High-end meets high-street for modern working women

Adnan Pardesy teams up with The Working Woman clothing line for some interesting designs.

LAHORE:

Labels such as Simply Sublime have set a precedent for ready-to-wear clothing for working women, with Rs8,000 being the new price ceiling for outfits from such high-street brands.

While we have seen multiple collaborations between high-end designers and high-street brands internationally, it’s time we saw the same pattern in Pakistan. As the textile industry pairs up with designers during the lawn seasons every year, Wednesday witnessed a high-street brand and a high-end designer work in unison — The Working Woman and Adnan Pardesy.

“This collection is all about empowering women; keeping the femininity alive in clothing is the concept behind it,” says Pardesy, who is content with his decision to work with The Working Woman. “It’s an untapped market and I wanted to get away from colossal prints and heavy embellishments.” He believes it combines his brand philosophy with the views of The Working Woman and the end product, as a result, turned out to be “a conservative yet modern and flattering one.”

The launch event was attended by family, friends and notables from the fashion industry while Zoe Viccaji, the face of the collection, performed live for the crowd.



Simplicity with a little spice

Pardesy has put together a collection that signifies his label best; the simplicity of the fabric, merged with the extravagance of the cut.

“Simple, subtle and sensible is what The Working Woman stands for and with the launch of this collection, we are adding another S for spice,” says Omar Zaman, brand manager of The Working Woman. “We chose Adnan Pardesy because of the intricate simplicity in his designs, the unique structures of his garments and his passion for and attention to detail.”

In this collection, Pardesy has merged his previous and latest designs in order to exclusively cater to modern working women in Pakistan. It includes outfits designed to be worn at multiple occasions and circumstances women find themselves in during the course of the day.



The collection comes in two unique fabrics, denim and viscose, that boast Pardesy’s signature cuts with straight linen kurtas with pleated panels, sherwani collars, bias-cut linen shirts with pin-tucks on the bodice and cuffs, straight dyed denim shirts with top-stitch detailing on the hem, yoke and patch pockets on the side. Apart from that, round hems with pleating details on the collar, placket and cuffs on bias-cut linen shirts, zipper front denim peshwas-style flared panels, add sensuality and a feminine touch to the collection.



“It is heartening to see a high-street brand collaborate with a high-end designer,” says Kamiar Rokni. “The attention paid to simplicity and detail is what makes Pardesy’s label work and it is refreshing to see solid colours over prints.” He feels it’s difficult to speculate how well this collection will be interpreted by the consumers as it showcases a completely different style. “At the end of the day, it depends on the consumer,” Rokni adds, saying the overall collection is well cut and manufactured.



What is commendable in this entire feat is the way the manufacturing team at The Working Woman have translated the cuts into a mass produced collection. “[Clothes priced] under Rs8,000 have become a necessity in today’s economy and market place,” says Sara Shahid of Simply Sublime. “The great thing about this price is that people don’t think twice before picking up something from the rack and there are a lot more women in the work force now, who want hassle-free clothing and can also afford to spend on their attire.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 15^th, 2012.

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