Maheen Karim on elegance, femininity and high street fashion

KARACHI: 

Maheen Karim entered the fashion world in 2006, but had decided she would become a fashion designer much earlier on. “Since I was 13, I wanted to design. From a relatively young age, I wanted to enter this field. So I opted for Saint Martins College of Art and Design and pursued a degree in Fashion Design and Marketing,” she said, in an interview that took place at her Clifton residence.

Karim said she was never interested in men’s wear. “For me, women’s wear has a lot to do with timeless elegance, something that you can call ‘mature fashion’. Women’s wear has to have a very sophisticated style.”

Her design philosophy, according to her, is largely defined by her idea of femininity. “I have never followed trends per se. I would rather choose an elegant woman over a trendy one,” said the designer. “She should sport a feminine and sophisticated look. I design in a way that makes women feel very feminine.”

Karim, who has a successful career to boast, had a story to tell when asked why Oscar-winning film-maker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy preferred to wear an outfit designed by her at the Gucci Award for Women in Cinema at the 69th Venice International Film Festival last year. “We are childhood friends and went to Karachi Grammar School together. Since our school days, both of us were termed as ambitious,” recalled Karim. “It’s very kind of her to remember me and to take me along this path. I styled the outfit she wore at the Venice Film Festival, and also wore a tailcoat that I designed when she was receiving an award from the president of Pakistan,” added Karim adding that Obaid-Chinoy owns the largest collection of her outfits.

All set for launching her prêt collection in collaboration with Bonanza, Karim said, “I believe that runway clothes should be on the shelf, where they are available for everyone. Zahir Rahimtoola said he was sure his wife Sheherzad would love to wear my clothes too,” she said, referring to the CEO of Labels. The designer revealed that Shezray and Shehrnaz Husain of The House of Ensemble also encouraged her to step into the high street market and said they would love to wear her clothes from the runway. “With my deal with Bonanza, I am now offering designer wear for high street fashion. It’s just what Kate Moss did for Topshop or Karl Lagerfeld did for H&M!”

With a price tag of Rs3,000 and above, Karim said that she is launching her prêt wear for the common man.

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

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Welcome to Veena land: Kisses, publicity and world records

MUMBAI: Controversial actress Veena Malik got kissed 137 times in one minute by 41 males and broke actor Salman Khan’s world record of 108 kisses on Wednesday.

She admits it is for the sake of her upcoming film “The City That Never Sleeps”.

Forty one men, chosen through a contest, participated in the world record on Veena’s birthday. These men had come for auditions of Veena’s upcoming movie.

“I am a celebrity anyway and if you say that it is for publicity, ok, yeah, we need publicity for ‘The City That Never Sleeps’,” Veena said here Tuesday after breaking the earlier record set by Salman Khan of 108 kisses.

“We have to break 20 records for the film and this is one of the records,” she added.

In 2011, Salman had got 108 kisses in a minute on a TV reality show “Guinness World Record – Ab India Todega”.

“Long back we decided that I will break this record on my birthday and now we have to break 19 more records for ‘The City That Never Sleeps’,” Veena said.

“So if you call it publicity, then yes, it is for publicity. Films are for what? For publicity, right?”

When she was asked which Bollywood actor she wants to kiss on the screen, she said: “I would like to kiss the actor who does not like kissing on-screen and he is our ‘Dabangg’ Khan Salman Khan. I think that would be beautiful if we have a kiss on-screen.”

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For Sharmila, Cupid struck in a cabinet meeting

KARACHI: 

When news channels repeatedly broadcast the news of PPP leader Sharmila Faruqi having found her “jeewan saathi” last week, I immediately rang her up to get an up close and personal account of how it all happened.

Sharmila’s baat pakki ceremony had already taken place on Sunday evening, so when I landed up at her residence on Tuesday afternoon, the marigolds and gladiolas from the event were still sprinkled across the lawn. At the entrance, I was greeted by the lovebirds themselves.

“Meet the groom-to-be,” Sharmila said brightly, as she gazed lovingly at her fiancé, 30-year-old Hashaam Riaz Sheikh. While Sharmila wore a simple shalwar kameez, Sheikh looked more formal in a crisp white shalwar kameez with a waistcoat, explaining that he was headed to the airport. The two murmured softly to each other as we went inside the house; the chemistry between them was electric. They sat close together and even exchanged a quick peck. They also shared that they have the mutual nickname ‘Beezw’ for each other.

“She is the love of my life,” Sheikh confessed, but then corrected himself. “The president is the first love of my life! Sharmila is the second and she has to compromise on that,” he laughed, adding that he has been trying to make her “a little more romantic”.

