Foreign brands now at a stone’s throw

New store has something for everyone.

ISLAMABAD:

Yet another addition to one-stop shopping in Isloo comes in the form of multi-label store No. 18, which launched on Friday amid the fashion lovers from around town.

Located on the third floor of one of the city’s most frequented commercial areas, F-6 Supermarket, No. 18 stocks clothing for men, women and children, along with accessories, make up, and skincare products from 30 international brands.

Flickering in camera flashes were socialites, fashion lovers, teenagers, bureaucrats and diplomats that came for the launch. The fashion and event manager Shah said that there is always room for new stores. “As small as Isloo might seem, it’s becoming a bigger and better market for such stores,” he told The Express Tribune.

Wardah Shehzad and Ayesha Iftikhar teamed up to bring some of the most prominent names in international markets to local buyers. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Shehzad said that she and her partner had decided to launch the store with demand in mind. She was of the view that although there are newer local brands opening up in the capital, No 18 will still cater to niche market.

She said that they have a sales graph for every brand to monitor trends and sales to see which brands are selling better than the others. “We try to monitor trends in international markets and make sure our buyers pick those for the store,” said Shehzad.

The store consists of different sections, all quite spacious and appealing to the eye, done up by Ayesha Iftikhar, who is an interior designer by profession.

Juan Gual, an attaché at the Spanish Embassy, was skimming through the men’s section. He was of the view that it was always good to have these kinds of shops. He felt that although Pakistani fabric is of high quality, European designers have greater variety and are still the trendsetters.

Although the selection of clothing was vast and well-priced, the makeup section did not have much variety as even though there were big names, the range was limited.

Supermodel and brand ambassador Natasha Hussain said that it’s encouraging to see newer people coming up with more options for the Islamabad market.

“People prefer just paying a little more and getting what they want instantly. I’m happy to see the trend of emerging fashion houses in Islamabad,” said Hussain, calling the new offering “a brilliant move.”

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2012.