Shopping festival dazzles capital
Adding to the string of festivals that took place in the federal capital, the Mashion Bazaar came to a close on Feb 19, Sunday after hosting two days of vibrant activities for Islamabad’s residents.
The Mashion Bazaar is a shopping festival featuring women-owned, home-based ventures or brands targeting women. This was the first time that the festival came to Islamabad as it was previously only held in Karachi and Lahore.
The line-up of stalls at the event included niche brands which mainly operate through social media engagement and sales. The items showcased at the event ranged from home decor and fashion accessories to skin care products. The event also had a dedicated food area with a variety of food vendors offering festival snacks.
The festival also included other activities such as fun photo op installations and a punching bag site that allowed visitors a go at releasing their stress.
Each evening closed with musical performances by celebrated artists such as the musical band AUR, Taha G and Izzchughtai. The festival was a star-studded event as aside from the performing artists, many celebrities including Uzair Jaswal and Merub Ali were also spotted at the shopping fair.
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The festival ran for two days with visitors flocking to the event even on the second day despite the persistent overcast and rainy weather. However, most festivalgoers seemed to gravitate towards the food section as the selection of items for sale at the bazaar was on the pricier side.
Talking to The Express Tribune, a visitor, who identified herself as Sana, said: “It seems like an event for the elite since on top of the pricey entry tickets, the products are just too expensive and do not cater to the general public.”
Another visitor, Yahya, on the other hand, found the festival to be “the best out of all food festivals until now since the atmosphere was very pleasant and the environment that they had set up was quite well-arranged.”
The festival seemed to have more success with younger visitors who were attending just to enjoy the festival, eating snacks and vibing to the music.
The event was held in The Rock Musicarium grounds situated within the Naval Sailing Club, making it a rather exclusive event set at some distance from the main city.
Mashion Bazaar is organised by the culture and lifestyle digital platform, Mashion which is run by renowned actor Mahira Khan.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 20th 2024.