Sheikh explained that he used to be an investment banker on Wall Street, but that he currently lives in Islamabad and works as an adviser to President Asif Ali Zardari. The two met for the first time at a cabinet meeting in October 2010. Two months later, Sharmila was given a Human Rights Award by the president for which she had to fly out to Islamabad, and the two met again. They decided to go out for dinner, and even recalled how they had played Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s Main Tenu Samjhawan Ki in the car on their way to dinner and back. The die-hard Rahat fans are so addicted to the song, they invited Rahat to their baat pakki ceremony and requested that he sing it three times.

“What makes us click is that we are so alike,” said Sharmila. “Our families suffered a lot in the times of Nawaz Sharif and Musharraf,” she continued. “That’s how we relate to and understand each other.”

Sharmila is an only child and Hashaam has three other siblings, but she says that he understands the feeling of being alone as he lived in the US for nine years. “He loves me for who I am — my virtues as well as my vices,” she said, as Sheikh left the house to catch his flight. “In the two-and-a-half years that I have known him, Hashaam sahab has stood by me like a solid rock.” She said that he doesn’t refuse her anything, and loves her even if she makes a mistake. “He is an amazing person at heart. For Valentine’s Day, he bought me a red outfit, chocolates and balloons,” she said with a smile, adding that he flew out to Dubai last year when she was there. “I believe that one day, he will buy me the whole world!”

At her event on Sunday, Sharmila wore a heavily embellished black outfit by SanaSafinaz while the groom chose a black sherwani by Deepak Perwani. She admits that she has become brand conscious after meeting Sheikh. “I carry a Louis Vuitton bag because of him as he is a totally ‘branded guy’ — it’s Armani, Gucci, Hermes or Louis Vuitton for him,” she smiled, adding that he has changed her wardrobe entirely. “I could be dressed up casually in jeans but Hashaam sahab is always dressed to kill!”

She goes back to showering him with praise, saying “I can’t seem to find any faults in him — he is such a loving and amazing person. Not many people impress me — I couldn’t have fallen in love with anyone else but him.”

When asked about the  stories surrounding her when she was single, she said she “didn’t bother with them”, adding “One trick is to not respond to these mindless rumours — they eventually subside and that’s how I have kept my sanity intact.”

With Hashaam in Islamabad and Sharmila in Karachi, I wondered where they would eventually settle down. Sharmila said that has not yet been decided. “It all depends on where politics takes us — I take things as they come,” she said. As far as the upcoming elections are concerned, she said she does want to participate in them but that the decision ultimately depends on the PPP. “My political life depends on them and they decide for me but with my personal life, I decide for myself,” she said with a smile.

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

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PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week

With so many fashion weeks taking place in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad these days, it almost seems as if there aremore fashion weeks than there are designers. As a result, quantity is triumphing over quality.

This was the case with Lahore’s PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week at the Expo Centre, which offered only a few memorable collections. The evening ended with a trends show in which all the designers collaborated together on a collection. Toni & Guy’s turbans made from braided hair, Ali Xeeshan and Fahad Hussayn’s extravagant headgear and Muse’s sequined rosette jumpsuit were the highlights of the trends show.

Nickie Nina

Actor-cum-host Juggan Kazim opened Nickie Nina’s military-inspired collection which included embellished blazers, dresses and accessories. Although one would have expected a very rugged feel from their ‘Royal Military’ line, the sister duo was able to add a feminine touch to their outfits. While some of the embellished blazers did not complement the look, it was refreshing to see the fashion house come out with a cohesive collection. What really stood apart were the accessories like the medals, badges and the usage of the crescent and star symbol.

Azza

New York-based designer Azeeza Desai Khan is still a newbie to the Pakistani fashion industry. Her ‘Inheritance’ collection at PFDC was a tribute to her Indian and Afghani roots. Although the quality of embellishments was top-notch, the collection required structure and better quality fabric. Also, western dresses worn over net lehengas did not qualify as an amalgamation between East and West. However, with more seasoning and structure, the designer has the potential to make some spectacular collections in the future.

Tazeen Hasan

Karachi-based designer, Tazeen Hasan’s ‘Evocative’ line was probably one of the most disappointing collections of the evening. With florals, frills, sequins and beading on chiffons, Hasan’s overly embellished outfits with lace and cotton rosettes was a wee bit garish. Even though the sequined drain pipe pants were reminiscent of the Studio 54 era, pairing the pants with pistachio green kameezes with huge white rosettes was overkill.

Muse

Muse has a signature style that can be identified a mile away. Shirts, dresses and jumpsuits were embellished with embroidered zebras, birds and other safari-esque motifs. Every season, the choice of embellishment changes from gota and crystal to zari. Now the designer has shifted focus to sequins.

Mohsin Ali

After Hasan, Mohsin Ali’s Baran-i-Ishq collection took the cake for being one of the biggest misfits of the evening. The lack of design, colour choice and cut seemed as if Ali wasn’t taking PFDC seriously. Most of the designs were ordinary chiffon shirts and angarkha-styledkameezes that had a lot of chata patti work.

