KARACHI: You could have been on Bond Street. SanaSafinaz held a media preview at their new Dolmen City Mall store that enthralled even the most jaded media types and socialites. Pitched as Pakistan’s answer to Topshop and Zara, the store offers an exciting mix of prêt wear and accessories.

The store concept and pricing policy may be high street but the feel of the Dolmen City Mall store is pure high-end luxury boutique. With its chic black-and-white theme, blue and white urns and clean lines, the boutique is an oasis of contemporary luxury. The racks are gloriously uncluttered unlike the “crammed to bursting point” racks in many local stores. With its stylish glass display cases and spacious seating, the ambience of the boutique is more Gucci than Topshop.

There was a doubt in some people’s minds that SanaSafinaz would pitch their retail outlet solely at the western wearing crowd; but this smart couple knows their market too well. While the store does have an extensive western and fusion range, the bulk of their prêt is pretty, wearable and unashamedly Eastern. From the lunching aunties to trendy college chicks, there’s something for everyone. SanaSafinaz has put together a design team headed by Ather Hafeez to handle the prêt-a-porter line for the store. While Hafeez’s touch is clear, it is obvious that SanaSafinaz keep a close eye on things, as overall, the collection has the unmistakable SanaSafinaz signature.

SanaSafinaz had promised a high-street shopping model and they were true to their word. The pricing wasn’t complete but the outfits that were tagged were very reasonable. Elegant, attractive joras with that indefinable SanaSafinaz aesthetics in the same price range as Khaddi or Sheep. No wonder people were pinching themselves to check whether they were dreaming. More than one person opined that they’d be queuing up on opening day, leading some to speculate that the store would be trashed in the sort of stampede that used to accompany SanaSafinaz’s lawn exhibitions. No chance of that however — there’ll be a queuing system with only 40 people allowed in-store at a time to allow customers to shop in peace. For those not in Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad their retail line will be available online in about a month. New designs will hit the stores every two weeks.

While the clothes had fashionistas drooling over them, it was the accessory section that almost stole the show. Pretty chappals, belts and scarves drew the eye. Several fashion lovers decided on the spot to start wearing scarves on their wrists. The statement necklaces simply screamed, “buy me”. There was a wide collection of bags, from outsize clutches to totes. There was a Chanel-inspired cross-body quilted purse in bright yellow and gorgeous version of iconic Alexander McQueen knuckle-duster clutch. Make no mistake — these were not fake or copies of the originals. The bags simply used design elements of the originals. It was all very Topshop and in the best possible taste.

SanaSafinaz may be the first big name designer to venture into the retail market for accessories but what they are doing is not entirely new. There are several local stores offering high quality bags inspired by big-name western designers. Pedro does a lovely version of the sought-after Celine luggage tote while Charles & Keith is known for sailing close to the wind with its versions of designer purses. The Hub similarly produces its own version of designer originals. Similarly Accessorize offers a wide range of Boho-chic accessories. Nadia Kassim has done some excellent Jimmy Choo-inspired chappals.

However, what makes SanaSafinaz line of accessories so covetable is their taste. SanaSafinaz have always based their brand on what they would wear themselves. They have put together a collection that looks intensely high fashion. The quality of every piece is exceptional. No one else is doing the sort of statement necklaces and iconic belts that are on display at SanaSafinaz. Their choice of prints for their scarves is super chic. Their high-end customers may carry the original bags, but there will be plenty of takers for the SanaSafinaz knuckle duster. With that said, it would be nice to see SanaSafinaz venture into their own line of unique shoes and bags, stamping their own signature on an original line.

All in all though, the duo’s retail store is simply superb — sophisticated, stylish and endlessly fascinating. Fashion lovers get ready for a fantastic shopping experience.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista

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

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Fearing that the satirical song could become a racist anthem, they never released it and ended up changing the lyrics entirely. The “Paki” immigrants invoked by the song were one image of Pakistanis that pervaded the public conscious at the time. Another was of the corner-shop-owning Pakistani, who works all hours in pursuit of a better life. Both stereotypes were undoubtedly real though barely representative of us as a nation. But between them and our cricketers, we as a nation had a fairly positive image in the minds of people at large as a hardworking, somewhat mercurial race. Post 9/11, all that has changed.

It may have been the Saudis who were responsible for 9/11, but Al-Qaeda had undoubted links in Pakistan. It was British Pakistanis who were responsible for the London bombings. Osama Bin Laden was found in Pakistan. The would-be New York bomber was a Pakistani. It’s a damning list. Hearing about the Boston Marathon bombing, the first thought most Pakistanis probably had was, “Please don’t let it have been a Pakistani who did this”.

And yet, these violent terrorists are no more representative of our nation than the gun-toting lunatics who kill school children are representative of America. In the last two years, America has seen the Tuscon shooting, the Aurora Movie theatre shooting and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Yet Americans aren’t invariably portrayed as gun-toting lunatics.

Conversely, it is difficult to find a portrayal of Pakistanis in popular culture other than as terrorists. Whether it’s in the GI Joe sequel or Agent Vinod, the only Pakistan we see in films or on TV is a dangerous place. Where are the urbane Pakistani doctors and the vain fashionistas who think a Birkin is a substitute for a personality? Where are the jetsetting bon-viveurs, the ordinary conservative Pakistanis and the misfit second generation immigrants?

Eastenders, a British Soap Opera, is an exception in that it had Pakistani characters from 2007 to 2013, none of whom were involved in terrorism. Of course being a soap opera, the characters were involved in story lines that covered everything from domestic violence to embezzlement, but at least there was no terrorism.

It’s bad enough that there is rarely anything positive about Pakistan that is considered news-worthy. India gets features about its fashion and glamour as well as feel-good stories to counter the stories of rape and corruption that also hit the news. Pakistan, on the other hand, suffers from negative reporting from even respected broadcasters like the BBC. Less reputable but still popular broadcasters like Fox News have no compunction in painting us as black as sin, jettisoning accuracy in the pursuit of their own agenda.

In this environment, it’s a shame that the usually liberal, free-thinking types that make up the entertainment industry, can’t find positive images of Pakistan to use in their art — whether it’s music, film or canvas. We ourselves have produced some cracking novelists and musicians but our own film industry is a crippled mess. The renaissance in our television production has put across various positive images of Pakistan but this has a limited audience.

So it’s the ordinary Pakistanis who get a double whammy. We are the ones who have suffered the most at the hands of terrorists and yet, abroad, we are lumped together with the fanatics. We may be conservationists or teachers, artists or financial wizards but to most of the world, we are all terrorists.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista

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

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Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC) Sunsilk Fashion Week’s live streaming worked almost without a hitch, but what made the experience amazing was live tweeting from the venue. Lots of bloggers posted pictures of who was wearing what and also tweeted about the ambience. Most of the major players were tweeting in real-time during shows and this along, with private messages from close friends on-site, made virtual reporting a treat. The only thing I missed was trying out the Magnum bar and getting my hands on some of the goody bags.

Each time I come to #Lahore, I fall more in love with this city: each time I attend #PSFW,I believe more in our fashion industry

— Andleeb Rana Farhan (@andleebXPOZE) April 30, 2013

PSFW was the most hyped fashion week of the year. Its stellar line up had fashion-lovers drooling and designers looking over their shoulders at the competition. Day 3, in particular, had Rizwan Beyg, SanaSafinaz, Layla Chatoor, Nida Azwer and Karma. Designers had to be on top of their game to make an impression.

Layla Chatoor , Karma. PHOTOS: SHIAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS

So, the question is: did it live up to the hype? Not quite much! There was a lot to love about PSFW; although there was marvelous fashion, a few major names disappointed and there was a glaring divide that was hard to ignore. There was a huge gap between two distinct interpretations of what luxury prêt should be. For one camp luxury prêt was all about experimenting with prints, cuts and silhouettes. There was embellishment, but it definitely took a back seat. For others, however, luxury prêt was all about embroidery and bling — that, too, lots of it. For the Pakistani market, as a whole, neither camp was wrong but it made reviewing PSFW an uphill task — a case of comparing apples to oranges.

There were also several standout collections. Rizwan Beyg’s collection was one of the most stylish renditions of truck art ever.

