Fashion

2011 Lawn Collection

2011-06-28T00:14:00.001-07:00

fashion designers and style gurus come in the market with their latest lawn collection. They target and catch the attention of almost all age group of women by their captivating and pure womanly allure designs. Top class hotels and resorts are show cased with the latest 2011 lawn collection. The fashion and brand consciousness and craze of women are on hype during these latest 2011 lawn collection exhibitions.

Pakistani fashion trends 2011

2011-06-28T00:13:00.000-07:00

‘fashion’ one of our favorite and most used term is in full swing. We all want to know what Pakistani fashion trends 2011 are all about.

Ladies white is the new black, if you think it will not look gorgeous on you then you are sadly mistaken. White is for everybody from fair to wheatish complexion. You will be amazed how white is so elegant and graceful, don’t forget to wear your pearls along to enhance it. White is easy to carry whether in the form of a Kurta that you can wear on your jeans or a long dress along with Churidar Pajama, which is our desi version of skinny jeans.

Churi Pajamas are the traditional fitted Pajamas being worn in India and Pakistan for a very long time. A point came when our new generation was completely alien to what this is and found skinny jeans very hip and in. This is the time when Churidar Pajamas came back in to fashion. They look exquisitely elegant with the kind of long Kameez’s that are in these days. I know what the next question is? Where do we get these since the tailors drive us insane? These days almost every boutique is making ready to wear Churidar Pajamas. Unbeatable and Funk Asia have one of the best ones.

Burberry

2011-06-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

Christopher Bailey has born in Yorkshire, becoming famous day by day, credit goes to sterling as creative director of Burberry, the British company he connected to in 2001. Bailey has gained success gradually, having previously serrated up impressive fashion credentials. He had his Master’s degree from the Royal College of Art in London , he worked for Donna Karan in New York from 1994 to 1996, before being hired by Tom as a senior designer of womenswear at Gucci in Milan, from 1996 to 2001.
Bailey is in charge for the direction of all product lines at Burberry as well as taking care of the company’s overall image and cyclic promotional concepts. His flagship collection is his innovative Prorsum lines for men and women that are showcased in Milan to consistently take reviews and from which he has restricted almost all trace of the hallmark Burberry check.

Developing his niche gradually, Bailey is concerned with durability, rather than just elegant designs. Nonetheless, the designs he has produced gave Burberry heritage . Known for his hands-on approach to design and a vigour for the details, he continues to take the brand into the 21st century with his routine passion, enthusiasm and delightful demeanor.

Trends of Summer 2011

2011-06-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

Summer is about to be at its peak. People are driving for shopping and busy in making purchase decisions. People are to make the choice as which trends to follow.
This time Full Skirts are in fashion, summer can be dealt with, if one considers skirts with cool colors. This trend was famous in 1970s as well. look and many accessiorize can be experimented with it. Many different designs for these skirts are available in market now. One can choose among them what ever suits best their body shape. The different styles will include tail skirts, shorter ones, full straight version as well. Recent ones are with asymmietrical styles.
Apart from the skirts, wide pants are also in demand these days, they are comfortable and look modern. Youth prefers to wear them. Shirt dresses will be worn in summers as well, they look stunning, many designers like Tommy Hilfiger, Viktor and Rolf etc are offering asymimetrical designs and frock style.Some pieces including laces only, such suits were made as well. The designs were tempting too. Then Tail Dresses are also famous among people, they are sexier and can also be used as party gowns.
As far as prints are concerned floral prints are preferable and white dresses are consumers choice in summers, frills and fringing, smoking and trimmed laces can be used to enhance the look. Belts can also be used on dresses, they are becoming quite popular, they help modernize the look, can use it with skirt as well.

Summer Style

2011-06-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

At times it become expensive to be in fashion, as it is not permanent and is ever evolving in nature. However, most people are an advocate of ‘sartorial allotments’; building and flourishing a long lasting personal style
In case of spring/ summer collections, appeal of linen cannot be denied which is emphasized by the magnificent color and shine of the footwear. The feel in texture and the artistic cut of the trousers is especially charming but the matching of the shoe and the trouser is what makes the difference, new but somehow amazingly traditional.
Linen trousers are not something new but most guys wear them very casually.
The neckscarf is an excellent along with them; a wipe of color, a little formality, fancy and, importantly, balance for ensembles. To some it may seem a little too dandy and affected.

Talented Fayyaz Ahmed- photographer

2011-06-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

Talented Fayyaz Ahmed – photographer based in Pakistan. Some of his work.

