ISLAMABAD: On one ramp, you could see a bridal collection followed by resort wear, then a line of edgy tuxedos.
There are veteran designers who have become household names and whose aesthetics can be spotted and recognized, but there is also a new crop.
These new brands focus on wearability, contemporary cuts and aesthetics, but there is also a significant amount of thought put into the business of fashion and understanding changing clientele. Speaking to rising stars in the industry, Arab News got an insight into how they are changing it.
“At the core of Zuria Dor designs is the focus on the millennial generation,” said Madiha Latif, half of the creative team behind the brand with Kinza Latif.
“As millennials ourselves, the designs project what we think would be appreciated by our generational peers: Modern, independent, driven women who are set to rule the world.”
Hamza Bokhari, creative head of Jeem, also sought to design for the modern Pakistani lady.
“My design philosophy revolves around this present-day woman who is deeply rooted in her culture and heritage,” he said. “It’s an amalgamation of old-world craft and modern relevance.”
Rehar, who runs his eponymous label 'Hussain Rehar', joined the fashion world at Elan after graduating from fashion design school.
His philosophy is “creating distinctive and new designs in their own nature by setting new trends and providing the fashion industry with a taste of individualism.”
Rehar said: “It’s very important for a designer, or anyone for that matter, to progress, to keep on improving.”
He added: “The fashion industry is all about innovation. You have to innovate to make a mark, or else you just blend in and lose your identity. Change is what drives and fascinates people to invest.”
Bokhari said: “I started about five years ago. At that time, Pakistan was going through a transitional phase from couture to affordable luxury.”
He added: “Retail is a very integral part of any fashion business, which also in a way helps you with the couture side of it.” The Latifs prefer to be described as engineers rather than designers. “Engineers are trained to be problem-solvers, drivers of change, long-term planners, constant learners, systematic and technology driven,” said Madiha.
“Many boxes need to be ticked for the brand’s vision to become a reality, but we want to spearhead systematic improvement on the design and manufacturing fronts. Who better to do it than individuals with formal training in engineering?”
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Pakistan’s new designers bet on wearability, modern relevance
Pakistan’s new designers bet on wearability, modern relevance
Lebanese singer Fayrouz’s second son dies just months after his brother
- Hali Rahbani’s passing described as ‘painful loss’ to family
- Elder brother, composer Ziad, died in July last year
LONDON: Hali Rahbani, the son of renowned Lebanese singer Fayrouz and her late husband, composer Assi Rahbani, has died at the age of 68.
Lebanon’s Minister of Information Paul Morcos announced the news on X. He described it as a “painful loss for a family that has given Lebanon and the world an invaluable artistic and humanitarian legacy.”
Rahbani’s death comes less than six months after his brother, Ziad, the acclaimed composer and playwright, died at the age of 69.
Hali, who had physical and intellectual disabilities, was confined to a wheelchair and was cared for by his mother. He was last seen in public in July at his brother’s funeral in Beirut, which was attended by thousands of mourners.
Fayrouz, 91, had four children with Rahbani. The elder of her two daughters, Layal, died in 1988 at the age of 29. Her second daughter, Rima, born in 1965, is an artist and singer.
The Rahbani family were key figures in Lebanon’s golden era of musical theater from the late 1950s to 1975.
