Designer dreams for children
For 17-year-old Nimra, buying shirts from Fiction, a store located at Zamzama is according to her aunt Uzma (who buys her most of the clothes) is “a rejuvenating experience.”
Sixteen-year-old Naima says that buying suits from Generation in Bahadurabad or getting them as birthday presents from her loved ones is “a treat in itself.” But when these girls were growing up, there was no brand which offered chic dresses for casual or formal wear.
While international fashion brands such as Dolce and Gabbana and Armani have junior lines, and are often picked up by discerning mothers when they go on sale, there are few choices available to children in Pakistan who want designer wear.
United Colors of Benetton, with prices beginning from Rs1,000, is unaffordable for the vast majority of the population.
Local retailers such as Sanaullah and Minnie Minors have starting prices from Rs395 and Rs350 respectively, but a complete suit can cost up to Rs2,000.
So where do young girls, who want to be trendsetters in their own right go? For Saira Naufil, who has two daughters aged seven and eight, things are slightly different. She never buys branded clothes for them because they are not affordable.
The new addition to designer brands offering clothes for children is Maheen Kardar’s Karma Princess. According to Karma’s brand manager Amir Iqbal, the line is targeted to girls aged one to 12. Iqbal says, “Today’s girl wants to dress up and we believe we need to provide for them.”
He asserts, “Girls say no to their mothers and tell them what they want to wear, that is what a four or a five-year-old does in the 21st century. Karma Princess caters to that crowd, in which the small girls want to follow their mother’s style when it comes to wearing a dress.”
Karma Princess launched with 20 designs, with an Eid-specific collection on the way. Iqbal says there is also a plan for a range of accessories. “Not shoes, but dupattas, earrings and necklaces will be available.”
However, the price range may make it as inaccessible as designer wear is for an older age market.
Karma Princess is priced at Rs1,500 to Rs 12,000.
While Karma says that they plan to revolutionise the fashion brand in children’s wear, it remains to be seen whether mothers with growing children will dig this deep into their pockets to fulfill their daughters’ style aspirations.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 1st, 2010.
Sixteen-year-old Naima says that buying suits from Generation in Bahadurabad or getting them as birthday presents from her loved ones is “a treat in itself.” But when these girls were growing up, there was no brand which offered chic dresses for casual or formal wear.
While international fashion brands such as Dolce and Gabbana and Armani have junior lines, and are often picked up by discerning mothers when they go on sale, there are few choices available to children in Pakistan who want designer wear.
United Colors of Benetton, with prices beginning from Rs1,000, is unaffordable for the vast majority of the population.
Local retailers such as Sanaullah and Minnie Minors have starting prices from Rs395 and Rs350 respectively, but a complete suit can cost up to Rs2,000.
So where do young girls, who want to be trendsetters in their own right go? For Saira Naufil, who has two daughters aged seven and eight, things are slightly different. She never buys branded clothes for them because they are not affordable.
The new addition to designer brands offering clothes for children is Maheen Kardar’s Karma Princess. According to Karma’s brand manager Amir Iqbal, the line is targeted to girls aged one to 12. Iqbal says, “Today’s girl wants to dress up and we believe we need to provide for them.”
He asserts, “Girls say no to their mothers and tell them what they want to wear, that is what a four or a five-year-old does in the 21st century. Karma Princess caters to that crowd, in which the small girls want to follow their mother’s style when it comes to wearing a dress.”
Karma Princess launched with 20 designs, with an Eid-specific collection on the way. Iqbal says there is also a plan for a range of accessories. “Not shoes, but dupattas, earrings and necklaces will be available.”
However, the price range may make it as inaccessible as designer wear is for an older age market.
Karma Princess is priced at Rs1,500 to Rs 12,000.
While Karma says that they plan to revolutionise the fashion brand in children’s wear, it remains to be seen whether mothers with growing children will dig this deep into their pockets to fulfill their daughters’ style aspirations.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 1st, 2010.