Summers Look

2011-06-25T11:31:00.001-07:00

Pierre's Prophesy

2011-06-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Futuristic Trends are being witnessed a lot on ramps these days. Designers are trying to experiment with eccentric styles in clothes using contemporary colours scheming, bringing forward designs with an innovative fashion scene. It’s the verge of revealing newer dimensions – The Generation Next Fashion is on!
Designer Pierre is a firm disciple of molding futuristic fashion trends in his collection. He often has something offbeat and original, away from the common design symbology adopted by majority of designers.
A pure work out of rich imagination and ageless designs, this collection tells the narration of striking compilation and perfect interpretation of modernity. Pierre Garroudi was born in Teheran, Iran. He studied in Paris, while working as a hairdresser in his spare time and moved to New York in 1986. There he joined the Fashion Institute of Technology. After gathering experience from various retail and design houses, Garroudi set out on a journey to discover his own talent, which paved way for his own label in 1993. He has his own unique identity in terms of designs. Two words – Amusingly creative and provocative best describe his work.
It’s Garroudi who brought the ‘color per season’ trend for the first time, covering his models with just one color from head to toes of only one color. This infact is a tremendous challenge to balance between prettiness and ugliness and Garroudi draws a fine line between the two, pushing the boundaries in fashion.
His collection will be showcased in a catwalk show in the valentine month .

Fashion Week

2011-06-25T11:26:00.000-07:00

Milan Fashion Week came in with a surprise when Pakistani designers Mahin Khan, Dipak Parwani and Rizwan Baig showcased their collections at the Milano Moda Donna season, organized by Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana. Their collections were showcased in the New Upcoming Designers Category.
The collections caught the audience off-guard, since it was different from the rest – it was all Pakistani! The theme chosen by designers was to showcase Pakistani culture and tradition infused in Western attire.
Mahin Khan’s Khyber Mail as she puts it, was a total depiction of the artwork, embroidery from the Khyber, and even the lovely ‘kotis’and sleek pleated shalwars worn throughout Pakistan. That was the whole idea about Khyber Mail. When Mahin puts it, she puts it well! To accentuate more Khyber style in the collection, the designer came up with a brilliant idea of accessorizing it with colorful traditional hats namely ‘pukhol’ made out of khaddar and Satin. Mahin’s prêt collection was a fusion of solid catchy colors ranging from orange, white, grey, yellow and red. Fashion Guru Mahin’s Khyber Mail was purely a work of exuberance and understated elegance.

Pakistani Fashion Icon, Rizwan Baog is a maestro who plays along black or white. Following his success at the Ensemble show this year, the fashion designer again chose white as his theme, to make it in contrast to Dipak’s and Mahin’s rather multi-hued collection. White has become his signature color. His collection had a more defined tilt towards Western style – long flowing skirts, revealing around the torso with most of the skirts wound with a big white bow in the front. The skirts were tremendously designed in crochet and embellished with pearls.
Another Pakistani Fashion Guru left the crowd breathless with his Pakistani themed Western collection. His collection played along the same color variations as Maheen’s, with eccentric use of local ‘dastarkhawan’ and ‘ajrak’ prints, used on white fabric.

The Summer Bride

2011-06-21T19:52:00.001-07:00

Are you sweating at the thought of getting married in this weather? If you are, don’t.
While its true that winter is by far the most comfortable time for wedding, being a summer bride has its own compensations.

“For instance, summer weddings are good time to innovate with traditional looks,” says makeup and hair expert Samantha Kochhar. “Since its too hot to wear rich colors like the conventional red and maroon, you can use the opportunity to experiment while staying true to tradition.”

Hair
For the bride, voluptuous buns with waist-length ornamented braids are hot. “Other options include flowing hair curled to fly-away perfection. Flicks, fringes and side partings are definitely in, with splashes of coloured extensions to add zing,” says Kochhar. “Since, this season, brides are covering their heads with net dupattas, we suggest that they decorate their hair with orchids or rose buds".

Makeup
Subtle colours such as rose pink, coral, fuchsia and orange are top of the list. And brides themselves are well aware of the fact. They would rather have healthy-looking skin than a pancake look. In keeping with this trend of subtlety, shimmer is out and the matt look is in.
“Makeup shades must be chosen in contrast to the embroidery on the bride’s clothes or the jewellery she is wearing,” says Shveta Bhatia, beauty expert at Revlon. “So this season, the eyes and lips are done in nude or soft colours and the glittery look is avoided. For the eyes, brown, copper, burgundy, beige, prune (dark purple) and wine shades are good. And even the smoky eyes look is achieved by using a charcoal shade.” For the cheeks, peach, coral, dusty pink, burgundy, bronze and rose are best.
And eyeliners are back, adds Gulati. “It’s used in the Marilyn Monroe style – a very thin eyeliner, known as wing eyeliner. Oodles of mascara also works well.”
As the emphasis is on a natural look, Gulati says it’s best to use the airbrush technique to apply makeup. “High definition makeup also gives you a flawless and pore-less look just like airbrush makeup does, it also helps make your skin look younger in any kind of light,” says Bhatia.

