Life & Style

West meets East: Ajrak dresses and embroidered kotis

Paul Smith isn’t the only designer who has taken a liking to our style

Aliza Qaisar January 26, 2016

Paul Smith isn’t the only brand who has taken a liking to our style. PHOTO FILE

KARACHI: In recent times, we have witnessed western fashion taking inspiration from the east. Sometimes, it's a lot more than just inspiration and people end up paying a hefty price for replicas of our local products -- remember the outrage that followed Paul Smith’s sale of the Peshawari chappals for a jaw-dropping price of £300?

PHOTO BLOGS.WSJ

From Paul Smith back to the Khans: Abbottabad brings out ‘Imran’ chappal to push sales

But Paul Smith isn’t the only designer/brand who has taken a liking to our eastern style. Here are some other fashion trends in the west that have taken inspiration from us:

Forever 21 picked up inspiration not just from Pakistan, but from Sindhis in particular, with its own take on ajrak.

PHOTO TWITTER/PINTEREST

Remember Hulk's ajrak? Meet the Pakistani photographer who gifted it to him

Pakistanis took Twitter by storm after the brand showcased their ajrak collection:

@Moiz @tubakhalid @msarosh @farmans_ @ImZeesh forever 21 did one whole line on Ajrak last year.
— Niha Dagia (@nhd00) August 9, 2015

Ajrak short skirts Made in #China @Forever21 !! |#Ajrak #Pakistan #Sindh pic.twitter.com/T1M2ALExsJ
— Kulsoom Ali Syed (@kasyed) May 23, 2015

@forever21 Pakistani Ajrak pattern in #USA 󾌵 http://t.co/ilJwoqrUnA
— Aiza Irfan (@Ayezairfan) July 14, 2015

While some of thee products like the ajrak dress seem tasteful, Urban outfitters went a tab bit far and created cringe-worthy products.

PHOTO TWITTER

@Rabail26 @MonaKhan123 @Forever21 I'm outraged by this Ajrak bikini from Urban Outfitters pic.twitter.com/KodRBJX23e
— Sanam Maher (@SanamMKhi) March 10, 2014

Ajrak bikini - I mean seriously, Urban Outfitters! http://t.co/GNm0eKTc9S via @SanamMKhi
— Yusra Askari (@YusraSAskari) March 13, 2014

The koti aka embroidered waist coat has not only come back in style in Pakistan, but is now on sale for $19.99 at Zara.

PHOTO ZARA

PHOTO: EBAY

Earlier, international design houses mimicked our local dress, shalwar kameez – something Pakistanis have been donning since the Mughal era.

Renowned designers and Hollywood celebrities started wearing “dress over pants"; a look which was received with open arms due to its perfect combination of comfort and style.

'Dress over pants': Rest of the world finally catches on to Shalwar kameez trend

PHOTO FILE

One can now purchase a standard kameez from H&M for just $29.99. However, just as lawn prints drain our wallets in Pakistan, printed dresses are about double the price at $49.99!