Luxury pret comes to Elle’mint

Five designers exhibit their work at the one-stop shop.

KARACHI:

Elle’mint, a one-stop shop which houses a salon, a spa and a boutique, all under  one roof, held a one-day exhibition, showcasing the work of five upcoming designers.

“I am introducing two new fashion designers; Tena Durrani, who is based in Karachi, and Saira Rizwan from Lahore,” said Afreen Shiraz, who runs Elle’mint. “Besides them, there is a collection ‘Designs by Zahabiya’ by fashion designer Zahabiya Jam, a shoe collection by Vaneeza Ahmed Ali and silver jewellery collection called ‘Argentum’ by Nadia Chhotani,” she added.

Shiraz, whose store has moved away from offering pret to now introducing luxury pret, explained, “Earlier, people were more focused on daily wear, but now the trend has shifted to luxury pret, worn as formal wear.”

‘Designs by Zahabiya’, consisting of formal, semi-formal and casual outfits, mainly saw cotton and chiffon fabrics. The ensemble, which was priced from Rs8,000 to Rs42,000, also boasted different cuts and styles.  “Using different textures, I play with embellishments as well as handmade gota work and nakshi kaam,” said the designer.

Meanwhile, Durrani’s collection, flaunting designs in cotton and chiffon, mainly consisted of casual and wedding wear. “This collection, which has many different styles, is in a variety of colours.” From five different shades of red, to vibrant greens and stunning yellows, Durrani’s collection finally parted ways with her usual off-whites. “Enough of the off-whites, I have seen that people, my clients, are thirsty for colours.” Her wedding collection was priced from Rs10,000 to Rs80,000 whereas the casuals were priced from Rs28,000 to Rs45,000.

Meanwhile, jewellery designer Nadia Chhotani worked with silver because, “The prices of gold have risen; not many people are interested in wearing gold anymore. Hence, with demand for silver rising, I decided to venture into this field.” Offering an array of designs, from cocktail rings to bridal sets in chandi, the collection also boasts differing  versions of kundan as well as zircon polkis.

The prices of rings ranged from Rs3,000 to Rs9,000 while earrings were priced at Rs10,000 to Rs 28,000 and bridal sets from Rs28,000 to Rs65,000.

To add to the diversity of the exhibition, Ali’s designer shoes were also displayed. This was a pre-Eid collection, which should have been priced below the stated price of Rs2,100 as it was an old collection and offered nothing new.

Unfortunately, Rizwan’s ensemble was more of a menswear shirt collection, studded with excessive diamantes and did not manage to attract many customers. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2011.