Fashion trends in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

Few people in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and in its capital Peshawar are aware of the latest fashion trends and the way they change and evolve both within and outside the country. One reason for this is that a significant portion of the population of the province lives in rural areas. Fashion trends only reach these areas when they are already going out of vogue from the urban areas and communities.

The other reason for the delay in fashion trends reaching the remote parts of K-P is the province’s socio-economic condition. In addition, cultural barriers and constraints also thwart the adoption of fashion trends. Despite all these obstacles, the K-P Fashion Design and Arts Council (KPFDAC) has initiated efforts to promote fashion in the province.

While the KPFDAC has been working in Peshawar for a long time and has several prominent events to its credit, it has only formally been launched last month. A number of fashion icons from across the country, including Natasha Hussain, attended the launching ceremony. The residents of Peshawar appear to be enthusiastic and happy about the formal launch of the organisation in their city, and are of the view that this could be a good platform to promote the province’s nascent fashion industry. The KPFDAC can also play a part in creating awareness about changing fashion trends in the region. People are hoping that the council will also help incorporate local cultural sensibilities and hues in new fashion trends and designs.

The head of the KPFDAC, Muhammad Waqas Ahmad Khan, has stated that the council will work to dig out hidden talent from the region and showcase its work to the world. According to him, the organisation will facilitate both locals and non-locals to exhibit their work in the province and provide a new market for the country’s fashion industry. The council is hoping to hold a fashion week in Peshawar next month and work for this is in progress.

Despite the enthusiasm surrounding the launch of the council, there is also a school of thought that feels that this latest development will only help foster an elitist culture in the province, specifically in Peshawar. For a journalist like me, however, recent events vis-a-vis the fashion scene provide a new avenue, and media persons of the province are hoping that they will be able to contribute to the fashion editions of their respective media outlets.

Notwithstanding the naysayers, the establishment of the KPFDAC signifies that peace is returning to the province. It also symbolises the widening of entertainment opportunities and cultural events for the residents of Peshawar, and should thus be welcomed.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 12^th, 2016.