In pursuit of inventive novelty
Fashion designer discusses ongoing plagiarism in fashion market and upcoming lawn venture
PHOTO:PUBLICITY
KARACHI:
It’s a safe assumption to make that a gamut of high street stores and mass market retailers have made it quite stress-free and affordable to sustain all the state-of-the-art fashion inclinations. The snare surrounding this ease in following trends is that everyone is wearing the exact same thing and appearing to be replicas of one another. And this is where Mahgul comes into play. The designer - who debuted at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week platform in 2013 - is an enthusiastic patron of couture style but provides her own twist on the fashionista flair.
Why she is worth having on your radar right now? She’s bringing her inimitable panache to summer lawn suits. She’s taken this plunge after years of stirring us with eclectically charged luxe designs. “Lawn, in fact, isn’t new to me. I've been designing it since we started on a small scale, experimenting with original designs and limited edition prints,” clarified Mahgul, adding, “Last year, we were approached for a collaboration on the recommendation of editor Raheel Rao to AL Zohaib; an opportunity and challenge we embraced. For me, it is fascinating to try and create designs for mass audiences. I respect the fabric and I feel there's a wide array of possibilities that one can achieve with lawn, in terms of design."
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Discussing her design philosophy, Mahgul elucidated that “clarity and boldness” is what motivates her ventures. Maybe that’s the very ingredient that ends up setting her lawn apart from the rest of the designer lawn ocean. “I think that is for the end consumer to really decide. From a design perspective, as with everything I do, there's a little bit of artistic intervention and subtle attempts on pushing the lawn as a fabric to create a stronger silhouette that breaks the traditional barrier of the kameez without being too avant-garde,” she insists.
Getting down to the nitty-gritty of her latest collection, Mahgul Lawn for Al Zohaib Textiles consists of 14 unique prints, five of which feature in two distinct colour themes. “I wanted to push myself to create more designs and provide a wider range to people,” she explained. Making a confession, the designer said, “There is a certain insouciant feel in the prints with a down to earth spirit and I hope that comes through in the designs. I have tried not to fuss too much or to reinvent what’s been done for decades but rather, I have aimed to introduce a fresh perspective for S/S 2017 Lawn in terms of colours, layouts and original design.”
As to what drove her to launch incredibly earthy designs that speak to onlookers, she admits, “I've created a process which I call 'design bridges' - each design is based on that. I've tried to meld elements that are distinctly different but through pushing them together, they create a successful form.”
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With a cluster of fashion houses and designers imitating someone else’s artwork, the sense of original geometry and edginess is a rare feat. Deliberating on the growing trend of plagiarism in the fashion business, she insisted, “It has become second nature today to imbibe other people's work and be influenced. The real issue for me is the consumer who is actually okay with buying plagiarised designs. Why isn’t there a stronger demand for originality?”
As to how challenging it is to maintain the sagacity of originality in the competitive market, Mahgul quipped, “Super! To create original designs takes time and time is everything.”
To whether she is open to partnering up with different textile houses - since at the moment she has only teamed up with Al Zohaib, Mahgul confirms, “We look forward to launching this new venture with our partners at Al Zohaib, a textile house that is well respected for quality and who have a reputation for innovation,” adding, “They have a fresh and forward thinking vision for lawn in the future and it fits right in with what we imagine the future of lawn to be. Together, we hope our debut S/S 17 lawn collection introduces a fun and fresh lawn perspective for women.”
Technology has made it a good time to be a designer but ingenuity doesn’t come easy. We hope Mahgul sticks to her authenticity and continues to innovate in her own distinctive fashion.
Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.
It’s a safe assumption to make that a gamut of high street stores and mass market retailers have made it quite stress-free and affordable to sustain all the state-of-the-art fashion inclinations. The snare surrounding this ease in following trends is that everyone is wearing the exact same thing and appearing to be replicas of one another. And this is where Mahgul comes into play. The designer - who debuted at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week platform in 2013 - is an enthusiastic patron of couture style but provides her own twist on the fashionista flair.
Why she is worth having on your radar right now? She’s bringing her inimitable panache to summer lawn suits. She’s taken this plunge after years of stirring us with eclectically charged luxe designs. “Lawn, in fact, isn’t new to me. I've been designing it since we started on a small scale, experimenting with original designs and limited edition prints,” clarified Mahgul, adding, “Last year, we were approached for a collaboration on the recommendation of editor Raheel Rao to AL Zohaib; an opportunity and challenge we embraced. For me, it is fascinating to try and create designs for mass audiences. I respect the fabric and I feel there's a wide array of possibilities that one can achieve with lawn, in terms of design."
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Discussing her design philosophy, Mahgul elucidated that “clarity and boldness” is what motivates her ventures. Maybe that’s the very ingredient that ends up setting her lawn apart from the rest of the designer lawn ocean. “I think that is for the end consumer to really decide. From a design perspective, as with everything I do, there's a little bit of artistic intervention and subtle attempts on pushing the lawn as a fabric to create a stronger silhouette that breaks the traditional barrier of the kameez without being too avant-garde,” she insists.
Getting down to the nitty-gritty of her latest collection, Mahgul Lawn for Al Zohaib Textiles consists of 14 unique prints, five of which feature in two distinct colour themes. “I wanted to push myself to create more designs and provide a wider range to people,” she explained. Making a confession, the designer said, “There is a certain insouciant feel in the prints with a down to earth spirit and I hope that comes through in the designs. I have tried not to fuss too much or to reinvent what’s been done for decades but rather, I have aimed to introduce a fresh perspective for S/S 2017 Lawn in terms of colours, layouts and original design.”
As to what drove her to launch incredibly earthy designs that speak to onlookers, she admits, “I've created a process which I call 'design bridges' - each design is based on that. I've tried to meld elements that are distinctly different but through pushing them together, they create a successful form.”
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With a cluster of fashion houses and designers imitating someone else’s artwork, the sense of original geometry and edginess is a rare feat. Deliberating on the growing trend of plagiarism in the fashion business, she insisted, “It has become second nature today to imbibe other people's work and be influenced. The real issue for me is the consumer who is actually okay with buying plagiarised designs. Why isn’t there a stronger demand for originality?”
As to how challenging it is to maintain the sagacity of originality in the competitive market, Mahgul quipped, “Super! To create original designs takes time and time is everything.”
To whether she is open to partnering up with different textile houses - since at the moment she has only teamed up with Al Zohaib, Mahgul confirms, “We look forward to launching this new venture with our partners at Al Zohaib, a textile house that is well respected for quality and who have a reputation for innovation,” adding, “They have a fresh and forward thinking vision for lawn in the future and it fits right in with what we imagine the future of lawn to be. Together, we hope our debut S/S 17 lawn collection introduces a fun and fresh lawn perspective for women.”
Technology has made it a good time to be a designer but ingenuity doesn’t come easy. We hope Mahgul sticks to her authenticity and continues to innovate in her own distinctive fashion.
Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.