Reaching for the moon in the fashion sky

Designer Honey Waqar on latest TBCW collection and plans of opening first flagship store in Lahore

LAHORE:

After making a mark in the fashion realm of Lahore, Honey Waqar has gone on to earn her spurs across the border. The deisgner, who recently put forth her ‘Chand Begum’ collection at Telenor Bridal Couture Week, doesn’t seem to have shied away from reaching for the moon. Following a display that received a warm response, Honey divulges the thought process behind her line, how she established ground in India and her upcoming ventures.

“Inspiration can come from anything beautiful when you start thinking. From a flower to a vase, anything can inspire me,” she said. “Through this collection, I wanted to portray the strength and the beauty of a woman,” she added.



Honey experimented with pitta, marodi and kantha in her collection alongside dabka work and Mukesh motifs. The range boasted embellished shawls with pearls on opulent fabrics, such as French net, silk and tissue. She shared that each of the ramp offerings has a name for them, making it easier for clients to select the outfits.

Honey (C) with showstoppers Mira Sethi and Adnan Siddiqui at TBCW 

Honey shared she may do thorough research ahead of devising her collections but ‘Chand Begum’ was “brought to life via [her] imagination.” She further said, “This collection is for both my daughters, who have truly been a great source of inspiration for me.” On the kind of woman she designs for, she stated, “She has the courage to believe in it and has the will to prove she can fight against all odds. I want to portray the strength and beauty of a woman.”

Keeping her designs as real as possible, Honey stated, “I don’t design clothes that are not wearable. Even my menswear line is subtle and is something a groom would enjoy wearing on his big day.” She added, “The fashion world is not a circus. You need to believe in a philosophy. My emphasis is on the ramp-to-rack transition as far as my collections are concerned.”

In comparison with the Pakistani market, her label has gained a stronger foothold in India. “I have a discreet clientele in Pakistan. But in India, it’s a different story altogether. Bridals have formed a niche market across the border. I was told I shouldn’t listen to people or cater to everyone’s needs, but I feel one must acknowledge everyone’s requests to be successful.”





Honey is the only Pakistani designer who has showcased successively since 2004 at the Indian Bridal Asia Week. “There’s a big industrialist market in India and there are loads of offers from their end. From Delhi to Mumbai to Ludhiana, my clientele is widespread and we try to bring something new from each of these places to Pakistan through our collections.”

Honey holds the fashion industry has evolved over time. “There was a time when models would love to walk the ramp in clothes with different designs and cuts. However, now, even the models shy away from wearing off-shoulder outfits,” she said about what she said is a change of direction in the industry. “Most girls want to present themselves as completely covered on the ramp. This, sometimes, doesn’t show the dress properly on the ramp.”

Honey will open a flagship store in Lahore, Gulberg 2 a month from now. The outlet will stock prêt wear, heavy formals, bridals, menswear and children’s wear. “The aura of the ramp must reflect on the outfits when they are placed on the rack. So, we need to stock a diverse variety of clothes at our studio in Gulberg 2.” For next year, Honey is also gearing up to put together a collection comprising chatta-patti work, shalwars, antique shawls and lungis —  designs she feels are heading back in fashion.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2015.

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