What ‘The Working Woman’ wants

Leisure club launches a clothing line for women in the professional sphere.

LAHORE:

For the growing number of wome joining the work force, finding the right clothing, which is fashionable yet office-friendly, can be a tedious task. For this purpose, fashion chain Leisure Club launched its new brand, ‘The Working Woman’, which aims to cater to the needs of professional women. This should come as a relief for those Pakistani women who have a busy work day.

Although in the recent years Pakistan has seen an influx of new brands — Khadi, Sheep and Ego are a few examples — that cater to professional women, not many of them have ventured into designing outfits solely for office wear. Most women have to make do with suboptimal clothing options that are at their disposal.

‘The Working Woman’, on the other hand, offers both eastern and western ready-to-wear clothes with complementary accessories such as scarves, shoes, and bags. Although the brand will predominantly focus on eastern wear, it will include an array of business suits and jackets for women to wear in the workplace.

Before launching this line, Leisure Club conducted a survey across multiple sectors trying to find out what women really wanted. The results showed that most working women wanted affordable ready-to-wear office-appropriate clothing. Therefore, this new collection — ranging from Rs1,895 to Rs11,000 — features modest necklines, collared shirts and tailored designs which are feminine yet work-appropriate. “The biggest problem for a working woman is lack of time,” says Hooria Hayat Khan, a lawyer-cum-lecturer who also participated in the photo shoot. “The goal is to have an outfit that looks simple yet elegant and not over-the-top,” she adds.

The brand’s campaign shows working women wearing the creations at their work place. Famous personalities such as Salima Hashmi and Justice (retd) Nasira Javed Iqbal, were actively involved in the campaign as well. Iqbal, known for her work as a human rights crusader and a staunch advocate of justice, explained that for one to be called a professional, one should look professional. According to her, lawyers prefer the colours black and white — standard colours in the profession. “I liked what I was wearing, it was a white ensemble with a subtle hint of black,” she said.

‘The Working Woman’ brand manager Omar Badi-uz-Zaman explains that through this collection Leisure Club wants to show that the Pakistani woman is extraordinary. He adds that the brand seeks to cater to every aspect of a woman’s life. “The working woman is the quintessential multitasker and this clothing line hopes to offer maximum comfort and practicality without compromising on aesthetics and fashion,” said Zaman, adding that the brand will also make sure that housewives — whom he calls ‘home engineers’- are not left out.

Meanwhile, the company’s fashion designer Amaima Shaikh claims the new clothing brand will also incorporate new cuts, shapes and designs. “Women are dominating various spheres of the professional world so it’s important that the clothing is authoritative. We are trying to give the clothes a slim look with a defined shape in an attempt to get away from the loose look that other brands are focusing on.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 3^rd, 2011.