The fact that Pakistan is a treasure trove of craft is something we all know. But where these little gems of art are hiding, in which valley or village, how to pluck them out and incorporate them with modern life and its trends, is a Herculean task. “The levels to which urban Pakistan has reached is unfathomable by rural Pakistan,” says the designer Sahar Atif of Saai, who has been working extensively with rural women in an effort to revive traditional embroidery. “To bring these people to the forefront is …

Owing to security concerns, Pakistan’s first Bridal Couture Week, scheduled to take place in Lahore from November 26 to 28 will now be featuring only exclusive fashion shows of bridal couture. The exhibitions of related segments concerned with this industry, which was to be opened to the general public, will no longer be featured in this three-day long celebration.
Bridal Couture Week will give a chance to 18 local and international emerging and renowned designers to display their creations under one roof. Renowned designers and jewellers participating in this event include …

1) The cast of characters
To see the fashion industry gathered together under one roof will be surreal. Both cities, both councils and everyone else besides. There will be supermodels Vinny, Iman and Iraj and Deepak Perwani, …

It’s been 25 years since the fashion industry was first introduced to the phenomenon known as Imran Qureshi. To mark this turning point, we decided to give a bit of a twist to the obligatory interview: we had Imran interviewed by his own choice of journalist. That might not be how most people know famous fashion designer Rizwan Beyg as, but he was in actuality the perfect choice. Not only has he been a much-admired columnist of an English weekly, but he also happens to be great friends with our …

As the heads of India and Pakistan prepare for a meeting in New York that is expected to boost peace talks, a wedding show back home is propelling people-to-people contact — often cited by analysts as the bulwark of any permanent peace deal.
In its sixth year, Bridal Asia is more an India-Pakistan bonhomie forum than deal-snapping trade fair.
“We believe in people and spreading love between them,” smiled Divya Gurwara, who has got a 40-member delegation from across the border at her three-day exhibition at the Indian capital’s Taj Palace Hotel.
“The …

What is power? Who has it? How can you tell? These are questions that have no easy answers. Ask an assertive journalist, and you’ll hear a vehement dismissal of all glamour types and the list of powerful people whittling down to a stodgy industry bigwigs. Ask a starry-eyed showbiz fanatic and you’ll hear a bubbly eulogy for all the hot starlets who in reality would not even have the clout to wangle a solo project. So the dilemma remains.
The solution, as it lit up the bulbs in the minds of …

The next best things are not some secondary alternatives to the real things. These are the real things! They are the next generation of superstars. Perhaps the term “generation” would not be applicable here since the world of showbiz seems to lie in another dimension where time moves a lot quicker and a “generation” often passes in a matter of seconds. After all, as everyone knows, fame is fickle! Not so with this talented bunch. Though they might not be household names yet, each and member of this chosen elite …