Jewellery & Clothes
Since the traditional reds and maroons are out, brides are wearing lehengas and saris in shades like sea green, creams, turquoise and violet. “Fishnet lehengas are still big, lehengas can also be designed as evening gowns, with tone on tone embroidery and even Swarovski crystals. Even prestitched draped saris are a big hit,” says designer Anjalee Kapoor of the Anjalee & Arjun duo. Jewellery also goes light for the summer bride. “Diamonds, platinum, platinum gold and gemstones are the preferred options,” says Pradeep Goel of Shree Raj Mahal jewellers.

Windows of Fashion street

2011-06-21T19:51:00.001-07:00

The term window shopping has been coined for a reason. A window display is a window to a store’s soul. It gives you a preview of what lies inside. According to psychologists, an aesthetics shop display is a significant factor in assuring customer footfall in a store.

Hence, to maintain a competitive edge in the consumer driven and mall culture environment, window displays are crucial. Visual merchandisers create eye catching, titillating window displays to create a complete buying experience. A constant upgrade in the display assures future visits by a customer. Visual merchandising is becoming a popular career option, as demand for professional who can conceptualize designs, and implement window and in-store displays for retail stores is rising.

Pratibha Nagpal, VM expert of Ferragamo at Emporio, Vasant Kunj says, “We work on different colour combinations, design shapes and look of the garments. The window display is changed every month.” Prem Dewan from Versace at Emporio says, “We display whatever is projected for the season, keeping in mind whether its product specific or colour specific. The display is changed after 15 days and the entire look of the windows are revamped twice a year.”

As a career option
As a visual merchandiser you can create exhibition displays, birthdays, set design, theme parties, hotel lobbies, home and wedding decorations. You can also be a part of in-house visual merchandising teams of big fashion and lifestyle brands like Pro vogue, Shopper’s Stop, Ebony and Lifestyle.

Sky is the limit

2011-06-21T19:48:00.001-07:00

Four girls from different cities of India, who came down to Pune to study design, have successfully displayed their fashion designing skill.
Priyanka Tejaswee, a Patna girl, who is crazy about fashion designing said, "I jumped into this field as I have dreamt about it since my childhood and kept designing all the time."
While talking about her latest collection said, "The collection was inspired from Dreams of a Fashion illustrator. Dreams are pensive, vague, and meaningless, without logic and hence create a sensation of illusion."
Her co-designer, Aathira Baby, who hails from Cochin, said, "The dream illustration is inspired by artist Aponte Carlos, who keeps falling in love with his artwork and not with any person."
Baby said, "My mother is an art teacher and she is the one who encouraged me since childhood."
Aathira is happy that in this collection she could work according to her choice.
"In this collection we could do what we wanted, we exaggerated a lot as this was a dream illustration and we could work without any limitation. I did all that I wanted to do and seeing my first designs on stage were the best feeling in the world."
Another student from Mumbai, Sneha Berlia, said she joined Symbiosis to understand designing better.
"I knew some of the alumni of the college who advised me to join this institute and I am happy I did so," said Sneha.
Talking about her collection that was displayed at Symbiosis, Berlia said, "The collection called Astitva was designed to revive the dying art of Kalamkari and to reinstate the power of women, who believe in themselves."
Berlia has worked with a lot of enthusiasm on her favourite design called Kaleidoscope. It is basically shattered bits off-colour glasses coming together to form different geometric designs. Taking inspiration from this and using banjara embroidery of Andhra Pradesh, she came up with a casual line collection.
Its craft belongs to the nomadic tribes of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the traditional Indian embroidery that is used in its contemporary way. While her co-designer Yoshita Podar, who is also from Mumbai said, she joined Symbiosis to get a degree in fashion designing.
Podar who worked on Astitva said, "It has been inspired from our seventh semester project where we stressed on Goddess Durga to represent women power."
She developed her love for designing over the years, after understanding textiles that her father works with and an additional knowledge of accessories that she learnt from her mother.
All the four girls want to make a name in the fashion industry. The budding artists experienced deja-vu after displaying their designs on stage.

