Labels opens its doors in Faisalabad

The launch of the multi-brand store underscores the changing trends in the city.

LAHORE:

Inside Faisalabad’s state-of-the-art shopping centre Sitara Mall, Labels launched its first shop in the city, marking a significant introduction of leading mainstream Pakistani brands in the area. The city, typically known for its rich culture, and of course its lucrative textile mills, is now becoming a vibrant market for fashion and retail.

(Read "Labels: Lahore Labelised")

With the store layered with various ready-made outfits, the occasion was marked with complimentary makeovers and the presence of major personalities from the fashion industry. The shop housed collections from many of the country’s biggest fashion brands including Aeisha Varsey, Block 9, Deepak Perwani, Nickie Nina and some exciting new designers as well.

“This is a new a concept,” said Jannat Shahid, co-designer of the brand Sadaf and Jannat and also the owner of the shop. “With the opening of this shop, we can make many Pakistani collections  easily accessible to the people of Faisalabad.”

Although known for its wealth due to the local textile industry, Faisalabad has only recently started to develop its retail culture with a string of new shopping malls and more and more brands slowly making their way to the city.

Tehmina Naeem of ChenOne is of the opinion that with the introduction of multi-brand retail boutiques, like Labels, the understanding of fashion will also change and most importantly, consumer mentality will improve. “Such stores give a normal person access to modern clothing which they did not have earlier.”

A customer Amina Khan, 30, said she had been waiting for such a store to open up for very long. “To be able to get our hands on collections from so many designers in one place is just amazing.”

One of the highlights of the event was the launch of Madiha Abrar’s collection, Ethereal Dreams, which will be stocked in Faisalabad for the first time. She claims her collection is designed for the modern woman ‘who is active yet beautiful’.

Moreover, the introduction of the multi-designer store represents the transition of several major brands. For instance, mega brand Sana Safinaz will be sending its pret wear to Faisalabad for the first time in August.

In a nutshell, the changing dynamics have provided a suitable environment for avid shoppers in Faisalabad — also the third largest city of Pakistan. As a result, people will not have to take long drives or flights to other major cities to find their favourite designer.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 26^th, 2011.