KARACHI: Maria B. has been designing lawn for the past seven years, but has decided to re-launch her brand for the first time this year with a formal exhibition. Titled Maria B. Lawn 2013 by Reshma Tex, the launch took place on Friday in Karachi, with simultaneous launches in India, Bangladesh, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and UK.
“Dull colours are meant for winters and summer means bright colours,” said Maria, referring to the vibrancy of her latest collection. “Lawn for me has always been comfortable, trendy and affordable; its purpose is defeated when there are panels of embroidery and kora dabka.” In this collection, she has incorporated minimal embroidery on the necklines and simple brooches. “For me, wearing lawn means being comfortable in the sun,” she added.
When asked why she finally decided to officially showcase her work in the lawn race, she said, “It’s all because of the distributors — they wanted me to realise how marketing can do wonders for a brand.” She admits that while she didn’t hold exhibitions in the past, she now understands their worth. Her outfits have been inspired by Ottoman designs and sunflowers.
“We’ve seen more disasters than successes,” she continued, talking about collaborations between textile mills and designers. “You need to understand what retail is — not just for select elite but for the masses; and an understanding of the ready-to-wear business is also required.” She feels some people in this industry have no experience and are still designing lawn. “You have to cater to a large clientele; designing lawn with the wearable phenomenon in mind is important,” she added.
Saima Azhar is the face of the brand. “I opted for her because Maria is a close friend as well as because of the great colour combinations and variations she has used in her lawn,” said Azhar.
However, not all were left impressed with the exhibition. “These are the usual prints that I find almost everywhere; there is nothing new about them,” said one lawn lover Sana Sonjia, who was present at the exhibition, adding that some designs should have been different. But for housewife Bushra Ali, Maria B. is relevant. “It’s for every age group and I like it,” said Ali.
After launching her collection in five countries, Maria said that her next destination is Malaysia ,which she hopes to tackle by next year.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 4th, 2013.
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