At the Pakistan Fashion Week now going on in Karachi, there are currently 52 designers showing their designs—49 are Pakistani and others hail from places including Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
In coverage of the event, the country’s liberal newspaper, the Daily Times, has reported that it has so far been two Pakistani designers, Sana Safina and Zaheer Abbas, who have stolen the limelight.
The first, Sana Safina, is showing her latest collection made with lawn fabric, that a recent article at Dawn.com describes as consisting of pieces with ‘multi-hued floral prints, block prints and Aztec-inspired prints on lawn, chiffon and Swiss voile [that] illustrate a harmonious blend of a traditional yet modern look.’
I’ve been quite interested in lawn fabric, (or lawn cloth) fashion for awhile now; I find the immense variety of patterns and colours incredibly appealing, and the more modern cuts seem airy and comfortable, yet often still feminine. Dawn points out that with more and more established designers using the medium, it’s become even ‘the closest thing to prêt in Pakistan.’
Allison Marchant
I hope that the trend continues, as it’s much more aesthetically pleasing than some of the fashions in the Western high-fashion circuit that seems to have the sole intention of trying to shake up audiences, these days.