Pakistan’s sustainable fashion and global relevance

Chosen to represent Pakistan, Natasha Kamal plaited an intriguing tale of Pakistan’s unique fashion potential

LAHORE: Islamic Fashion and Design Council (IFDC) announced a historical deal with Torino Fashion Week supported by leading names like Mercedes Benz courtesy of Autocentauro Italia, and Vogue Italia. And for the first time, Lahore-based fashion designer Natasha Kamal did us proud on the International fashion platform.

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Chosen to represent Pakistan, not only did Kamal make us proud but also weaved an intriguing tale of Pakistan’s sustainable fashion and its global relevance. Out of the 20 countries that participated, Pakistan was one of them, representing the contemporary Pakistan fashion scene on the global platform.



Kamal received an overwhelming response at the event. Speaking with The Express Tribune, she said, “It was a great opportunity to represent Pakistan, amongst such a diverse group. Everyone was very welcoming of Pakistanis, appreciative of our craftsmanship, helpful and encouraging. Personally, I had a great experience and the response to my collection was overwhelming. Not only did I receive, the 1st Place Luxury Award, but the local industry showed a genuine appreciation for the collection and paid attention to the little details”.

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Kamal’s collection had her signature technique of appliqué with distinctive patterns, lavish handcrafted ornamentation including beadwork, Kundun and mirrors, which are indigenous to Pakistan. “The idea was to stay true to our aesthetic, which combines traditional techniques with assertively modern styling to create contemporary imagery and appeal which allowed me to display the beautiful intricacy and detail-oriented craftsmanship of Pakistan on an international platform,” Kamal said.



“The collection is unmistakably infused with the movement’s spirit, which can be found in the sweeping lines, stylised imagery and elegant proportions which gave the collection a contemporary appeal.” The offerings comprise bold patterns, modern silhouettes and deep hues. “The result is a bold collection, which is still wearable, and features transitional separates that cater to every woman,” she added.

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With IFDC as the exclusive modest fashion partner, Torino Fashion Week was held from June 28 to July 3, 2017. The setting was an open-air event, which embraced the beautiful and historical city of Torino.

The 7 days event included fashion catwalks, workshops, live photo shoots, internal event categories and unique buyer sessions and business matching events that were designed to increase commercial and revenue opportunities for all participants. The fashion week attracted top media, influencers, buyers, and attendees from all over the world. Almost 10,000 people already registered for the event from the world of fashion.



This was also the first time, an official mainstream Italian fashion week partnered with a modest fashion organisation (IFDC) to bring this lucrative fashion category to Italy in an official capacity. This is a powerful opportunity for fashion industry players and quality and skill was the key for submission.

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“It was an overwhelming experience to participate in a fashion week that has designers participating from over 23 countries, from which 30 were IFDC designers. Designers had flown in from all over the world for this particular event. And even though there was such diversity, it was amazing to see everyone come together, encourage each other and even help each other out backstage amidst hectic moments,” Kamal added.

Italy has the fourth largest population of Muslims in Europe with a strong spending power that was the reason why the official modest fashion partnership became significant in this mainstream fashion week. According to The State of the Global Islamic Economy Report, the Islamic fashion industry is continuously booming with an expected $484 billion to be spent by 2019.

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This is almost double 2013’s figure of $266 billion and coincides with the expected growth of the Muslim population that has a target audience of two billion strong.

Since its designation as World Design Capital, Torino has distinguished itself as a central hub for creativity, innovation, and design. And as a city with deep tradition in fashion and textile manufacturing, it has made a smart connection between Italy’s fashion industry and the modest fashion sector of the Islamic economy.

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