WOW. The whole world does truck art but Rizwan is next level “@tapujaveri: #psfw #rizwanbeyg truck art killer boots instagram.com/p/YprUclq4iy/“

— Ayesha Tammy Haq (@tammyhaq) April 28, 2013

SanaSafinaz’s sensual sophisticated collection, with Balenciaga-inspired jackets and embellished pants, was a major hit. Karma’s Art Deco Gatsby collection was cohesive, blingy and beautiful. It was also one of the best-styled ramp shows.

Fahad Hussayn and Ali Xeeshan, however, were a triumph of styling over everyone else. I loved what I could see of the clothes but the dramatics eclipsed the clothes to a degree. HSY’s show strayed into this territory though his glamorous sexy yet unmistakably Eastern prêt was a treat.

Élan’s opulent Oriental collection and Shehla Chatoor’s alluring Soigné collection were detailed and masterful. Sania Maskatiya and Maheen Karim produced brilliant chic resort collections. Layla Chatoor’s Ayesha collection was intricate and attractive, while Feeha Jamshed took black and white to a new level. Misha Lakhani’s styling lacked the wow factor but the clothes themselves were gorgeous.

There were flashes of brilliance from many of the other designers, but often there was a lack of cohesion and editing in their collections. The ramp is an unforgiving platform — the best collections stay true to their inspiration while showing variety and flair.

Unlike others I didn’t have much complaint about the fact that most of the clothes were not wearable. Ramp wear doesn’t really need to be wearable — it’s about showcasing a designer’s vision, craft and creativity. While Khaadi Khaas and Faiza Samee showed very wearable collections, others will no doubt tone down their collections for customers. Maskatiya, for example, will surely produce kameezes from her Aghaaz collection that will appeal more to her core clientele than the peep-shoulder tops would.

However, one major complaint that I had during the four days of fashion week was the lack of time keeping. It was practically midnight before the evening came to a close — every night. It was exhausting even from the comfort of my own home. For models photographers and press on site however it was a grueling four-day marathon.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista

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

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KARACHI: “Do you plan to vote in the upcoming elections?” Elsewhere, the question would be “Who do you plan to vote for?” but Pakistan has one of the world’s lowest voter turnouts. This, however, is about to change.  The upcoming election is the hot topic of discussion everywhere from dhabas to Twitter.

Facebook is rife with political talk, including engaging videos encouraging people to vote.  Before you dismiss the social media, did you know that the PPP made a government with only 10.2 million votes? There are 8 million Pakistanis on Facebook alone. Bangladesh managed 87% voter turnout last election in comparison to our 44%. In some posh areas like Clifton/Defence in Karachi, the turnout was a mere 30%. This time, however, people from all sections of society, who have never voted before, are choosing to so do. And it’s not just men — from workers in beauty salons to ladies who go out lunching, more women than ever before are planning to vote.

So how easy is it to vote? The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has been publicising its SMS 8300 service where, for a mere Rs2, you text your NIC number to 8300 and receive your voting details. I tried it last week and within five minutes, I received details of my polling station and two numbers: my serial number and my block code. Unfortunately, it seems you need a degree in election-ology to decipher what those two numbers mean.

The SMS didn’t tell me what my constituency is and neither did the ECP website which is a masterpiece of mismanagement. It tells you an awful lot about the election without telling you anything useful. There is no way to use your serial number or block code to work out your constituency. There is a voter education handbook but it gives guidelines for voter education programmes instead of offering any useful information for actual voters. The site gives a full list of the candidates and their addresses, but doesn’t tell you which constituency they are running for. In order to find out which party they belong to you have to look at their assigned symbol and go back to a list of 134 symbols to work out which party they are running for. For a newbie like me, the party symbol list is confusing as there are so many parties that have similar names. I resort to Google to work out the symbols of the main parties.

Similarly Google helps me work out that Clifton is in NA-250 and that my candidates include Khushbakht Shujaat for MQM and Dr Arif Alvi for PTI. This revives my flagging interest after the frustrating search to find my constituency and candidates. There remains confusion because the polling station info for my block code on the ECP site is hidden in a .rar file about polling stations. A PTI supporter has since launched a great site called whereismyballot.com where you input your block code and it pulls up the polling station information from the ECP website. Why the ECP couldn’t have made things this easy is anyone’s guess.

I intend to make the attempt to vote. At the last election in 2008, the winning margin for NA-250 was less than 8,000 votes. Only one third of the 350,000 registered voters cast their vote.

But will the election be fair?

Stories of poll rigging from previous elections:

“Yes ma’am, I went to vote but when they gave me the ballot paper they stood over me and watched to make sure I voted for their party.”

“I was too late to vote. No, the polls hadn’t closed but when they checked my NIC they said I’d already been to vote earlier. It looks like someone had voted for me.”

Another complained that when his thumb was inked they took his thumb and stamped his vote before handing him the paper. These and other abuses are undoubtedly rife. Doctors from national hospitals who are among those required to invigilate have confirmed that they have been told by party workers to look the other way at polling stations.

It’s naïve to think that vote rigging doesn’t go on. However, with the vested parties watching each other and with increased power and scrutiny by the media there is hope that things will improve. Those who have never voted or attempted to vote cannot bemoan the situation when they have never made the least push to put things right. By not turning out to vote we make things easier for those who rig elections. The only way to change a system is from within.

Get ready to vote:

1) Send your CNIC number (no dashes or spaces) to 8300 and wait for a message from Election Commission of Pakistan

2) Note down BLOCK CODE from the SMS

3) Input your BLOCK CODE into whereismyballot.com and note down your polling station

4) The SMS will also contain your serial number in the voter list. It will be useful when you enter the polling station

5) Repeat for family and friends

6) Show up early to vote

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2013.

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Correction: An earlier version of the article incorrectly stated that Farooq Sattar was MQM’s candidate for NA-250, instead of Khushbakht Shujaat. The error has been rectified.

Designer Aamna Aqeel’s latest shoot titled “Be My Slave” falls squarely into this category. Obviously designed to shock, it shows a model being pandered to by a dark-skinned child slave. The images are repulsive with racist and colonialist overtones. The fact that the slave in the advertisements is a child, makes the images that much more inexcusable.

Aqeel has barely been designing for two years. She won some critical acclaim at the fifth edition of Fashion Pakistan Week held recently in Karachi, but she remains very much an emerging designer with a lot to prove. It seems that she’s decided, by hook or by crook, it’s time to get noticed.

Fashion loves to be provocative and sometimes it seems nothing is taboo. French Vogue did a shoot with sexualised images of models as young as 10, Vogue India did a feature with impoverished Indians carrying Burberry umbrellas and wearing $100 Fendi bibs. A Bulgarian magazine 12 did a shoot called “Victim of Beauty” showing bloodied, bruised models that appeared to glamourise domestic violence.

In each case, the magazines had an explanation to give, that they were trying to highlight the use of child models, or attempting to say fashion was for everyone or trying to show the juxtaposition between horror flick make-up and beauty. In each case, the real reason was simple: commissioning distasteful fashion shoots to ensure media coverage and boost sales.

When contacted, Aqeel vehemently denied any racist angle to the shoot at all. According to her, the choice of a dark-skinned Baloch child was purely incidental. “He works in a garage and wanted some work,” she said. Obviously the parents of usual child models wouldn’t have agreed to the shoot. The pampered little cuties who advertise soap, toothpaste and biscuits on TV may not have looked right for the part but even if they had, no one would have let their child play such a degrading role.

Aqeel’s argument is that she wanted to spark a debate on child labour. She says she is involved with a children’s charity and wanted to highlight how ‘society madams’ employ child labour in their homes. She is educating and supporting the child used in the shoot — it seems the least she can do after exploiting him in this fashion.

It’s facetious of the designer to claim that she was trying to stimulate a debate on child labour. The model wearing her clothes is clearly comfortable with her dominant position. She is not made up in a way that shows her to be the villain of the piece. The use of a dark skinned child in a shoot entitled “Be My Slave” certainly reeks of racism, however much the designer may deny it. And if anything, the shoot seems to condone child labour.

Aqeel went on to deny that this was a publicity-seeking move on her part and says she is happy at the pace her brand is developing. Her purpose for this shoot was apparently not to publicise her brand, but to raise public awareness of a social issue. Apparently, she feels so blessed with her success that she wants to give back to society and feels that it’s every individual’s duty to do what he or she can to make life better for the underprivileged.

