Who will make it big during the 2016 lawn season?

This season will see likes of Shehla Chatoor debut with old players Sana Safinaz and Faraz Manan expected to lead

KARACHI:

Where the rest of the country is up in warm clothes during this part of the year, designers and textile mills start planning for the huge lawn season as early as December. They get busy preparing something special for women who want to look at their very best during summer.

The Express Tribune spoke to the stakeholders and experts in the lawn business to get a sneak peak of what lies ahead for the spring/summer season and who is possibly going to rule the market this time around. Farrukh Mian, owner of Textile Links Limited and a leading lawn consultant, said that big names of the business will maintain their stronghold.

“We will see Sana Safinaz once again as a market leader,” Mian told The Express Tribune. “Besides that, Maria B. is aggressively developing her campaign for this season. Next in line are Asim Jofa, Faraz Manan and Khadija Shah.”



Designer Faraz Manan is expected to bring forth his collection in the beginning of March. Bollywood diva Kareena Kapoor has been chosen as the muse for Faraz Manan lawn for the third consecutive year. He plans to bring forward a total of 28 designs this year, working not only with his signature light hues, but with added stress on bold colours.

The nation’s beloved designer lawn and luxury pret brand Sana Safinaz plans to unleash their much-anticipated collection mid-March. “As always, we are very excited about it. Lawn is a big deal for us”, shared Safinaz Muneer, elaborating the reasons why women just can’t seem to get enough of their label. “We give consistent quality to the wearer, and the best product to the public quality-wise, be it the embroideries, colour combination or even our signature pure Chiffon dupattas.”





Mian also foresees list of top textile mills that are expected to lead the industry. “Khaadi will be the first in the row, to be followed by Sapphire, J Lawn, AlKaram and Gul Ahmed,” One wonders why Gul Ahmed, once the forerunner of the industry does not top his list, “People are not keen on too many florals this season. Also, I think less colourways play a significant role in cashing on a design. Instead of ten, one should not buy more than four!”

One of the most sought-after luxury pret and bridal couture designers of Pakistan, Shehla Chatoor, is set to make her debut in the lawn industry this year. With her reputation of edgy, statement-making designs, one can expecst her collection to make waves.

She has collaborated with Shariq Textile Mills and her collection will launch towards the end of March, with as many as seven to 10 colourways. “This was a first time; therefore it’s a learning curve for me. I know what people want from the brand Shehla — luxury, craftsmanship and quality. It’s for the public, and for once I am able to turn my brand into a mass product,” said Shehla.

“It’s a challenge that I have undertaken. Also I want to see how the masses will respond to the collection. When you buy Shehla lawn, there is just not lawn, but Shehla Luxury in a bag!”

Always in the news, Designer Tabassum Mughal plans on launching 12 designs with two colourways towards the end of March or the beginning of April. Mughal made her lawn debut in 2015, gaining a large fan following. “I was busy in other projects so there’s a little delay in bringing out my lawn this year,” Mughal told The Express Tribune. “ I know the tsunami is just going to begin soon. It’s not a threat, but pure, healthy competition that I am looking at. It keeps everyone on their toes.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7^th, 2016.

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