With the summer heat setting in, many are on the lookout for a place to pick up ready-to-wear clothes that have ‘that’ edge and are easy on the pocket. On Saturday, Designer Pashmina Ahmed opens up her cozy boutique---Plush---to those hoping for trendy wear for the working woman who wants to look good, but not over the top.
Located in F-7, the boutique is a far cry from your usual boutiques with clothes hanging forlorn and price tags that make the heart tremble. Decorated in white, black and gold, with yellow adding oomph, the small boutique boasts of class, right down to the pink and gold antique telephone resting on a table.
Showcasing her own collection, Ahmed’s pieces are mainly casual and semi-formal, ranging in bright summer yellows, blues, greens and whites, with some polka dotted with silver and gold studs while others are embellished with lace and crocheting. Some of the pieces have the fronts and backs stitched together with different prints and cloth. “I love the collection, it’s so different from the usual stuff we see here…its bold!” said Sana, a visitor at the event.
Speaking to the Express Tribune, Pashmina stated the inspiration for her summer collection and boutique. “Having lived and worked in London, I was always inspired by the boutiques in Notting Hill and Covent Garden and all the quirky one-off pieces they had to offer. Once I moved back to Pakistan, I knew I wanted to create a boutique along a similar concept for the young women of Islamabad. People in this city are fashion forward and in touch with trends abroad but don’t have enough places to go and shop to be able to play around with their own stylistic sense. I want to offer them a place where they can come to buy affordable fashion that’s right off the runways.”
For those looking to accessorise their outfits fashion and jewellery designer Zaiena Haider showcased her jewellery collection at the boutique. Be warned, the collection is not made up of run-of-the-mill designs. It is funky, trendy and extremely bold, which fits hand-in-glove with Pashmina’s clothing range. Having already showcased her work in Dubai, London and the online boutique ASOS.com, this is her first showcase in the capital city. Admiring the jewellery, Zeenia, a visitor, called the line “very gutsy, but perfect to wear with trendy tops.”
Working with mixed mediums of metals, chains, crystals, pure leather and even plastics, Zaiena takes her inspiration from everyday life and all the places she has travelled, as she points out a Hamsa hand pendant that is very popular in the Middle East. “I made my collection for the dauntless girl who is not afraid to experiment,” said Zaiena.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 13th, 2012.
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This very contemporary. It should be encouraged.