FASHION PAKISTAN WEEK 4 DESIGNER PROFILES

Here are the profiles of the designers who will take part in FASHION PAKISTAN WEEK 4 2012

    

Below you will find designers profile who will present their collection on day 1 (21^st Oct 2012)

1.      Soniya Battla

Sonya Battla’s label has been synonymous with minimalist and modern design ever since the brands inception in 1996.  It aims to be the mark of high-end luxury fashion, always using only the highest quality of fabric, a mix of modern and revived embroideries coupled with innovative silhouettes. Battla,returned to Karachi after completing her degree in fashion from Central St Martins and opened her first boutique in 1999. In these 16 years she has reinvented the eastern shalwarkameez in a multitude of ways, with innovative cuts, and restrained elegance. Her label continues to expand within Pakistan and abroad. She recently showcased her collection at the Prêt a Porter Paris, was invited to show at The Royal Albert Hall in 2005, and was the official brand ambassador for Pakistan at the Lakme India Fashion Week in 2007.

 

2. DnF ( Mens Wear )

DnF is a dynamic new design duo producing menswear inspired by their love for all things colorful.The label was established earlier this year, when Deepak, a dentist, and Fahad a former fashion journalist and design student of AIFD,decided that their mutual vision for a laidback but luxurious menswear label should become a concrete career path.Since their inception they have already showcased their creations in two fashion shows.Their outfits, which can be described as a tasteful tribute to pop art,areavailable at Modas in Zamzamaand at AbidaParveen Gallery in F-10Islamabad.

   

     

      

3.      Maimoona H

Maimoona H is a concept brand, which plays on extremes and opposites. The designs play with contrasts such as masculine & feminine, soft & severe, constructed and deconstructed. Maimoona is a recent graduate of French Fashion University Esmod with a double major in Pattern drafting and Fashion design. She was awarded the ‘Fashion Design Award’ in her graduating class of 2012. During her time as Esmod she won the ‘Mercedes Benz Middle East Fashion Design Contest’ and attended Berlin Fashion week. She participated in Harper’s Bazaar ‘Illustrator of the year contest’ and was selected to show case some of her work in Dubai, Paris and Osaka. Maimoona is currently working to launch her Luxury RTW label in the Middle East and Pakistan 


4.      Ayesha Hassan

Ayesha Hassan has been running her couture atelier since November 2011. Despite having no formal training in fashion, Hassan’s flair for designing clothes has generated a great response the past one-year, resulting in numerous sold out exhibitions. Her aesthetic leans towards classic traditional style producing timeless pieces that employ the use of Marrori, wasli, gaara, aari and gota.Hassan has also recently teamed up with designer Fayez Agariah, a graduate of the London School of Fashion, who is the Creative Director of her brand. She operates from her studio in Karachi where she retails couture and seasonal ready-to-wear.

 5.  Nargis Hafeez

 

Designer, Nabeela Adeel launched her label Nargis Hafeez in the year 2000. After completing her Bachelors in Business Administration from the UK, Hafeez took a handful of courses in art and design and delved headfirst into designing heavy couture wear for the Pakistani woman. Launching with a small workshop in Karachi Adeel has to-date exhibited her collections in New York (2000), London (2002), Delhi (Bride and Groom exhibition 2003), Hong Kong and Bangkok (2007) and showcased her bridal wear at Bridal Couture Week in Lahore (2010) and Dubai (Mint Events Fashion Show 2011). Adeel designs traditional bridal wear and formals working with traditional kaam and playing with vibrant colors, merging them with an array of cuts and drapery.

6.   Ishtiaq Afzal Khan

Born in Karachi and raised in the rustic village of Haaripur, this womenswear designer draws inspiration for his clothes from his childhood memories spent living close to nature.  According to Isthiaq, everything about the quaint idyllic setting of Haaripur stirs his creativity, including the colors, birds, trees, people and culture. Apart from his love for fashion design, Ishtiaq is also a passionate painter and sculptor.  After graduating from Karachi University with a degree in Fine Arts, along with some short fashion courses, Ishtiaq made his debut at the Sky Fashion Showcase 2012.  Furthermore, he has also exhibited his innovative designs at Pakistan London fashion week 2011 and 2012. Now based in Karachi, his current project is working on expanding his ingenious and original label and going intoproduction with seasonal ready-to-wear collections. His cutting-edge designs are available at Modas and Brands Just Prêt in Karachi and at AbidaParveen Gallery and Ramp in Islamabad

7.  Warda Saleem

Wardha Saleem was born in Hyderabad, the cultural hub of Sindh, once known as the perfumed city of the east, now the last bastion of Folk crafts. WardhaSaleem graduated with a distinction in textile design from the Indus Valley School of Art &Architecture Karachi, where she currently teaches textile and fashion.In 2006 she started her label WardhaSaleem, which stood out for fusing indigenous embroidery, vibrant colors and traditional printing techniques with a modern silhouette. Her label is available in 8 fashion outlets across Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad and Dubai.WardhaSaleem also ventured into the lawn business in 2011 under her own label for which she was nominated for the prestigious LUX STYLE AWARDS in the best lawn brand category. Her debut runway show premiered in March 2012 at the Showcase where she showed her luxury pret line ‘ JHIRKI’. This was followed by another pret collection “SIN’D” for Fashion Pakistan Week in April 2012.

