Sania Maskatiya’s debut collection brings more than one ‘first’

The collection can also be purchased online.

KARACHI: One can easily say that Sania Maskatiya’s lawn collection is the most-anticipated lawn assortment for 2013. With the look book boasting a beautiful shoot in Dubai, and Sana Sarfraz modeling Sania’s signature style with touches of citrusy hues and romantic titles such as Anarkali, Pani Ki Rani, Shahi Sawari and Baba Dhol, the curiosity surrounding the exhibition reached a crescendo on Friday, the day of the opening of Sania Maskatiya’s Sapphire Lawn exhibition.

Those with a penchant for long hemlines will notice that Sania’s stitched shirts have gone higher, but we are absolutely in love with the fresh look.

At the spacious Palm Marquee, Sania herself turned up right on time, wearing a pretty light blue Matyala lawn outfit. With her beautiful hair half tied and pinned to one side, Sania echoed the femininity and freshness of her collection. As the crowd poured in to fill the venue to capacity, the young designer acknowledged that her entry into the lawn race has come at the “right time”.

“I am so glad this opportunity came my way,” she said. “The synergy between the textile brand Sapphire and my name is an awesome combination.”

She also spoke about lawn as a practical and cultural fabric. “Lawn has been my first love. I remember as a child, I used to shop with my mother at Uzma Shopping Plaza for Firdous, SanaSafinaz and Gul Ahmed lawn. Those English flower prints have been transfixed in my mind,” she said.

It is evident from her collection that Sania has kept the focus on complementing colours and prints. She feels lawn should be “fuss-free, fun and not forced with over-the-top diamantes”.

For customer Selina Feroz, a 42-year-old housewife, Sania’s Moenjodaro is a winner. “The abstract element, the animal prints, the classic Moenjodaro look on one specific creation really attracted me,” she said.

One click away

Sania’s lawn debut brings with it a number of firsts; not only is it the designer’s first time with her first love, it is also the first time lawn has been retailed online! Sania Maskatiya’s entire collection for Sapphire Lawn is available on Labels e-store, complete with the option of stitched and un-stitched fabric in three sizes.

Labels CEO Zahir Rahimtoola expands on this development. “Sania was the first choice to go with it for lawn. We are pretty confident about it,” he said. “With people living in different parts of the world, from Brunei, Singapore, Hong Kong various other places, it is selling. It is giving a breath of fresh air to the sale.”

Sania’s brother and business partner Umair Tabani says he is “super excited”. “Individually it is difficult for us to handle, but Labels is handling it all for us — it’s a win-win situation,” he said. “We have received lots of queries since Friday… the first hour was just crazy for the e-store.”

There is no surprise that Sania Maskatiya lawn is selling like hot cakes — ladies can now own a SM outfit without spending tens of thousands. The collection is priced between Rs5,000 to Rs5,500.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2013.                   

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