To me, Aqeel’s stance stinks of hypocrisy. Designers do fashion shoots to sell a vision of their brand and to raise their profile. I wonder at the magazine that published the pictures. The stylist and photographer may have had to bend to the designer’s vision but the magazine had no such compulsion. I feel ashamed to be involuntarily publicising the shoot but we need to speak up against vile images of racism and exploitation. There are some taboos fashion shouldn’t break.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista

Published in The Express Tribune, May 10^th, 2013.                    

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What designer doesn’t want that sort of exposure? A lot of the pizzazz at PSFW was provided by Karachi-based designers. With former CEO of FPC Amir Adnan now joining PFDC, could this be the beginning of the end for FPC?

Certainly there is a case for combining the two councils given the miniscule size of Pakistan’s fashion industry. It’s certainly possible for designers to keep relations with both councils but it seems superfluous. It would be better if everyone put their energies into one combined council. If Sehr Saigol can manage strong personalities like HSY, surely the likes of Maheen Khan and Shamaeel Ansari can work with her. Amir Adnan’s experience at PFDC will be a good test case. We may have one politically, but fashion can do without a Karachi-Lahore divide.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista

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

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The list of what top fashion journalists have termed “socialite designers” reads like a who’s who of both fashion and society. From Khadijah Shah to newcomers like Misha Lakhani, many of fashion’s elite are “it-girls” who certainly don’t need to work and yet have built professional, thriving businesses. Many society women, such as Nadia and Ayesha Ellahi, design on a smaller scale; to the extent where it now seems there is a “designer” in every family.

However, socialite entrepreneurs haven’t limited themselves to just designing clothes. They are running furniture shops, salons, bakeries, shoe shops, gyms and more. Many start out in a small way, holding exhibitions for friends and family. For some, this is as far as they go, finding small-scale exhibitions the perfect vehicle for a work-life balance. Others, however, use exhibitions as a springboard to a more professional approach selling online or even opening an outlet.

Many of these fledgling businesses benefit from their owner’s social connections but at the end of the day, only viable business models prosper. There are plenty of success stories. SanaSafinaz themselves, along with The House of Zunn, have diversified into furniture. They join Maham Malik of Baroque and Saira Chapra of Charcoal in the ranks of socialite furniture houses. Together they have brought contemporary chic to Pakistani interior design, reminiscent of the aesthetics of Ralph Lauren and Christy. The social elite has bought from them in droves, and drawing room by drawing room, Pakistani interiors have seen a revolution.

It seems like upper class women have ventured into making just about everything that other women buy. From fancy birth announcements to jewellery, there’s a socialite with a thriving business. They are running schools and tuition centres, event planning companies and public relations firms. Some of Pakistan’s favourite restaurants are run by socialites, and they produce decorative accessories by the truckload.

Part of this desire to produce or sell beautiful things is demand led. Women become frustrated at not being able to buy the sort of things they themselves wish to use. “There isn’t a decent gym in my area? Maybe I should start one!” or “I want the sort of jewelery you see in auction catalogues – perhaps I can train a kaarigar to make some?”

The other reason is boredom. Many upper class women are highly educated (every family wants a “pari-likhi” bahu) and want to do more with their lives than rounds of coffee mornings and kitty parties. Traditionally, women are kept out of family businesses. Men folk don’t want their sisters and wives complicating already complex family business structures yet families don’t want them “going out to work”. Thankfully, there are beginning to be exceptions  like Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy and her sisters running their father’s factory or Iqra Mansha heading up Nishat Hotels. For the most part though, women end up starting their own businesses. You can pace your business to suit your family life and expand at a time that works with your child-rearing and other family responsibilities. The reason socialites have excelled in this area is they have men folk liberal enough to encourage them and they have the resources to invest in their businesses. That, and also the fact that it’s become fashionable to be an entrepreneur.

It’s important to note that although the target market of these women-led businesses is mainly other women, this doesn’t mean that the money goes round and round their exclusive social circles. Most of these businesses employ a significant number of people and once past the fledgling stage, move to a wider market base. Kitchen Cuisine Bakery, Luscious Cosmetics and Beaconhouse School are all the brainchildren of women who could be termed socialites. Perhaps we shouldn’t belittle them and the likes of SanaSafinaz by referring to them as socialites. Make no mistake, these are smart and savvy women. In these humdrum economic times, women entrepreneurs are among the few that are investing and creating jobs. We should salute them.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista

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

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Aamir certainly has an eye for spotting similarities. He broke the story of one of SanaSafinaz’s 2013 lawn designs being inspired by a pair of Zara pants. He also reported SanaSafinaz’s use of a Pucci print, Gul Ahmed’s homage to vintage YSL and many more. It’s a talent to be able to spot close copies from amongst the hundreds of fashion images out there, and Aamir is particularly good at it.

His latest blog entry is startling. For example, it seems some of Karma’s smash-hit Gatsby collection shows staggering similarities to Balmain’s fall 2012 collection.

Aamna Aqeel seems to have been similarly inspired by Balmain for some shorts in her SS2013 collection. Ali Xeeshan and Tabassum Mughal also make his “Hall of Shame” but their crimes seem to be more about copying styling rather than actual design similarities.

Xeeshan uses an umbrella in the same way as Reema Acra while Mughal’s crowns are just like the ones used by Dolce & Gabbana.

Batur’s Givenchy-inspired outfit is more along the lines of Karma’s outfit — too close of a copy for comfort. While not all of Aamir’s picks are in the same league in terms of “inspiration”, there is a clear pattern. There’s also a rumour that another top designer’s showstopper at PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week was heavily inspired by Balenciaga but with no pictorial evidence available, it seems unfair to name names. 

So, are some Pakistani designers crossing the line? Are they compensating for a lack of originality by appropriating other people’s designs? Well, some Pakistani designers may be “inspired” by other designers, but this isn’t a Pakistani problem. It happens all over the world and blogs like Aamiriat have made it easier for such cases to come to light. For example, the Tumblr blog called “Balenciaga did it first” is devoted to highlighting instances where other designers do looks that Balenciaga has previously done. 

Elan is called to book for using a painting of Mount Fuji that is ascribed to both Joel Edwards and “Trinifellah”. It’s not clear from the blog that Elan has merely used a picture and not plagiarised an outfit. This, I think is unfair as the implication of copying an outfit is a far graver accusation. In fact, a quick Google search reveals this painting is being used on many sites, often without any picture credit.

“I never made any secret of the fact that I used images from a variety of sources for my prints. In fact, I printed every picture I used in my press release,” says Khadijah Shah of Elan. “Many of these were ancient pictures and with pictures like this one that were posted in many locations, there was little way to authenticate ownership of the image.” She went on to reveal that whenever she used images of known artists, such as Saeed Akhtar for her first collection, she was always careful to get prior permission. With oriental images of dubious ownership plucked off the net, she neither felt this was possible nor necessary.

Call it inspiration or imitation, designers copy each other all the time — that’s how trends are born. A dozen different designers don’t spontaneously come up with the same idea — it’s an organic process. Sometimes trends are inspired by pop culture, hit TV shows, films and the like. More often, one person makes something truly original, unusual or aesthetically pleasing and others are inspired to do their own versions. These variations gradually filter down to the high street (or darzis, in the case of Pakistan) and suddenly everyone is wearing jumpsuits or chooridars or whatever.

Blatant exact copying is a separate yet genuine problem, with entire websites and production houses devoted to churning out replicas. That is an issue that needs to be dealt with severely as replica merchants are genuinely stealing intellectual property.

Although a couple of the designs highlighted by Aamir, particularly the Balmain-inspired ones, did sail very close to the wind, none are truly replicas. Is it right for designers to be getting critical acclaim for something that is not truly and entirely theirs? Probably not. But genuine originality is rare and as long as people put their own twist on an idea they copy, fashion has no problem with the concept. However, it’s important to point out that those who merely emulate can never hope to compete with those who really create. A unique signature is crucial and designers would do well to remember this.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista

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

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The self-same designers from Karachi who contributed to making PSFW such a success this year confirmed that they have had very positive experiences showing at FPW. Shamaeel Ansari says that it’s ridiculous for people to talk about the demise of the council. “You have to consider all our events over the years,” says Ansari. “In April last year our fashion week was by far the strongest of the season. It makes business sense for our members who have already shown here [Karachi] to go to Lahore this time round and we encouraged it.” Designers Nida Azwer and Shehla Chatoor confirmed that they would have shown at FPW if it had not been so close to PSFW.