Elan

Elan’s ‘Flights of Fantasy’ collection was a breath of fresh air. Known for her work with lace and net, Khadija Shah went for floral patterns on quintessentially oriental cuts. Although flamenco-styled pants and embellished blazers took over the runway, Shah remained true to her love for colour blocking.

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Famous Syrian Actress Sulaf Fawakherji

Sulaf Fawakherji was born on 27 July, 1977. She was born in the city of Latakia Syria. Sulaf studied Art and Sculpture at Adham Ismail Fine Arts. Sulaf Fawakherji is married to Wael Ramadan. Fawakherji became popular on the small screen when she took role in many Syrian soap operas.

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Karachi Council: FPW three opens doors today

KARACHI: 

It took them over two years, a truck load of paperwork and legalities and last minute date and venue changes to finally bring back Fashion Pakistan Week at full throttle.

From April 7 to 10, the council that prides itself for initiating the fashion week culture — popularly referred to as the Karachi Council — hopes to differentiate itself from other fashion events via “content”. The council has certainly managed a coup by getting Bunto Kazmi to open the week alongside other bigwigs like Sana Safinaz and Umar Sayeed plus an assortment of promising young designers like Sanam Chaudhri and Sanam Agha. But while one must wait for the week to unfold to see whether or not FP manages to match the expectations, here’s a sneak peek into what’s in store.

Bunto Kazmi

“Will people stop asking me about my collection,” requests a flustered Bunto Kazmi. “I’m a revivalist not a designer. I make couture, that is made-to-order. How can I design a collection?,” says Kazmi rhetorically. She’s done only four shows in her 30 years of work and despite the fashion explosion in recent times, there is a strong probability that you won’t see her grace the ramp again. “I have had to borrow pieces from my clients to do this show,” asserts Bunto. While she is renowned for her bridals, it is her romance with shawls, tapestries and wall panels that drives her these days. And to prove that she is more than a mere bridal and trousseau designer, she’s showing her interpretation of the Nauroze shawl that captures a Mughal coronation in its regal pomp and glory.

Shehla Chatoor

Till she had showcased at Fashion Pakistan Week two years ago, Shehla Chatoor was a name that fell into the pool of aunties churning beautiful bridals from their home. An array of sexy draped dresses and a showcase later, Chatoor catapulted into fashion fame as a designer with immense dexterity to straddle both the East and the West with equal panache. “I wanted to show both the eastern and the western sensibilities and demonstrate the balance that I have managed to achieve as a designer to do both,” spoke Chatoor of her collection which is aptly titled the ‘Spring Equinox’. While previously Chatoor had steered clear of prints and had opted for solids for her western, luxury pret lines, at FP3 she’s attempting to bring in elements of traditional prints with detailing such as fringes, chains, mukesh, sequins and exotic leather.

Shamaeel

There was hardly a collection as ubiquitous as Shamaeel’s miniature Mughal prints from FP2, which dominated the fashion scene two years ago. From weddings, soirees to even fashion events, there was no escaping that classic-jewelled neckline and Mughal prints that became Ansari’s hallmark.  “The Mughal art is so over now,” dismisses Ansari herself.  “I felt that I needed a departure from what I do without losing my hallmark as a designer. Hence, this time we are taking our signature theme of heritage and mixing it with edgy-cool to showcase a radical collection.” Ansari’s latest collection titled ‘Bouquet’ focuses on spring and is rather fresh in its colour palette and overall look.

Nomi Ansari

On the ramp, he’s known for his flamboyance and theatrics, but off the ramp, you can trust him with a vibrant bridal. But at FP3, Nomi Ansari intends to make a departure from both. “I’m not doing anything avant-garde. All the costumes from previous shows are just hanging in my office,” he says. “This time around, I’m making a very pret-savvy and economical line that can be dressed up or down,” reveals Ansari. The colour palette, however, is very Nomi: a bit of neons and super bright hues for spring.

Baani D

While the sister duo Aneeqa Cheema and Salma Lehsaan have been making funky fusion desi wear for a foreign market for a few years now, FP3 will be their debut show in Pakistan. Their brand, Baani D, focuses on moulding traditional prints such as ajrak according to the demands of a foreign clientele. For their first ramp collection, the duo is taking Fashion Pakistan’s concept of high street to heart and creating lots of separates that retain heritage cuts but are modern enough to be worn on the ramp as well as on the streets. “We’ve got all the provincial signatures together and mixed them for a world fusion,” says Cheema about their collection.

Other designers participating in Pakistan Fashion Week 3

Maheen Khan

Deepak Perwani

Sana Safinaz

Umar Sayeed

Nilofer Shahid

Gulabo

Tapu Javeri

Zaid Bashir (Kuki)

Monsoon

Ahmed Bham

Ayesha Hashwani

Published in The Express Tribune, April 7^th, 2012.

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