promises some quality fashion-boasting names like Sana Safinaz, Sania Maskatiya, Deepak Perwani and Maheen Khan.

The Fashion Pakistan Council is going all out to make the best of the two-day fashion show. They are promising to stream shows live from the runway, but considering FPW’s tryst with live streaming in the past, one can only make a conclusive judgment once it actually happens. While live streaming of FPW 3 last year in March was bumpy and unstable and left a lot to be desired, red carpet live streaming of FPW 4 last year in October was dismal and disappointing on new levels.

A very positive development to take place on the FPW front is the collaboration with Style360 Labels e-store. As per this collaboration, collections shown on the FPW 5 runway will be instantaneously up for viewing, purchasing and ordering on the e-portal. Buyers and consumers will be able to attain clothes right off the runway through Style360 Labels e-store.

Zahir Rahimtoola, the man behind the Labels e-store venture said, “This is the first time in the history of Pakistani fashion that such a platform has been created through a synergy between a fashion council/fashion retailer/media house.”

“This process will help facilitate international buying, especially as most buyers are unable to visit Pakistan due to flawed security perceptions,” he added.

This is an exceptional initiative and will address the age-old and much maligned issue of fashion week collections being unavailable to consumers and not appearing in the retail market.

But this also raises questions regarding production, procurement and whether designers will be able to meet the delivery requirements considering their limited production capabilities. Rahimtoola provides a solution countering this issue as well. “The quantity that a designer can provide will be determined by the designer themselves along with a delivery timeframe,” he said. “Logic will be put into place whereby the quantities available for sale will be quoted, so that a buyer has accurate information of quantity and delivery dates,” he added. Which means you won’t be allowed to bite off more than you can chew.

Labels’ doors are open to all designers and fashion councils willing to benefit from their services. When asked if a similar collaboration with Pakistan Fashion Design Council is on the table for PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week, set to be held at the end of April, Rahimtoola said, “Not at the moment. We want to do FPW seamlessly first. We have an excellent e-commerce portal which can be made operational at a short notice for any fashion platform.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2013.

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As statement jewellery is all the rage for Spring/Summer 2013, we were lucky to spot these beautiful ladies sporting these gorgeous pieces. So when you make a trip to the mall next time, keep some extra cash to buy the chunky necklaces that have made their way to our style-o-metre and let them do the talking for you.

Nickie

The NickieNina designer Aliya Ali, aka Nickie, added pop to her plain white top with this wooden hoop neck piece, which looks uber chic and trendy.

Huma Amir Shah

TV-show host Huma Amir Shah looked cheerful in this colour block kameez and a multi-layered chain necklace with flowers and gemstones. A tip: whenever you sport a statement piece of jewellery, you should not adorn lots of accessories because you don’t want other pieces taking away the focus.

Areej Fatima

Model and actor Areej Fatima got the equation right! In a nod to the runway trends, she sported a huge, busy bronze necklace with a simple black dress. Awesome! We love her entwined hoops and the multiple chains in her neck piece.

Huma Adnan

FnkAsia desiger Huma Adnan, famous for her urban-chic clothes, was spotted wearing this multi-coloured ethnic neck piece which looks really trendy with her citrus top. Way to go, Huma!

Mahwish Rizvi

Photographer Mahwish Rizvi flaunted this pretty pearl necklace, knotted with a network of chains in the middle. Mahwish was clever to drop the idea of sporting any other accessory as this necklace totally deserves all the attention!

Quratulain Khalid

Photographer Quratulain Khalid rocked this chunky tribal necklace with her simple all black ensemble.

Sanam Chaudhri

Designer Sanam Chaudhri looks like she can never get it wrong when it comes to trends; sporting a sexy necklace like this is proof. Her gold chain necklace with neon triangles stringed all the way has added the right amount of zing to her cheeky outfit.

Sanam Taseer

Sanam Taseer brought out the rockstar within by sporting a long chain necklace. Sassy! 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2013.

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