“From a business point of view, it’s very important to show in Lahore and Karachi,” says Umair Tabani of Sania Maskatiya. “They are both huge target markets.”

With Karachi as its home ground, FPC is the natural choice for shows in Karachi. We should expect different things from fashion weeks in Lahore and Karachi, as they will always reflect the ethos of the city. After all New York Fashion Week is very different from London Fashion Week.

Models with Maheen Khan, Deepak Perwani, Shehla Chatoor at FPW4

This time around FPC suffered because of the unsettled security situation in Karachi. In spite of this background, FPC put together a very creditable event that was covered by the Wall Street Journal and Vogue India. Their partnership with Hum TV ensures excellent coverage for designers within Pakistan. Adding to that, FPC’s hook-up with the Style 360-Labels e-store opened up international markets for designers who showed at FPW.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that the line-up at FPW this time was not as good as it should have been. Designer Maheen Khan concedes that the content editing should have been tighter at FPW and that perhaps some of those selected were not ready for the ramp. However, as Ansari points out, there is a learning curve for new designers and even good designers sometimes fall flat on their faces at fashion weeks. It’s necessary to give talented new designers a chance at high-end platforms and inevitably some will not manage to rise to the occasion. They will, however, learn from the process and come back stronger if they are genuinely talented. There is some truth in this observation by Ansari, but FPC needs to strike a better balance between emerging talent and established designers.

Both Khan and Ansari insist they have very cordial relationships with Sehyr Saigol and are happy to collaborate with PFDC at any time. They encourage their members to show at PFDC and welcome members of PFDC to show at their events. They have even proposed that the two councils work together to promote fashion weeks, one in Karachi and one in Lahore — providing each other with logistical and other support.

“It’s time to stop this petty Lahore-Karachi comparison,” says Maheen Khan. “We need to think nationally as an industry. We are one nation and I feel these divisive reports are detrimental to the fashion industry as a whole.” She also stresses, “FPC has always, first and foremost, been about the business of fashion.”

FPC undoubtedly works hard for its members in this respect. Twice a year it takes contingents of designers for a show at the Panglian Club in Singapore, which has helped many of its members develop a client base in Singapore. It collaborated with the Pakistan Trade Development Authority to send members to the Pakistan Expo in Delhi. Similarly, the council also collaborated with Pakistan Fashion Week in London, getting concessional rates for its designers to participate.

In the last few years Ansari has revamped and properly structured the business and legal side of the council. Meanwhile a stellar generation of designers has come of age. Designers like Nida Azwer and Sania Maskatiya have immense affection for and commitment towards FPC.

“I have had a lot of support from council members and have learnt a lot from them,” says designer Maheen Karim. Ansari reveals that she has confirmations from Tabani, Chatoor and Karim that they will be extended board members for the next event. This new generation has the potential to add fresh skills that will complement those of the original team. The future looks very bright indeed for FPC.

Top Recommendations from designers for Fashion Pakistan Week

*  FPW should be in autumn. Spring is already crowded with lawn launches and PSFW

*  The presence of regional stockists from India, Dubai and Singapore is highly desirable from a sales point of view.

*  Content editing needs to improve. Newer designers should be better mentored and their collections edited into capsule collections if necessary

*  There needs to be clear delegation of tasks so that each member of the board has well-defined areas of responsibility.

*  FPW needs a high-end, long-term major sponsor

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista

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

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However, writer and director Ayan Mukerji gives this romantic comedy a deft twist and a thoroughly modern treatment. The result is a frothy, feel-good, marvelously entertaining film.

The story revolves around the couple Bunny and Naina, played by Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone, respectively. Kapoor’s character is more than just a footloose player; he is passionate, hardworking and dedicated to his dreams, which makes his connection with the serious Naina believable and unaffected.

As an actor, Kapoor just gets better and better. This film is no Rockstar or Barfi! for him to get his teeth into, yet he simply shines on the screen. He is funny and endearing and depicts Bunny’s coming of age with skill. More than that, YJHD shows what a great entertainer Kapoor is. Whether it’s dancing with Madhuri or sizzling on screen with Padukone, he delivers big time.

Padukone also excels in YJHD and shows what a versatile actor she is. She is as convincing as the seedhi-saadhi Naina as she was as wild-child Veronica in Cocktail. Her portrayal of Naina is well-nuanced and attractive. The chemistry between her and Kapoor is palpable and their performance takes the film to another level.

Kalki Koechlin also deserves praise for her stellar performance in a role that could have been very bland. Koechlin lifts her character Aditi from the realms of the ordinary with a feisty, insightful performance. Farooq Sheikh is poignant in his small role as Bunny’s father.

Aditya Roy Kapoor, on the other hand, fails to impress. He seems doomed to drink his way across the screen this summer. He played one sharabi in Aashiqui 2 and plays another in YJHD. He seems unable to do much with his one-dimensional character Avi, and the entire storyline of his friction with Bunny seems rather contrived and awkward.

YJHD nevertheless has a lot going for it. Mukerji delivers on the promise he showed with Wake Up Sid. The story is cleverly handled; there is some deft dialogue and several laugh-out-loud moments. There is an outstanding chase scene and a cute cameo from Kunal Roy Kapoor. Bunny and Naina’s interchange on travel versus home is exceptional; a Broadway Show is compared to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge at Maratha Mandir — with popcorn.

YJHD has all the great locations and visual appeal you would expect from a Johar production. The songs, too, are very well-choreographed and set the screen alight. Madhuri’s dazzling item number, Ghaghra, in the first 10 minutes shows that she still has what it takes. Her face may show a little of the ravages of time but otherwise, she looks hot and demonstrates yet again what an amazing dancer she is.

Kapoor’s brilliantly choreographed Badtameez Dil and the superb Balam Pichkari are standout songs. It’s worth going to the cinema again just to see these and Madhuri’s Ghagra once more on the big screen. 

Verdict: Overall, YJHD is a great, entertaining film. The themes are not deep but what do you expect from a romantic comedy? There are only so many variations on the boy meets girl story; only so many ways they can overcome obstacles on the path to love. What makes YJHD work are the songs, the great performances from its stars and a story that is not as clichéd as it seems at first glance. YJHD is bound to make you leave the cinema smiling — one of this summer’s must-watch movies.
Rating: 4/5

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista

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

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The tiny boutique is a haven of chic — elegant, sophisticated and utterly charming. With its cool black and white décor, Breathe is an oasis of heavenly scents and pretty diffusers.

Owned by Asya Jalil and Maham Asaf, Breathe would not look out of place tucked into an expensive corner of Notting Hill in London. It’s rare to find stores in Pakistan that have given this much thought to the shopping experience as well as to the merchandise. Breathe’s minimalist interior displays artistic floral diffusers and gift boxes. Chunky lab-style glass bottles hold samples of the scents while a delicate bureau houses elegant stationery.

The décor and merchandise is very Jo Malone but the prices, thankfully, are nowhere near as high.

“We wanted to offer something attractive yet affordable,” says Jalil. “Nothing in the boutique will set you back more than Rs2,500.” Despite this, the merchandise has a very high-end feel.

Asaf elaborates, “We sell the sort of pretty things we love to have in our own homes. There’s something so satisfying about surrounding your senses with beauty. A serene and attractive environment is likely to bring you joy in little ways that are hard to define. And scent is an integral part of that.”

It’s undoubtedly necessary to have something to counter that indoor fug that results from the heat and humidity in Karachi. Breathe’s essential oil-based home scents are 100% organic and eco-friendly. They are world away from the chemical smelling air freshener sprays and plug-ins in the market. The added advantage of using diffusers to deliver home scents is that there is no flame involved. This makes them perfect for use anywhere, from offices to children’s rooms.

In fact, Breathe has a rather fabulous children’s line, which includes scented stuffed animals for drawers, scented fabric cupcakes and cups of scented gel.

The scents themselves are divided into four families — wood, floral, herb and fruity. Each section contains five or six unique scents that are available in a range of beautiful diffusers.

The diffusers are all handmade and wood based but range from simple reeds to extravagant flowers. The flowers are particularly gorgeous. Initially off-white, their delicate petals often change colour, once you dip the wick in the scent. There’s no telling what colour the flower may turn, though some of those in store ranged from green to pink-tipped black.

