Saira, Shakira defend controversial fashion shoot
Designer duo shocked at social media uproar, say concept was far removed from what was perceived
The shoot featuring actor-model Sanam Saeed is titled ‘Call her Diva’. PHOTO: PUBLICITY
LAHORE:
Crimson launched earlier this year with a lawn collection in collaboration with Farah Talib Aziz. However, a collection later, the partnership has been dissolved in hopes to inject fresh blood into the brand. This comes in the form of Lahori designer duo Saira Shakira with a luxury unstitched collection. The year has been an exciting one for them; from launching their first standalone store, to receiving an International Woolmark Prize nomination and now launching their debut luxury unstitched collection.
Like any new design venture, images from the Crimson x Saira Shakira shoot surfaced on social media a week before the launch. The reactions they garned were not very typical in that they came under fire for promoting and glamourising rape culture. Saira Qizilbash defended the shoot with Sanam Saeed by clarifying that their intentions were different from what people interpreted them as.
“We got worked up because we don’t want to spoil our brand image with negative associations,” she told The Express Tribune. "Our concept was so far removed from what it was perceived as. Even though we took down those pictures immediately, they had already gone viral.”
Crimson CEO Anum Akram echoed the designer’s thoughts in this regard. “We wanted to give her [Saeed] the Diva look and there were pictures of airhostesses, ballerinas staring at her as well but two images got called out in isolation,” she explained. “I wouldn’t want people to think that my brand stands for something which is hurtful. People need to be more open-minded towards an artist’s point of view. In Pakistan, every time you try to do something new, you face resistance but that’s how the industry grows. The last thing I would want is creativity to die out because of controversy.” Akram further added that the negative publicity has not affected the brand and they are selling at a faster rate than before; in fact they are almost sold out everywhere.
Admittedly, Saira Shakira’s strength lies in their luxury prêt and that is visible in their out-of-the-box collections at fashion weeks. Their silhouettes are risky and experimental but the duo has managed to establish a distinctive aesthetic.
Qizilbash shared, “We knew we wanted to do something different but lawn and prints isn’t our forte. That’s why getting into luxury unstitched fabric seemed sensible as we are used to working with those fabrics and embellishments.”
However, this begs the question of why Crimson, a fledging brand itself, partnered up with a design house known for its experimental designs after working with Aziz who inherently plays it safe with her design aesthetic?
“Saira Shakira are a great team to work with because they are both technically and formally trained. In fact, they did the detailing and embroidery on the fabric themselves by hand. What we did right was encourage them to not conform and do exactly what they would with their own collection,” shared Akram. The new line features cranes and bold floral embroidery as well as embellishment in the form of sequins and embroidery that also appears on the designers’ usual offerings. The materials used include chiffon, georgette, charmeuse, medium and raw silk and organza.
Since Saira Shakira is known for their silhouettes, it is surprising that Crimson did not take the prêt route, especially since that is part of their future plans. They will, however, be exhibiting stitched versions of this collection at The Boulevard in Dubai. Nonetheless, the designers have their own luxury prêt collections priced upwards of Rs 18,000 so to get a three-piece suit with their design aesthetic at Rs. 11,500 is a steal.
“The high street is constantly innovating so we need to keep up. We want to do collaborations with different designers every season and bring in a different aesthetic and keep the customers constantly excited,” Akram added.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 26th, 2016.
Crimson launched earlier this year with a lawn collection in collaboration with Farah Talib Aziz. However, a collection later, the partnership has been dissolved in hopes to inject fresh blood into the brand. This comes in the form of Lahori designer duo Saira Shakira with a luxury unstitched collection. The year has been an exciting one for them; from launching their first standalone store, to receiving an International Woolmark Prize nomination and now launching their debut luxury unstitched collection.
Like any new design venture, images from the Crimson x Saira Shakira shoot surfaced on social media a week before the launch. The reactions they garned were not very typical in that they came under fire for promoting and glamourising rape culture. Saira Qizilbash defended the shoot with Sanam Saeed by clarifying that their intentions were different from what people interpreted them as.
“We got worked up because we don’t want to spoil our brand image with negative associations,” she told The Express Tribune. "Our concept was so far removed from what it was perceived as. Even though we took down those pictures immediately, they had already gone viral.”
Crimson CEO Anum Akram echoed the designer’s thoughts in this regard. “We wanted to give her [Saeed] the Diva look and there were pictures of airhostesses, ballerinas staring at her as well but two images got called out in isolation,” she explained. “I wouldn’t want people to think that my brand stands for something which is hurtful. People need to be more open-minded towards an artist’s point of view. In Pakistan, every time you try to do something new, you face resistance but that’s how the industry grows. The last thing I would want is creativity to die out because of controversy.” Akram further added that the negative publicity has not affected the brand and they are selling at a faster rate than before; in fact they are almost sold out everywhere.
Admittedly, Saira Shakira’s strength lies in their luxury prêt and that is visible in their out-of-the-box collections at fashion weeks. Their silhouettes are risky and experimental but the duo has managed to establish a distinctive aesthetic.
Qizilbash shared, “We knew we wanted to do something different but lawn and prints isn’t our forte. That’s why getting into luxury unstitched fabric seemed sensible as we are used to working with those fabrics and embellishments.”
However, this begs the question of why Crimson, a fledging brand itself, partnered up with a design house known for its experimental designs after working with Aziz who inherently plays it safe with her design aesthetic?
“Saira Shakira are a great team to work with because they are both technically and formally trained. In fact, they did the detailing and embroidery on the fabric themselves by hand. What we did right was encourage them to not conform and do exactly what they would with their own collection,” shared Akram. The new line features cranes and bold floral embroidery as well as embellishment in the form of sequins and embroidery that also appears on the designers’ usual offerings. The materials used include chiffon, georgette, charmeuse, medium and raw silk and organza.
Since Saira Shakira is known for their silhouettes, it is surprising that Crimson did not take the prêt route, especially since that is part of their future plans. They will, however, be exhibiting stitched versions of this collection at The Boulevard in Dubai. Nonetheless, the designers have their own luxury prêt collections priced upwards of Rs 18,000 so to get a three-piece suit with their design aesthetic at Rs. 11,500 is a steal.
“The high street is constantly innovating so we need to keep up. We want to do collaborations with different designers every season and bring in a different aesthetic and keep the customers constantly excited,” Akram added.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 26th, 2016.