Pakistan’s fashion industry

2011-06-21T19:47:00.001-07:00

The current state of Pakistan’s fashion scene . ILLUSTRATION: ESSAH MALIK

In Pakistan, designers have failed to draw inspiration from the society. For them, fashion has been mostly about aesthetically pleasing hues, flattering cuts and flairs. Fashion experts have hardly used their creations to express worldviews influenced by the public. This is a stark contrast to fashion trends in the West, where fashion — especially haute couture — is not so different from art and other avenues of creative expression. One needs to only look as far back as the hippie craze of the 60s and 70s to note the way in which socially relevant ideas like gender equality, sexual freedom and peace were prominent themes in popular fashion consciousness. .
Zara Raza, a fashion entrepreneur and part CEO of L’aatelier Boutique, blame commercial appeal as the cause of static demand for a similar. “The problem with experimental themes in Pakistan is that they work better for fashion weeks ,” explains Raza.
When it comes to high-end pert from top-tier designers, the latest collections end up, along with simultaneous near-knockoffs, at overpriced multi-label stores that sell only to a select clientele. It’s this small, yet very stable niche market for pert or ready-to-wear designer labels, that have made it very difficult for new and innovative trends to penetrate the market with the same efficacy as popular and reasonably priced outlet stores abroad, like H&M or Zara.
“You’ve got your queens and kings of the fashion industry catering for the elite like Sana Safinaz and Perwani,” added Raza, implying that the rest of the Pakistani designers were too busy replicating these fashion stalwarts.
Thus, Pakistani experimentation with fashion has been limited to the reinvigoration of traditional clothing or western fusions, Amar Belal and Zaheer Abbas.
Quite recently there has been an effort to infuse local fashion with an indigenous context. Uth Oye! and Gulabo, have created t-shirts which sport desi themes and logos, inspired by Lollywood And Tayyab Bombal and Adnan Pardesy, to name a few have recently used interesting patterns in their military-inspired jackets or camouflage pants.
Nowadays the ubiquitous surfeit of lawn designs defines our fashion industry.
Thus, fashion as a vehicle for expressing ideas and personal creativity, sadly remains an uncharted territory in Pakistan. The change has to come from the top. The royalty of the fashion industry can surely resuscitate the creativity in Pakistan’s fashion scene. They just need to momentarily sacrifice their commercial pursuits and focus on work which has sociopolitical resonance. After all, powerful art with the capacity to cause change is not just a chooridar, a lawn print or a hybrid East-West fusion kurta.

Understated opulence takes on Mode Ville

2011-06-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

Fahad Hussain displayed a variety of designs from his collection. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

The designer who is renowned for his use of dark, subdued hues, had experimented with bright colours in his new couture. “People usually associate my work with dark colours; so this season I’m staying away from that,” said Hussain.

Thus he had vibrant greens, emerald, orange, pink, peach, red, and vivid tones of blue. These striking hues were furthered accentuated by embroidery and jewelled.Yet some items in dark had still made it on to the display; like black lay-over drapes priced at a reasonable Rs 2,000. The overall look projected by the garments was simple yet sophisticated, representing understated elegance — a of Hussain’s brand philosophy.

Others who attended the exhibition also admired the use of adornments in the young designer’s work. “Fahad makes the designs for the embellishments, brooches, and gems and then a jeweller crafts them,” explained Arslan Ahmad Khan, the creative director of Verve Event Management. “It’s like artwork — plain but with some beautiful shoulder work. He also does a lot of draping.”

Commenting on the turnout at the exhibition, Khan said, “People have been coming in all day; the pret wear is really popular.” He suggested wearing choridars with the casual pert-drapes and dresses, to get the season’s latest look.

The exhibition also showcased Hussain’s line of menswear comprising denim kurtas, sharwanis, velvet achkans, and shirts with eastern motifs. However, it was the formal and bridal joras on display that stole the show. With intricate work using jewels and real gemstone like jade and amethyst, and high-quality fabric, these outfits range from Rs35,000 to Rs150,000. For the typical bride who shop at upscale multi-label stores like Mode Ville, the prices of Hussain’s couture were a mere pittance.

Lacking Brand Concept

2011-06-21T19:42:00.001-07:00

Aisha Khurram fails to make an impression during her launch at Melange.

ISLAMABAD: With a massive eruption of household designers trying to infiltrate the main stream fashion industry it is even more annoying to find a desirable outfit from a pile of riff raff stocked at most outlets around the country.

From housewives come designer to business majors turning to the designing profession, Pakistan has seen it all. What most fail to realize is that any fashion house whether high end or street has a brand concept.
With the exception of a few Pakistani designers such as Khadija Shah, Sana Safinaz, Ali Xeeshan, Mohsin Ali and Ayesha Hashwani to name a few, most designers lack brand concept. Aisha Khurram remains one of those house-wife turned designer whose lack disappointed.
Launching on June 15 at Melange, Khurram’s collection was nothing special and failed at making a statement. Rather than producing some aesthetically pleasing and different, Khurram’s collection was run of mill and over done. It was just an effort to sell and not one at giving the customer something unique to choose from.
“I have a new design concept everyday that’s what see me apart,” Khurram said, adding that she has a client to client based design concept. However what most designers fail to realize is that in order to make it big even in a relatively small fashion industry it is important to be inventive. Khurram’s collection might sell but it cannot be considered as styling.