The scents themselves are wonderful and light yet distinct. From the masculine woody scents to the clear herbal ones, there’s something to suit everyone’s taste. Asaf’s personal favourite is frangipani, an exotic flower that smells very similar to the local favourite, motia.

Jalil meanwhile, prefers the woody fresh scent of the Nile Forest.

Breathe offers refills, so when your scent runs out, you can replace it with any scent from their range. They also sell replacement diffusers and make up customised gift boxes in tasteful packaging.

Their stationery line is similarly understated yet refined. There are pretty journals, notepads, cards and notelets. All are digitally-printed on high quality paper. The quirky cards say everything from “OMG” to “congratulations” and are blank inside instead of having mawkish generic messages.

All of their stationery can be personalised in any quantity, from one to a 1000 or more. Their personal stationery range is particularly lovely. These are sets of letter-paper, notelets and cards stamped in gold with a fleur-de-lys, lotus leaf or butterfly. They can be fully personalised and are perfect for handwritten notes — so much more intimate than an email.

This niche boutique is a welcome, affordable addition to the Karachi scene. So much thought has been put into the merchandise that it’s the ideal spot for housewarming, birthday and other gifts. It’s also perfect for a little personal indulgence in the love of beautiful things.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2013.

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KARACHI: Major changes are afoot at Labels, the pioneer of fashion retailing in Pakistan. Along with Ensemble and Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC), Labels is still one of the premier multi-brand retailers in the country.

However, the fashion retail landscape in Pakistan is changing fast. Increasingly, top designers are choosing to open their own outlets. Meanwhile, any shop that can cobble together a handful of half-baked designers is calling itself a multi-brand store these days. Labels needed to differentiate itself from those run-of-the-mill stores with their cramped racks and poorly edited content. Ever the innovator, CEO Zahir Rahimtoola is masterminding nothing less than a revolution at Labels.

Labels is moving away from the traditional multi-brand store concept towards more exclusive territory. It is shifting mainly to the boutique-within-a-boutique concept of luxury retail along the lines of Selfridges or Harvey Nichols, though of course on a smaller scale. Top tier designers including, Sania Maskatiya, Nida Azwer, Elan by Khadija Shah and Zara Shahjahan, are already on board. Other reputed upcoming designers such as Tena Durrani and Shamsha Hashwani will also have a store within the store at the revamped Labels. Rahimtoola is in talks with other senior designers along the same lines. Each label will have large areas laid out for them and will stock between 75 and 100 outfits on average.

Rather than stocking a large number of designers of various calibres, Labels is choosing to focus on quality. In the near future, Labels will be a destination where customers will be able to browse extensive collections from some of the country’s best designers. So does this mean that there will be no space at the store for smaller labels? Nothing of the sort according to Rahimtoola, as he says, “We are fortunate to have large retail spaces. Hence, we are working on a multi-concept model whereby we will have a ‘store within store’ and independent racking options as well as an area for new talent.”

“As we evolve, we will continue to remain a one-stop store providing casual clothing, luxury-wear and bridal options,” he adds.

Rahimtoola confirms that though they are editing their designer base, they will continue to support designers who have performed consistently at Labels in terms of sales and inventory. They are also taking their own brand to the next level. They will presently launch new collections by in-house designer Mahrukh Jamote for the forthcoming season.

Not content with innovation on the ground, Labels is also taking ebusiness to a new level. The Labels estore was ground-breaking, in that, it was the first to officially offer luxury brands like Sania Maskatiya online. Their professional layout and obvious retail expertise immediately attracted customers. From day one, Labels aggressively promoted the e-business model and worked with bloggers to promote fashion blogging and the online presence of Pakistani fashion in general. Their subsequent collaboration with Style360 has propelled them to even greater heights. Mashables and TechInAsia recently rated the Style360 Labels estore as one of the best ecommerce businesses in Pakistan.

It hasn’t all been smooth sailing though. Labels accepts Paypal and all major credit cards, but Pakistan’s lack of systems for processing payments is an issue they had to work around. There are also other challenges. “One of the biggest problems faced by online businesses in Pakistan is that there is hardly any standardisation of sizes and specs and most designers work on an ad-hoc basis, as opposed to creating seasonal collections,” Rahimtoola continues. “Therefore, there’s a continuous need to upload inventory which is very labour-intensive”

Nevertheless, the Style360 Labels estore is a huge success. They currently offer a wider range of top designers than any other estore. Furthermore, Rahimtoola scored a coup when he made the Fashion Pakistan Week Collections available online, straight off the ramp.

Contrary to popular belief, they have a significant clientele in Pakistan, as well as abroad. The Style360 Labels estore is the only place to buy designers like Shehla Chatoor who are otherwise only available by appointment at their exclusive showrooms. Moreover, customers from all over Pakistan can shop online with the convenience of paying cash on delivery. Add to that, the customisation and alteration service that the estore offers and it’s easy to understand why it has become so popular both locally and overseas.

Labels was the first fashion retailer in Pakistan and it’s plain to see that it is adapting very well to the changing retail climate in Pakistan. The Style360 Labels estore continues to break new ground on the ecommerce front. Meanwhile, reinvention of Labels on the store-within-a-store concept will help ensure that Labels remains one of the leading designer fashion retailers in Pakistan.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9^th, 2013.

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When contacted, Safinaz Muneer of SanaSafinaz said, “This is simply amazing. We feel incredibly blessed and humbled. We are just two women designing clothes we love and it is marvelous to get this sort of recognition.”

SanaSafinaz’s closest online competitor in terms of searches is probably HSY. But perhaps the numbers are inaccurate; HSY is also the symbol on the New York Stock Exchange for the Hershey Chocolate Company. So although the term HSY similarly gets 49,500 searches a month, it’s a fair bet that quite a few of those searches are for Hershey’s. This is borne out by the result when Googling HSY. It is further confirmed by isolating the numbers for Pakistan, SanaSafinaz get 27,100 searches a month compared to 14,800 for HSY.

It’s hard enough pinning down numbers for HSY. For brands like Elan, Layla Chatoor and Karma, it’s next to impossible to work out exactly how often they are Googled. The word Karma gets 6 million searches a month but a keyword analysis shows that very few of those are for Karma the designer. Most of the 4 million people Googling “Layla” are not searching for Layla Chatoor. Similarly, the word Elan gets 1.8 million searches a month globally but the figure of 6,600 a month from Pakistan shows that few of the global searches are for Khadijah Shah’s Elan. Type in Elan by Khadija Shah and you will find less than 320 searches a month.

Shehla Chatoor is another such case. She identifies the brand by the name Shehla but that is such a common name that some of the 18,000 people Googling the word “Shehla” could have someone else in mind. The adwords result for “Shehla Chatoor” is very low but a fair number of the top pages listed when you Google “Shehla” are related to Shehla Chatoor.

Thus, Adwords is a crude tool at best. Google itself could definitely give more accurate information based on the websites searchers eventually go to but that information is unlikely to become available. However, used along with a keyword analysis and after looking at the pages generated by Googling designer names, it is possible to form a creditable picture using the Adwords tool.

It’s hard to judge how popular designers are. Media coverage is one possible judgment criteria but unfortunately, heavy spending on advertising and a savvy PR strategy can mean certain brands get an unwarranted amount of media attention. A much better comparison method would be to look at sales but no designer could possibly be persuaded to impart that sort of sensitive information. Even if the figures were available, it would be difficult to compare as price points vary so much.

Facebook Page likes do provide another layer of information. HSY far outstrips everyone else in this respect with 700,000 likes. SanaSafinaz has only half as many. Layla Chatoor, Elan, Shehla and Karma all have Facebook likes running into the 100s of 1000s. Tena Durrani, who sells like hot cakes at the Style360 Labels estore, also has 200,000 likes. Less tech-savvy designers lose out on the Facebook analysis. Rizwan Beyg’s page has merely 3,000 likes while Maheen Khan, doesn’t appear to have a Facebook page at all. What’s interesting though, is that someone like Bunto Kazmi, who has no website and no Facebook page still gets nearly 3000 Google searches a month. With a nine-month waiting time, Kazmi obviously has no need to increase her business but the opportunity is there, should she ever choose to use it.

Google Adwords may be an imprecise tool but in a world where the Internet seems ever more important, it provides an interesting insight into the popularity of various designers. SanaSafinaz stands head and shoulders above their nearest competitor HSY in terms of the number of people Googling them each month. Newcomers like Sania Maskatiya and Nida Azwer may have the retail presence but are not in the same ballpark as SanaSafinaz in terms of people seeking them online.

