Lawn and order: Designer campaigns that caught our attention this season

Here are 10 designer campaigns that caught our attention this season

LAHORE:

So it’s that time of the year again; the season to don lawn. Love it or hate it, it’s about to take over and is here to stay, at least throughout the summer.

When it comes to lawn, genuine innovation is rare since the target market is vast. However, the need to attract the wandering eyes of today’s distracted consumers is nevertheless essential.

This year’s lawn spell has prompted some interesting moves that brands have sought to stand out from the crowd. As the lawn czars go head-to-head, we give you a rundown of 10 campaigns that piqued our interest.

Zara Shahjahan



Shahjahan’s lawn has already been released and was quite a success. The campaign, helmed by Abdullah Haris, featured ethnic designs such as block prints and ajraks offset by florals. “The campaign is about being true to your identity, especially because lawn is a Pakistani phenomenon and we wanted to keep it that way. This is why we shot in Cholistan, Pakistan,” she says. While a collection being sold out might be a good thing, Shahjahan has also drawn the ire of her customers for not being able to meet the excess demands. Syra Shahroz modelled for the shoot.

FTA for Crimson

After a series of teasers and first-looks, the brand finally unveiled its model Sanam Saeed’s face. “We chose Sanam because she embodies everything that the Farah Talib Aziz (FTA) woman strives to have. Besides being beautiful, she has the most striking personality,” says Crimson Creative Head Maliha Aziz. Also helmed by Haris, their shoot took place at a white mansion under topsy-turvy chandeliers, in the presence of a host of animals including puppies, cats, rabbits, and even a white cockatoo. Playing on their feminine aesthetic, Crimson’s shoot was whimsical yet playful. The collection will launch on March 28.



Maria B

Maria B managed to get the Mann Mayal couple of Maya Ali and Hamza Ali Abbasi on board for her campaign. “They are the hottest [on-screen] couple in Pakistan at the moment and since Maya is our brand ambassador for 2016, we thought it would really add more oomph to the brand if we get them both for the shoot,” mentions Maria. With the additional brownie points of getting Maya and Hamza on board, Maria’s lawn will hit the stores on March 31.



Sana Safinaz

Launching on March 21, the designer duo’s lawn collection has the model of the moment, Amna Babar, on board. “The idea was to portray Amna shooting for a film in Cholistan and us catching the live action,” shares Safinaz Muneer. With Guddu Shani helming the shoot, the team has also recorded a TVC for which Ali Zafar has provided the soundtrack.



“Every year we try to do something different with weaving techniques such as different jacquards, burn-outs, chikankari and of course, embroidery. Nearly everyone has done soft tones with digital but we have done the opposite so that should make us stand out,” she claims.

Nilofar Shahid



The designer shot with Mehreen Syed and Ather Shahzad for her first lawn line that launched on March 18. “Mehreen always shoots for Ittehad but she was also the showstopper for my ‘Rembrant’ collection at Fashion Pakistan Week last year hence she was my first choice,” shares Nilofar. About Ather she says, “I have worked with his team in the past and we go way back. They have immense knowledge of styling and capturing lawn shoots.” Nilofar showed glimpses from the lawn collection on the fourth day of the recent PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week (PSFW).

Ali Xeeshan



For his first lawn shoot in collaboration with Warda Prints, Ali took an unconventional route. He made the pale-faced beauty, Naja Rajput, wear coats, voluminous skirts and big sleeves with interesting props such as kettles and paintbrushes in the background. In fact, the images acted as springboards for digital conversations where people  discussed how lawn doesn’t have to be mundane. Although aware that this might not work for him commercially, Ali feels it is his way of generating interest around lawn. With another shoot scheduled for the upcoming week, the collection will be out on March 26.

Élan



Élan flew to Marrakech, Morocco with the dusky Indian beauty, Nidhi Sunil, for the shoot. Set to release on March 19, the collection’s photography has been carried out by Nadir Firoz while Team NFK partner Maha Burney was in charge of creative direction and styling. The photoshoot incorporated strong cultural and historical elements of the city and Sunil herself looks exotic and ethnic against the scenic backgrounds.

Shehla Chatoor



For Chatoor’s first lawn in collaboration with Shariq Textiles, she chose to fly in Nargis Fakhri for a shoot in Phuket that was helmed by Shahbaz Shazi. “It’s signature Shehla lawn with something for all age groups. You will see glimpses of ‘Soigne’ in my baroque and renaissance designs, Oriental influences from my ‘Chinoiserie’ collection, Japanese influences from ‘Misaki’ and Persian paisleys from my signature bridal and Eastern luxury prêt,” she says. The line is set to launch sometime in April.

Zainab Chottani and Faraz Manan

Zainab Chhotani

Zainab and Faraz share a spot for continuing with the same faces of their brands, Jacqueline Fernandez and Kareena Kapoor respectively. While campaign-wise the two have played it safe, they have an obvious flair for lawn and are expected to do well commercially.

Faraz Manan

Saira Rizwan

Saira flew to Dubai to shoot with Bollywood actor Amy Jackson. The shoot took place at Bab Al Shams and was helmed by Dubai-based fashion photographer, Mazen Abusrour. While it was quite conventional with the fluttering dupattas and the fair-skinned model, it was nonetheless enthralling.



Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2016.

Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.