Her first flight

KARACHI:

Madiha Zuberi, a 2009 textile graduate of Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, marked her debut as a professional designer with the launch of her bridal and formal collection. Her first exhibition was held on Saturday, April 9 at her residence in Karachi.

Zuberi’s 50-piece formal line features pure cotton-silk fabric and intricate aari and tilla work. Her 40-piece bridal showcase incorporates banarsi silk fabric, jamawaar, cotton silk net and raw silk. The dresses display engraved doozi work, bringing the traditional gota back in style.

Prices for the formal collection range between Rs7,500 and Rs17,500. The bridal collection, which is by-appointment, begins at Rs18,000 and reaches Rs45,000.

Zuberi targets her formalwear at women between 17 and 50 years old. “I have done simple but elegant shirts for the older lot, but the funkier and colourful line is for the young girls,” Zuberi told The Express Tribune.

“I’m keenly inspired by the designer Bunto Kazmi, as far as the bridal outfits are concerned,” said Zuberi. “But for the formal line it has always been Rizwan Beyg and Nida Azwer’s work that I like.”

Zuberi toys with vibrant colours like parrot green, fuchsia, purple and copper pink. She also uses contrasting techniques in some outfits to give them “a simple but elegant look”.

For her thesis, Zuberi studied the methods of rural Sindhi craftswomen. “They do such beautiful and intricate embroidery. My work is based on traditional motifs, all coming from Sindhi and Balochi embroidery but with a modern cut. It is more like east meeting West, but in a rather traditional way,” she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2011.