SanaSafinaz should be setting their sights on the heights reached by top Indian designers Sabyasachi and Manish Malhotra, who are Googled around 125,000 times a month each. Whether these searches translate into sales is irrelevant. What they demonstrate is brand recognition and the popularity that a brand has achieved. SanaSafinaz has proved it is Pakistan’s most stellar fashion brand.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista.

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

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Al-Fatah in Lahore, Agha’s in Karachi and Jinnah Supermarket in Islamabad are unmatched in terms of imported groceries, make-up and other essentials while international chains like Mango, Next and Accessorize are bringing the high street to Pakistan. There are still, however, some things worth making space in your luggage for. If you are off on your holidays, here are the top 10 things that should be on your shopping list:

1.   Bare Minerals Foundation — worn with primer, it’s the perfect foundation for our tropical climate. It is light, yet gives good coverage while managing to look natural. As with all foundations, do take the time to work out which is the perfect colour for your skin-tone — the wrong colour foundation will kill even the prettiest face.

2.   Lingerie — great lingerie is incredibly hard to find here in Pakistan. Voluminous clothes mean we don’t need to worry about VPLs but the right lingerie can change the shape of an outfit and smooth out the little bumps and bulges we all have. Indispensable.

3.   A GHD straightener — forget Babybliss and those other brands in the market. Our frizz friendly climate means hair needs extra help and the GHD straightener is perfect for a salon style finish when you can’t make it to the salon. Quick and easy — use it once and you’ll realise why other straighteners are simply not in the same league.

4.   A great pair of designer heels — yes, we have some great shoe shops in Pakistan, but if you want designer shoes you can expect to pay extremely hefty prices. While you are overseas, you should be able to snag a pair at a sale or outlet for at least 30% less. If your budget doesn’t stretch to designer shoes, Zara, Massimo Dutti and Topshop do some great shoes that ape designer shoe trends.

5.   Ballet pumps — Tory Burch pumps are having a moment among Pakistan’s jet-set but there are plenty of other options. Tod’s do some great loafers and ballet pumps while some fabulous options are available are Jimmy Choo and Ferragamo. Catch the sales and you could score a pair for not a lot more than the price of a Menahel Mehreen semi-formal outfit. And the pumps will lift a host of different outfits — so they’re practically an investment!

6.   Batiste Dry Shampoo — occasionally available at Agha’s, it’s worth having your own stash for when you really can’t manage to wash your hair. Spray, massage and brush out for hair that looks and smells fresh.

7.   Artificial flowers — the only artificial flowers available in Pakistan are the plastic-looking cheap kind. Chen One does some decent artificial plants but you can get wonderful silk flowers abroad that look so real that you have to touch them to be sure they’re not. Try Sia or The One in Dubai for an amazing selection.

8.   Home accents — although Renaissance has recently made it much easier to find decent home accents here in Pakistan, it’s always worth looking around for decorative pieces when you’re travelling. Vases, frames, wall hangings — the possibilities are endless. The added advantage is that objects around your home will remind you of your various trips.

9.   Costume jewellery — Between Sunday bazaar, Accessorize, SanaSafinaz and Saddar, you can find a host of costume jewellery here in Karachi but it’s worth checking out high street offerings by the likes of Zara and Topshop as well as street markets abroad for the odd exceptional piece.

10. Tech gadgets — pick up the latest electronic items from abroad and you’re sure to save yourself a pretty penny. Whether you’re looking for a Wii U, a kindle or the latest video baby monitor, you are bound to find a better selection and cheaper prices abroad than you would here in Pakistan.

This is of course, far from a comprehensive list. Everyone has their own personal favourites that they stock up on when going overseas. What’s in your top 10?

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets @karachista.

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

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It may have been masked by pre-Eid salon sessions, but chances are the cycle of fasting and feasting has taken a toll on your skin, hair and general well-being, even if you’ve faithfully been popping vitamins. Luckily, a few simple steps can boost your vitality and get your lifestyle onto a healthier track.

Get moving

It’s time to shake off that Ramazan lethargy. Whether you are a couch potato or a gym-freak, you will have curtailed your activity levels while fasting. If you’re not someone who exercises regularly, do take the time to build your exercise regimen gradually. Walking, yoga, swimming and tennis are all great ways to become more active. You may not be able to do much at first but aim to build up to three 20-minute sessions that raise your heart rate every week.

Go fresh and natural

Cut back on all processed foods. Eat less sugar, biscuits, cake, mithai, white bread, processed meats and nimco. Increase your intake of fresh raw fruits and vegetables. Experiment with some of those great salad recipes out there on the net. Eating your greens doesn’t have to be boring. Thai salad anyone?

Hydrate

Remember to drink sufficient water. Fasting gets us out of the habit of drinking regularly but the sooner you return to a good hydration regime, the better.

Pay attention to your food

Eat a balanced, varied diet that is low in red meat, salt and oil. Compensate by upping your intake of lean white meat, pulses and fibre. Use fresh herbs, spices and lemon juice to boost flavour as you cut back on salt. Eat at regular intervals to avoid blood sugar spikes. Remember to take your vitamins — those supplements won’t do you any good sitting on your shelf.

Give your hair some love

Take some time out to oil your hair once in a while. Treat your hair to a protein treatment at a salon. For a less pricey option, try a homemade mask of gelatin in hot water or two egg yolks with two teaspoons of olive oil. While your diet will have the greatest impact on your hair, a little TLC can work wonders for the condition of your hair.

Let your skin breathe

As your body detoxes, you may find yourself breaking out. Be meticulous about skincare. Cleanse, tone and moisturise but don’t be aggressive with your skin — a soft approach is the quickest way to bring back the bloom.

None of this is rocket science but it’s surprisingly difficult to implement. We all know what’s good for us but we take an all-or-nothing approach. We can’t manage to exercise three times a week so we don’t even bother with the one time we could manage. We can’t give up sugar in our tea, so we don’t bother trying to cut back on it. Very few people manage to live up to the health and activity regimens recommended by nutritionists but even small changes can make a significant impact on your well-being. So even if you’re addicted to chilli chips or can’t give up dessert, take charge of your well-being and introduce some positive changes to your lifestyle.

Finally, don’t neglect your spiritual side. Hold onto that renewed spiritual energy that Ramazan brings and make time for your faith. A holistic approach to well-being incorporates the physical, mental and spiritual. Without the esoteric, everything else is just window dressing.

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

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And yet, plenty of retail space is no guarantee of success. The short-lived D-Mart had the space to include a deli counter, a meat counter and more, alongside an extensive grocery section. However, it was poorly laid out and never quite managed to get its mix of stock quite right. This, and an over-reliance on own-brand products quickly lost it customers. Housewives don’t want to go to a store where they won’t find the top-selling local brand of washing-up liquid.

Farid’s, however, has not made any of these mistakes. The grocery section is well thought out and offers a staggering variety of well-known brands, both local and imported. There is a dedicated baby shop in the pharmacy section that has everything from Avent bottles to Cerelac. Its own brand of rice, daals, spices, etc are all high quality and well-priced. The meat section similarly, is super-hygienic and is priced lower than competitors like Hyperstar. It also stocks specialist gluten-free food and organic food, as well as catering for wheelchair users. An immense amount of thought has gone into the inventory and layout and this is what will keep customers coming back.

The tableware section is particularly well done, with a small but well chosen array that includes Royal Doulton and silver chafing dishes, as well as brands from the Far East. Budding Masterchefs can find an interesting array of kitchen gadgets including those appealing blow torches that chefs on TV are always using.

The homewares section is the only one that is not entirely convincing. Existing stores like Gul Ahmed Ideas and Chen One offer a better selection of bedding and towels. There are some interesting decorative home accents but overall the choice is somewhat limited. This section could have been so much more. What Farid’s does do well, is that is has a great variety of high-quality home products. Little things like storage jars, dustbins, soap dishes, shoe racks and toilet brushes — all very tasteful and priced to suit any budget.