Below you will find designers profile who will present their collection on day 2 (22^nd Oct 2012)  


8.  Sanam Chaudhri

SanamChaudri’s namesake label has in its short existence garnered attention for its edginess and accessibility. After graduating with a degree in textiles from the Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture, Sanam worked as an interior designer under the highly reputed architect, NaheedMashooqullah.  In 2008 she launched her own label, exhibiting her maiden pret collection at multi-brand store chain LABELS. She has, since the very beginning, used her architecture and interior design background as an inspiration in her design, incorporating novel cuts and structural symmetry in her clothes. Although her focus is local pret, Sanam has delved successfully into Western wear as well, enabling her to stock in popular boutiques across Pakistan and successfully exhibit in Dubai and Singapore.  She was recently nominated for the Lux Style Award in Achievement andPret Design in 2012 and currently has a brand new Luxury Pret Line in the works. 

9.  Arsalan Yahseer

This two-year-old fashion label aims to give conservative menswear the boot and infuse some spunk into the Pakistani mans wardrobe. ‘Arsalan and Yahseer’ was established by ArsalanIqbal, the Creative Director and Head of Marketing at the brand. It was in 2006 whenIqbal first began dabbling in design, and then completely devoted himself to it in 2010. He then met YahseerJaved, a fashion design graduate who was working for leading designerMunib Nawaz for five years, and in January 2011 they teamed up to launch their label. They have since opened two outlets in Karachi and one in Lahore and showcased two separate collections at Fashion FPW 2, and Islamabad Fashion Week 2012. They have also expanded their labels by introducing men’s footwear and a women’s wear line, and operate from their studio in Karachi.

     

10.  Debenhams

Debenhams was launched in Pakistan on 9^th July 2012 bringing the best of High Street fashion brands to Pakistan under one roof.  Debenhams has sat front row to fashion for nearly two centuries and won a number of fashion awards. Debenhams gives its customers a unique combination of original, international and concession brands.Its original brand comprises of labels such as Red Herring, Maine New England and Debut. ‘Designers at Debenhams’ is an exclusive portfolio of diffusion brands that include internationally known fashion designers such as Jasper Conran, John Rocha and Julian MacDonald. Debenhams launched its first shop in Pakistan at Dolmen Mall Karachi and is set to expand its outlets to other major cities of Pakistan. 

11.  Bani D

Baani D was formed when two sisters, Aneeka and Salma Cheema got together to form a team that produced clothing that they themselves wanted to wear and could not find.  Their vision was to create something that fused global fashion trends with Pakistani traditional design, something that encapsulated their ‘Desi-Boho’ sense of style, while staying, clean, easy and functional. They introduced this aesthetic with their this ready-to-wear label. The duo lay great emphasis on the importance of mix and match, and encourage their clientele to create their own unique ensemble by putting together different articles from their rack. Baani D has a formal line, Baani Jamaal.The label launched a Pret-Line in 2009 and now has Bridal, Formal and a Pret Collection, which is available at Labels Karachi, Labels E-store and is also stocking at Signature Studio Dubai.

12.  Zaheer Abbas

 

 Zaheer Abbas graduated in 2005 from Asian Institute of Fashion Design and since his debut in 2010 at Fashion Pakistan Week ; Abbas has been lauded as one of the best new talents in the country. This acclaim was solidified when he was recently awarded the “best emerging talent in fashion” at the prestigious Lux Style Awards, this designer earned success in the shortest span of time and has taken his label to the catwalk of Paris, London and USA.  Abbas’s design philosophy has always been simplicity. He is best known for his love for the fabric chiffon, his airy silhouettes and attention to detail sets him apart. Zaheer Abbas is available in various stores including; the designers, Karachi and Dubai, Collage Dubai and Abu Dhabi and at Onita in London.

  

13.  Amair Baig

AamirBaig’s label aims to combine elegance and sophistication with dynamism and funk in order to produce fashion forward design. After completing a degree in Textile Design from the Karachi School of Arts, AamirBaigstudied Fashion design at Indus Valley for two years before dropping out and opening a retail store in Zamazama. Under his namesake label Baig designed contemporary eastern ready-to-wear and western wear on order. He participated in Karachi Fashion Week and recently showed his formal wear at Bridal Couture Week taking inspirationfrom by classic gold jewellery. He stocks collections atmultibrand stores in Pakistan includingPortfolio in (Lahore),and Modeville in Islamabad. Abroad,he stocks in Abu Dhabi and L.A and will be participating in — Fashion Week in London next month.

