A treat for fashion aficionados, the much awaited couture house Nida Azwer Atelier from Karachi opened its doors to Lahore on Tuesday.
Located at the La Societe building situated on Lahore’s popular retail and eatery hub, MM Alam Road, the store itself is a perfect interpretation of Azwer’s love for opulence and elegance, decked out in minimalistic whites with bold hues of gold by Yousuf Shahbaz of Strata.
Her unique aesthetic has the ability to transport one into an era gone with the age-old interior decoration techniques, forgotten crafts and traditional hues. The period clothes are reminiscent of the Mogul splendour, with motifs of elephants, birds, horses, Mogul characters along with traditional embroidery such as kantha, rilli kantha and other traditional techniques of resham embroidery. All in all, the store is a treat for the eyes — one of the few stores in Lahore where the clothes and the interior are in sync.
The event was attended by the best of the fashion conscious of Lahore, including Khadijah Shah of Élan, Ayesha Jatoi along with her beautiful daughter and the granddaughter of Sehyr Saigol who was also dressed in Azwer’s children’s line.
Azwer has opened her store right across designer Sania Maskatiya’s store, creating a stark competition for her fellow designer from Karachi. Azwer, however is not shaken by the competition owing to her excitement by Lahore’s response.
Designer Nida Azwer says her clientele includes a lot of people from Lahore. PHOTO: PUBLICITY
At the event, ecstatic buyers took no time in grabbing their favourite pieces. Some of them eagerly shopped from the children’s wear racks. An untapped market in Pakistan, it was refreshing to find an entire range of clothes for children at Azwer’s store — that’s what you call a fashion house, where you can find something for everyone. Some of the creations sold like hot cakes.
Azwer, who bagged a number of orders when she displayed her thesis at the Indus Valley School of Arts, has been given a warm welcome by Lahore. “My clientele includes a lot of people from Lahore who have always expressed their desire to be able to view the full collection under one roof in the city,” says Azwer.
The outlet offers the brand’s complete range of women’s wear products, including their coveted prêt line The White Label, stitched Nida Azwer lawn, children’s wear along with formals and bridals. The label’s William Morgan and Morris collection, recently showcased at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week, is also available at the store. Azwer’s latest collection, which she recently showed at the PSFW, is all about prints with very little emphasis on the silhouette.
Designer Nida Azwer says her clientele includes a lot of people from Lahore. PHOTO: PUBLICITY
Azwer is optimistic about getting more exposure, having opened a store in Pakistan’s second largest province. “Opening in Lahore has given me a better access to the craft pool in Northern Punjab, something which is evident in my clothes,” shares Azwer.
The writer is the founder of fashion blog stylestripped.net and tweets @StyleStripped
Published in The Express Tribune, May 9th, 2013.
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