From the runway to the racks

When the Tia line made its debut on the Fashion Pakistan Week runway this April, it made attendees salivate. In a palette of beige, blue and white with splashes of orange, the collection was the perfect example of a line that was ready to hit retail stores. Featuring trendy separates in cotton, from sharply tailored swingy pants to belted dresses boat-neck shirts, the Tia line could give stores such as Ego and Daaman healthy competition.

Designer Tia Noon, who was behind the line, talked to The Express Tribune about the collection, which is being stocked this month at PFDC Boulevard and Fashion Pakistan Lounge in Lahore and Ensemble and Labels in Karachi.

What was the idea behind the Tia line?

The idea was to make it more affordable to more women. We were in a niche where we were making expensive clothing that could only reach a few people. So we wanted to be able to diversify and reach a market that cannot afford a Rs20,000 outfit.

How is the line priced?

It is priced at between Rs2,000 to Rs15,000.

One of the problems with lower-priced designer lines in Pakistan has been that it tends to fizzle out. The quantity of the stock suffers. Is that going to be an issue with the Tia line?

I would hope not. One of the reasons we have taken so long to launch it is because we wanted to do it properly. We set up a new factory for the Tia line and we have a separate team working on the production for it. So it is almost like a new business set-up.

What is the target market for the Tia line?

Initially I thought it would just be for working women. But that has changed, and it is now targeted to women of every age bracket, including younger girls. I realised that it has now become very expensive for women to go to the market, buy fabric, trims and laces and go to a tailor. Because of the frequent bomb blasts, it also isn’t safe anymore. So the Tia line is for women who do not have the energy or the inclination to go shopping, and we have even included more evening-wear types of clothes because we realised that people  want to incorporate that into daywear as well.

What was the reaction after you showed the line at Fashion Pakistan Week?

It was wonderful, great fun. People were very supportive ... no one was nasty or mean!

Published in the Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2010.