 14.   Nine West

Nine West is a world-renowned fashion leader. Established in 1978, the brand offers not just footwear but also handbags, dresses, eyewear, sunglasses, jewelry, belts, hats, and more.  Nine West has become a lifestyle brand offering runway looks interpreted into real life fashion. They offer a quick edit of the must-have looks of the season and making them available to women all over.Nine West has now finally come to Pakistan, the 61st country to introduce the franchise. Their retail store is located at Dolmen Mall in Clifton Karachi.In the next few months their goal is to open retail outlets all over Pakistan

15.   Adnan Pardesy

After graduating from the Asian Institute of Fashion Design (AIFD), and working in textile and garment manufacturing for a period of five years,Pardesylaunched his namesake label in 2007. He uses minimalismas his design philosophy and cites structure and architecture as hisinspiration. Inthe short span of his career, Pardesy has made an impact on the localmarket, his peers and the media, due to his innovative work inpleating, honeycomb quilting and denim in Pakistan.Since his debut appearance at Karachi Fashion Week in 2008, he hasdisplayed his creations at Ensemble in Karachi in 2008, as well as inSingapore and at both Pakistan Fashion Weeks 1 and 2. He has alsoexhibited at Ogaan Delhi in 2010.In 2008 Adnan Pardesy  wasnominated at the Lux Style Awards for Best Emerging Talent’ category and in2011 for  the ‘Best LuxuryPret’.Pardesy is also on the prestigiousBoard of Governors of Asian Institute of Fashion Design, Pakistan.

Below you will find designers profile who will present their collection on day 3 (23^rd Oct 2012)  

16.  Mahin Karim

After graduating fromthe prestigious Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, MaheenKarim gained some essential design experience by working with globally acclaimed fashion houses in the west, including Vivian Wetwood , Hussein Chalayan and Giorgio Armani. In 2006 Maheen returned to Pakistan to start her own label, Pakistan’s first to specialise in women’s western eveningwear. MAHEENKARIM offers ready-to-wear that focuses on the creation of eclectic luxury garments with the aide of novel cuts and a silhouette with universal charm. She was recently awarded the prestigious Lux Style Award 2008 for achievement as Best Prêt-a-Porter designer in Pakistan as well as the MTV Most Stylish Designer Award. Whilst still in its infancy the label is sold in prominent boutiques all over Pakistan, London,and the UAE.

17.  Emraan Rajput

 

 Emraan Rajput started his career from Karachi with the opening of his first outlet inZamzama in 2009. Four years later his namesake brand has carved an indelible niche in the local market when it comes to quality menswear. Emraan designswestern wear and fusion wear but specializes in traditional men’s wear such as shalwarkurta and sherwanis with classic cuts. Emraan’s forte is cuts, fabric and embellishments, which he fine tunes to give an outfit classic appeal and a mark of individuality. His label is stocked at a number of multi-brand stores all over Pakistan including Lahore, and Islamabad. He also stocks in stores in Dubai, London and Canada. His primary design studio is located in Karachi. 

18.  Delphi 

Nargis Kiani founded Delphi in 1994, a brand that has since its inception pioneered handwoven silk crochet ensembles in a wide range of styles. Kianiwas fascinated with hand-woven crochet from childhood, and 18 years ago began offering made to measure orders, exporting the bulk of her creations to Saudi Arabia and UK. In 2010, Kiani’s daughter NidaTapal joined Delphi as the Marketing Manager and the two  launched Delphi’s Pret line to resounding success. By streamlining production and quality control the mother daughter team have made Delphi crochet into a pliable fabric of their own patented patterns. They now retail in the 3 major Pakistani cities (Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore) as well as internationally in Dubai, LA and Toronto.

 

19.  Rizwanullah

His hair spikes sky high and his personality usually flashes brighter than a helium bulb: in a nutshell, it's impossible to miss Rizwanullah on a red carpet or in the front row of fashion shows where he's usually seated. Designer by day and red carpet host by night, what makes Rizwanullah such an icon is that he is fashion creature 24/7. His quirky sense of style has made him every society photographer's dream shot and he certainly knows how to strike a pose; his picture perfect pout is always on the go! But unlike most models of the moment, what makes Rizwanullah a designer to watch out for is the fact that he knows his fashion and he sure knows how to flaunt it. Though he is extremely diplomatic and cordial on the red carpet, his front row critique is always spot on and it makes one wish he would take up a pen and write! Best of all, he has a sense of humour to match and if the fashion industry needs anything, it would be a sense of humour most of all.

20.  Misha Lakhani

 

MishaLakhani’s namesake young fashion label is the go-to for impeccably crafted clothing that mixes a timeless aesthetic with a modern perspective. She debuted her couture collection at PFDC L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week early October 2012, playing with the theme of Colonial Transgression. The idea behind the collection was refining the extravagance of old India by fusing it with an international chic. Film, art deco and vintage craftsmanship have been lifelong inspirations for Misha, who has studied fashion design at Central Saint Martins and has interned with bridal couturierBuntoKazmi. Expect ready-to-wear and haute couture out of her retail store in Karachi.