Arsalan Iqbal and Yahseer Javed, the men behind eastern menswear label Arsalan & Yahseer, have made an unfaltering decision to go their own ways. The brand is known for vibrant, eclectic and contemporary collections. “He [Arsalan] brought me down to earth and made me think on rational grounds. I learnt well from this experience,” says Yahseer. It was Arsalan who established the brand in 2011 and he is now going solo with his new label, Arsalan Iqbal.
Speaking about the now defunct label Arsalan & Yahseer, Yahseer admits the two gelled well together and that there was great working chemistry between them. Arsalan was the label’s CEO and chief designer while Yahseer looked after the business side of the equation — sometimes contributing to the design aspect as well. “Arsalan is creative and not scared of trying out anything new. He was always able to pull off whatever he imagined,” says Yahseer, praising Arsalan.
After winning numerous accolades for their contributions to fashion weeks, unfortunately the duo has now split. They brought out a collection called Rangeen which consisted of hand-painted and block-printed shalwar kameez; at the Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) 2, they presented their Coloresque collection; at the Islamabad Fashion Week last year, they presented their Modern Sindh collection; and recently at the FPW5, they showcased their Spectacle Blanc collection which was an ode to the Valley of Kashmir.
“We are just making a rational decision to move ahead in life to achieve our separate goals,” says Arsalan, adding that the decision to part ways was mutual. Apparently, Yahseer couldn’t handle the pressure of dealing with clients and handling the business. “It was getting on his nerves. Finally, on a Sunday night, he said, ‘Please jaane dey yar [Let’s just forget it now]’,” says Arsalan.
Now that Arsalan will be running the label without Yahseer, should customers expect something new? “It’s Iqbal instead of Yahseer. Nothing else changes — business, clients, ethos, values, target market and business model will all remain the same,” says Arsalan optimistically. To finalise the deal, a dramatic scene took place at a local restaurant — the contract between Arsalan and Yahseer was torn to pieces.
The aim was to establish a trendy, bold, modern and wearable menswear line. With his new label, Arsalan hopes to continue with this ideology. His main obstacles will be managing his team on his own as well as hiring a couple of fashion design graduates. Yahseer, on the other hand, has joined a well-known designer label as its creative director, but did not wish to disclose further information.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 27th, 2013.
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