Design and rule

KARACHI: The two words that can cause panic, a mad rush for the ATM and a last-minute look in the mirror to check one’s weight: Sana Safinaz.

The label is synonymous with luxury prêt and elegant bridals, has spawned numerous knock-offs but nothing has come close to matching the label. Whether it is lawn fabric bearing their name or highend ready-to-wear ensembles, the reaction is the same: they attract a flock of fluttering buyers who hover over the racks and sweep everything away. It was the same story at the brand’s launch of its Spring/ Summer collection at Ensemble on Friday night.

With 75 pieces on sale, only a few remained untouched by the end of the night. The rest have found their way into the wardrobes of Karachi socialites, who will wear them to weddings, dinners and charity balls. Spotted at the event were Maheen Khan, Nida Butt, Sadaf Malaterre and Umar Sayeed. Safinaz Munir told The Express Tribune how she felt about the reaction buyers had to the brand’s clothes. “It is very humbling to know that people like our work. Very humbling.” Expansion is next on the designers’ agenda.

The designers plan to open two more stores, in cities that have a sizable desi community - New York and Hong Kong. Sana Safinaz is already stocked at several retail stores worldwide, and this collection is travelling over the next few weeks to those stores. Sana Safinaz also showcased their collection at Fashion Pakistan Week this April. Zeba Husain of the House of Ensemble was all praise for the work of Sana Safinaz. She told The Express Tribune, “It is a brand people love to buy.

This is the fourth exhibition of Sana Safinaz at Ensemble in three years time. It always gets sold out.” Ensemble recently shifted its store location, having been housed for a few years at 76 Old Clifton. When asked whether the traffic to the store has been the same or increased, Husain said, “Well, people find us and visit Ensemble, it is the same crowd that comes here every year. The shift has not changed that. Maybe, had we been (located) on Zamzama, it would have been different!”