Farid’s is keen not to pigeon-hole itself as an upscale, high-priced store merely for the moneyed few. It claims to cater to everyone and seems to have achieved this. It has the space to stock an extensive range of local products alongside its imported and specialist goods. It certainly made an effort to include quality products to suit every budget. For example, Farid’s tableware section includes hand-painted Pakistani plates as well as Versace tea sets. The beauty section has displays for Karaja and Luscious as well as MAC and Clarins. The toy section has Fisher-Price toys alongside less well-known brands. This aim to suit every pocket is bound to work to Farid’s advantage, but it is ultimately its range of luxury goods that sets it apart. The cigar store, the extensive range of golfing equipment and the designer cufflinks in the men’s corner are all aimed at a certain lifestyle.

Al-Fatah in Lahore may not have a mini spa or nail art machine like Farid’s, but it offers an even wider range of goods than Farid’s. However, it is difficult to think of a store in Karachi that offers everything this store does. Other upscale groceries tend not to have as wide a variety of local goods due to space considerations. Groceries like EBCO and My Superstore have the space but haven’t achieved the same delicate balance between everyday and luxury groceries. For example, Farid’s has a far more extensive cheese section than either EBCO or My Superstore, and it is the only one that stocks Lloyd Grossman’s Pasta sauce as well as cheaper varieties.

Prices at all these stores are very similar though Farid’s is keen to point out that it’s prices are more reasonable than Hyperstar for staples like meat and daal. Like Farid’s, Hyperstar does offer more than just groceries, but its inventory of imported goods is not of the same high standard as Farid’s. Add the hangout possibilities at Liberty Books and the mini-food court outside, and it’s clear that Farid’s is set to become very popular indeed.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets@karachista

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

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The Google generation of school kids needs a radically different set of skills. While you or I might remember trawling through encyclopedias or library books to complete school projects, generation X, Y and beyond, of course, seek answers online. Even ignoring the issue of inappropriate sites that pop up for innocent key words, they soon realize not all websites are equally reliable. Search engine optimisation techniques used by commercial sites mean that the top sites resulting from a search may be sites looking to sell you something or earn dollars from clicks. They may be sites pushing a particular agenda and may not be impartial. Students have to learn at a much earlier age to question sources, look for corroborative data and sift through misinformation. In our internet-dependent age, these may be some of the most important skills they learn in school.

Programming is another area that is rapidly becoming more and more mainstream. You may not know how to program a computer, but learning to code may be invaluable to your child. From creative fields such as animation and journalism to supposedly geeky computer science and math, the ability to code will give your child an edge.

Just as writing compositions teaches children multiple skills, writing code develops a variety of aptitudes. Various forms of writing teach students how to organize their ideas, elaborate, synopsise and express themselves. According to MIT professor Mitchel Resnick, learning to code is useful on many levels. “In addition to learning mathematical and computational ideas (such as variables and conditionals), they are also learning strategies for solving problems, designing projects, and communicating ideas. These skills are useful not just for computer scientists but for everyone, regardless of age, background, interests, or occupation,” he says.

MIT is responsible for one of the best programs for teaching children to code. Scratch is a programming language and online community designed to introduce coding to children through simple drag and drop blocks. It can be used to make interactive stories, animations, games as well as a host of other projects. The best schools in Karachi already introduce their children to Scratch as part of their computer classes. Using Scratch is free and easy – you just log onto the website and after watching some simple tutorials even an 8 year old can start doing animations.

There are various other programs and apps available. Hopscotch is a great free iPad app that gives a visual introduction to coding for 8-12 year olds. Stencyl and App Inventor are kid-friendly programming tools that allow users make their own Apps, though Scratch is perhaps the best starting point for newbies.

So what about all the studies that suggest time spent on the internet or playing video games stunts brain development and social skills? The programs that help children learn to code may seem like games, but they are easy to justify as educational experiences. Similarly, blogging is simply great for developing writing, editing and photography skills. What about other computer use? Considering how much socialising takes place digitally nowadays, via smartphones and tablets, it may just be that the social skills required in the future may be somewhat more complex than we realize. furthermore  interactive video games can nurture abilities such as memory, dexterity, forward planning, perseverance and problem solving. Surgeons, for example, play video games to keep their skills sharp. This doesn’t mean that you can park your child in front of any old shoot-em-up game. However, it does mean that even simple entertainers like Super Mario Bros do have their benefits — not least of which is giving your child something to talk about in the playground. No one wants to be the kid that doesn’t have a clue about something that all his or her friends are talking about.

With issues such as cyber bullying and the prevalence of porn online, parents definitely have to monitor their children’s computer usage. However, they must be aware that their children are growing up in a digital environment. They need visual analytical skills that were unnecessary a generation ago. When we were growing up we never dreamt of the likes of Facebook or YouTube. Our children are similarly preparing for a future that neither they nor we can imagine. While reading, art, music and sports are as important as ever as pastimes for children, time in front of the computer shouldn’t automatically be seen as wasted time.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.blogspot.com and tweets@karachista 

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

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The stylish and charming Corto may not be a household name but designing is in his blood. He is the son of Bottega Veneta founders, Laura and Vittorio Moltedo, and learnt the fundamentals of the craft from a young age during summers at the factory. Bottega Veneta was sold to the Gucci group in 2001 but Corto founded his own label in 2004, a label that reflects his own flamboyant and quirky personality.

Corto is a favourite of fashion savvy celebrities including Sonam Kapoor, Sienna Miller, Jade Jagger and Paris Hilton. A heady mix of bling, quality and style, Corto’s clutches are crafted in luxurious crocodile leather, goatskin, nappa (lambskin), suede or ostrich leather. For this trunk collection Corto chose to display mainly evening bags, keeping in mind the upcoming party and wedding seasons.

The trunk collection consisted of a selection of his Susan clutches, a staple of Corto’s brand – the canvas for huge variety of designs. At his boutiques in Paris and Milan, it is not unusual to see up to a hundred versions of the Susan on display.

There were two distinct classes of clutch in the collection. The Susan Shock is relatively minimalistic with four signature gold squares and was available in various interesting textures. The rest of the collection was gloriously blingy, perfect for pairing with either Eastern wedding wear or Western evening dresses. Inspired by everything from cityscapes to peacocks, the clutches make a bold style statement.

PHOTO: AYESHA MIR/EXPRESS

Corto describes his personality as southern rather than northern, warm rather than cool, sun rather than mountain. This very Italian description perfectly fits his vibrant expressive persona and explains why his designs are so different from the minimalist approach of his parents’ label, Bottega.

Corto is definitely a niche luxury label. Only the best materials are used and the quality is superb. A mere eight to 12 pieces are made of each design. The stock never goes on sale and isn’t stocked by any wholesalers or multi-brand stores. Only sold through private viewings and through Corto’s own website and boutiques, the brand is clearly aiming for exclusivity.

He has a clear idea of the type of woman he is designing for. “She is cosmopolitan and independent-minded. She’s a connoisseur and expects the highest quality. Vivacious and fashion-conscious, she prefers to set trends rather than following them,” he says.

Corto has taken his private viewings all over the world. He’s had trunk shows in Geneva, Dubai, Delhi, Jakarta, Singapore, China and all over the Middle East. It’s an interesting marketing technique and probably a smart one for a relatively young brand making its mark on luxury scene.

Pernia Qureshi who introduced Corto in India agrees, saying, “Corto makes some of my favourite clutches and his niche brand has developed quite a following in India. It takes time to introduce a new luxury label to a market, for customers to get used to the brand. It’s not a brand for everyone and so you cannot market it in the way you would market Louis Vuitton, for example.”

Pernia is stylist to stars such as Sonam Kapoor and has styled her in films like Aisha. She first met Corto through mutual friends, when Vogue asked her to host a dinner and a trunk show for him in Delhi. They’ve been friends ever since. Knowledgeable and chic, Pernia has a fantastic eye for fashion and her endorsement is highly prized.

At the viewing, she paired a purple Susan Shock with stunning Anamika Khanna Couture cape. Her mother Nasreen Qureshi chose an embellished clutch to complement her Dior Couture outfit.

Labels was a smart choice for the trunk show. Zahir Rahimtoola brought together a great selection of Karachi’s high society movers and shakers. This is the crowd that routinely carries Bottega, Alexander McQueen and the highly covetable Marchesa clutches. Corto’s eclectic clutches found some definite fans while others preferred the style of more renowned brands. Corto may not be for everyone, but he’s a designer who’s going places. Karachi’s luxury fashion elite enjoyed the chance to see him in their hometown – for a few short hours, Karachi seemed less of an international fashion backwater.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.com and tweets @karachista

Published in The Express Tribune, September 5^th, 2013.

