Life & Style

Of long boots and fur coats

House of Aphrodite exhibits winter collection in Islamabad

Our Correspondent January 20, 2016

Items included tweed jackets and waist coats along with pants, skirts and dresses. PHOTO: PUBLICITY

ISLAMABAD: High street, multi-brand store from Lahore, the House of Aphrodite, showcased its collection at Ensemble Islamabad on Tuesday. The brainchild of mother-daughter duo, Sumbal and Aunum Hameed, the fashion outlet offers a wide range of merchandise from globally known brands as well as some of the entrepreneurs’ own designs. Sumbal serves at the CEO of House of Aphrodite while her daughter, Aunum is the Creative Director.

Five racks and three tables were stocked with their mix of winter items like fur coats, tweed jackets and waist coats along with pants, skirts and dresses. Some of the unique statement pieces, such as spikey bracelets, rings, fringed and fur-lined bags and clutches were also on display. They also featured footwear — primarily long boots, Uggs and flat shoes.

Keeping up with fast fashion

Much of the items were from the latest collections by prominent international clothiers, namely Zara, Top Shop, Asos, New Look, French Connection, Miss Selfridge, Amande, Biba, Coast, Tia Maria,Oasis,Monsoon, Warehouse, Next, Wallis, Collection and River Island. “We handpick each and every piece from stores abroad so naturally, the fashion style and quality is never compromised,” stated Aunum. Unfortunately, the customer turnout remained slow and it seemed that at least three or four more days were needed for the stock to sell out. Most of the cardigans and wearables were priced within the range of Rs14,000 to Rs18,000 per piece, while accessories cost around Rs2,000 to Rs10,000 per item.

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Nonetheless, the trend of bringing in international retailers and reselling their items locally has been on the rise ever since the advent of social media. Many independent traders have tapped into the market and are offering products through networking websites like Facebook and Instagram. Only time will tell how the House of Aphrodite will survive in this saturating market.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2016.

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