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KARACHI: Fancy a night out at the movies? The cinema has become one of Karachi’s favourite past-times in recent years. With the opening of Nueplex in Phase 8, Karachi now has four family-friendly premium cinemas. But how do they compare and which offers the best experience to movie-goers?

Cineplex

The first premium family cinema in Karachi, Cineplex, opened in 2005. However, it is now in  dire need of refurbishment. One cinema-goer described the experience as being like going to see a movie in someone’s basement home theatre.

Location: Seaview, Defence near The Village Restaurant

No. of Screens: 5

Ticket Price: Rs400

Pros

Convenient for Clifton and Defence, Cineplex is not that busy. The more popular cinemas have a higher turnover of movies, shunting even popular films to bizarre screening times very quickly. Cineplex is good for catching films that you’ve missed elsewhere.

Cons

The seats are poky and the screens are fairly small — you’ve had it if someone tall sits in front of you. Cineplex has no 3D screens and apparently, also periodically has electricity problems. It also has only one exit and no cell signals, which isn’t great from a security point of view.

Verdict: Only worth going if you’ve exhausted all other options, and maybe not even then..

Atrium Cinema

Location: At Atrium Mall in Saddar, close to Zainab Market

No. of Screens: 3 

Ticket Price:

Rs350 Cinemas A&B (Rs450 for 3D)

Rs450 Cinema D (Rs550 for 3D)

The first 3D Cinema in Karachi, Atrium, has been a runaway success ever since it opened. Despite a less than ideal location and a sometimes dodgy crowd, Atrium is most people’s first choice in premium cinema.

Pros

Atrium has roomy seats and large screens. It has excellent 3D, a great ambience and clean bathrooms. Last but not least, it has the best popcorn in town.

Cons

Atrium’s biggest downside is its terrible location. While convenient for both Defence/Clifton and the KDA side of town, Atrium has minimal parking and awful valet service. The mall and cinema attracts a very mixed crowd, and women by themselves are prone to getting ogled at by packs of young men. Atrium is also a victim of its own success. It has only three screens and limited capacity, so getting seats is difficult and can involve repeated trips to the mall. The telephone booking system tends to get inundated quickly and hence, is unreliable.

Verdict: The best overall movie experience in town, but location and limited capacity are both issues.

Cinepax

Located in Clifton, Cinepax is convenient for the Defence/Clifton crowd. Smaller than Atrium and Nueplex, Cinepax aims for a more luxurious experience with premium screens, recliner seats and quality snacks.

Location: At Ocean Mall, Clifton near 2 Talwar

No. of Screens: 3

Ticket Price:
Silver Screen Rs450 (Rs600 for 3D)

Gold Screen Rs750

Platinum Screen Rs1,000 (Rs1,200 for 3D)

Pros

Cinepax has a great location and huge snack selection including burgers and fries. It offers recliner seats and blankets to counter the chill factor in the premium screens. It has lovely bathrooms and is the only cinema to offer online booking. It’s perfect for a girls’ night out due to location and crowd quality.

Cons

Screens sizes aren’t huge and the 3D, while good, is not as great as Atrium and Nueplex. The seats in the silver screen are not very comfortable. The escalators to the cinema are not conveniently placed, which is annoying as the lift service is sporadic. You can sometimes hear movies in adjoining cinema halls, and low capacity means it’s difficult to get seats. Crucially, many people have complained the popcorn is always stale.

Verdict: Great location, but silver screen should be better. The premium screens offer a better experience but are pricey if you go the movies often. Thankfully, Cinepax say they’ve fixed the popcorn — stale popcorn ruins movie night.

Nueplex

Nueplex is part of The Place, a dedicated entertainment complex that has just opened in Phase 8. It has a huge capacity and state-of-the-art equipment.

Location: Phase 8, Defence

No. of Screens: 5

Ticket Price:

Rs500 Cinema 1-4 (Rs600 for 3D)

Rs1,000 Royal Screen (Rs1,250 for 3D)

Pros

Nueplex has huge screens, a good 3D system, efficient telephone bookers and an attractive ambience. The royal theatre offers food service, a dedicated waiting area and recliner seats. The popcorn is delicious.

Cons

The bathrooms are clean but very small. Nueplex is the priciest of the cinemas, for everything from tickets to snacks. It is very far for those not living in Defence, and is in a quite unpopulated area. The standard cinema seats are just a tad less comfy than Atrium.

Verdict: It is a little far for those who don’t live in Defence, but in terms of screen size and overall cinematic experience, it is only rivaled by Atrium.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.com and tweets@karachista

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2013.

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Pernia may be just 28, but she has swept onto the Indian fashion scene like a force of nature. She moved back to India in 2008 after post-graduation stints at the hottest fashion mags in New York, and then worked with the likes of Tarun Talhiani and JJ Valaya. But what really made India sit up and take notice was when she styled the 2010 film Aisha. Pernia dressed star Sonam Kapoor in Dior and Chanel, and her unique cosmopolitan high fashion aesthetic has been in the limelight ever since. Within a few short years, she has proved that she is a game changer and is shaping up to become one of the most powerful women in Indian fashion.

Not content with being among India’s most contemporary stylists, Pernia launched her online Pop-Up Shop about a year and half ago. It was an almost overnight success, and has seen exceptional growth in the last year.  The carefully curated e-store offers an appealing mix of India’s well-known brands and emerging designers. It’s the only luxury e-commerce portal in India, stocking the likes of Manish Malhotra, Sabyasachi and Rohit Bal. The portal has also championed relative newcomers such as Atsu Sekhose and Shehla Khan.

Pernia readily admits to being heavily influenced by Net-a-Porter, as she says, “They were the pioneers of luxury e-commerce and have paved the way for everyone else.”

This season Pernia loves — capes by Anamika Khanna, Dhoti shalwars worn with blazers and the retro trend for printed saris.

Pernia’s Pop-up Shop is certainly as well put together as Net-a-Porter. The clothes are expertly photographed and displayed in the same way. The front and back of each outfit is shown on a model as well as by itself, with the option to zoom in on details. This is a huge improvement over the “garment on a dummy” style of photograph found on most e-stores.

One of the major strengths of the store is its well-selected stock. Merchandisers shortlist options, along with Creative Director Edward Lalrempuia (former fashion editor of Vogue India), but it is Pernia who has the final say on what goes in or out.

Pernia’s site also offers a huge range of fabulous accessories, ranging from clutches to jewellery. The site has an excellent magazine and also offers the chance to shop celebrity style based on pictures of Bollywood stars. The shop’s return-policy is not as robust as Net-a-Porter’s legendary customer-friendly policy but in other respects, it is an excellent venture.

Pernia was recently in Pakistan for a family wedding and she reveals that she has a strong Pakistani customer base — those residing in the country as well as overseas Pakistanis. She speaks about her love for Pakistani fashion.

“I have so many Pakistani designers in my wardrobe. My personal favourites include Misha Lakhani, Faiza Samee, Elan by Khadijah Shah, Kami, Bunto Kazmi and Nasreen Humayun Sheikh,” says the stylist.

Currently, Ayesha Khurram is the only Pakistani designer Pernia stocks at her online store but she confirmed she is looking to add more designers. “Misha Lakhani and Elan are at the top of my list of must-haves!”

For Pakistanis looking for Indian fashion, she recommends Atsu, Anamika Khanna, Abu Sandeep, Frou Frou and Arpita Mehta. According to Pernia, all these designers do simple feminine clothes that should appeal to the Pakistani aesthetic.

Asked about which international designers she loves, Pernia says, “Ever since I started the store, I’ve come to realise the incredible depth of Indian fashion and what great local designers we have. These days my store is my closet and there are so many great clothes, I really don’t need to look elsewhere. Shoe-wise, I couldn’t give up my Manolos or Brian Atwood but for clothes, I’m spoilt for choice.”

Pernia is everything you’d want in a stylist. She’s up to date with the latest trends, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of what different fashion designers are doing this season. She is full of ideas of how to wear different trends and how to create looks for just about any event. Thanks to Pernia’s Pop-up Shop, her expertise is just a click away.

Oxford-grad Salima Feerasta is a social commentator and lover of style in any form or fashion. She blogs at karachista.com and tweets
@karachista

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

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