Trend file with Secret Closet: With love, to lawn lovers anonymous

If you're part of the lawn lovers anonymous club, you have probably been subject to the "are you crazy" looks from your husband, kids, friends or even strangers standing behind you in the never-ending queue at the exhibition counter.

These looks may be a reaction to your waking up an hour early to arrive at an exhibition before the gates open to make sure your favourite Nida Azwer or Elan lawn is still there. They may be conjured when you rush to your closest lawn shop to pre-book your Sana Safinaz joras three weeks before the collection releases and so forth. Even if you are too embarrassed to admit that you’ve invested in twenty suits and you tell your best friend “I just bought two or three”, we’re here to tell you there is nothing wrong with you!

It is a simple case of lawn fever that sometimes results in mob mentality and temporary insanity amongst the best of us. The hardest part is selecting which ones to get and which ones to forget — because they all look so terribly fantastic on the models wearing them on billboards and in catalogues. It makes us suddenly think that we too, would look like Nargis Fakhri or Neha when we don the same outfits! It is important to know the difference between what will look good on you and what just looks good on paper. We have tried to accomplish the difficult task of making a list of our top 10 picks from the top designer lawn labels.

Sania Maskatiya

Her debut collection in collaboration with Sapphire textiles had all the signature elements associated with the label. A rich culturally infused aesthetic inspired by the Indus civilisation along with visual influences of the sub-continent’s colonial era. One could see the amount of research and thought employed in each authentic design. We loved the easy-to-wear stitched kurtas! While the ancient heritage imagery would be our popular choice for the younger crowd, the Zaffran with its intricate fully embroidered back and sleeves using floral and bird patterns for spring was the prettiest of all.

Sana Safinaz

If you were lucky enough to get your hands on any of the Sana Safinaz SS13 jewels then you clearly took pains to do it. We hope the white lace with the fluorescent green or pink dupatta was one of them. While the entire range has out done itself yet again in terms of enhanced intricacy of embroideries and the addition of phulkari and woven fabrics, this one is definitely a timeless design which is hard to come by in lawn.

Deepak Perwani

Having had a few years experience in the world of lawn, Deepak Perwani’s collection provided an array of colour and style to ensure there was something for everyone. Deepak’s most impressive and distinctive marks were the innovative colour permutations. For us the one that stood out was a luscious black and yellow gold that works beautifully for evening wear.

Khaadi

Khaadi lawn has become a staple for women across the country thanks to its competitive pricing and appealing prints. This year the prêt giant went all out to create six unique theme collections for spring 2013 making it incredibly hard for us to choose. The winner was the limited edition digital print collection that is a step out of their usual comfort zone and showcases a stellar range of psychedelic mish mash prints.

JJ Valaya

For the first time a renowned Indian couturier and esteemed member of the fashion design council for India, delved into our lawn industry to produce a regal collection that boasts primal Indian culture and the woven gold Banarsi borders we love. The navy and antique gold detailed suit with the heavy richly embossed dupatta was our top pick.

Crescent Lawn

Faraz Manan drew on rich European baroque influences and the majesty of the palaces of Jaipur and merged it with the vibrant colours reminiscent of Florence to the Orient Express. His collection is filled with opulent luxury and nostalgic flavours. Among the cities of the world collection, our top pick is the emerald green Kashmir print.

Nida Azwer

The young designer, who amazes us every time for how much she has single handedly accomplished at such a young age, characteristically launched her debut lawn independently as well. The detailing in her collection could only be done by an artist, with designs inspired from the glorious east to ethnic pottery crafts and finally the historic architecture of Europe. The Iznik pottery print with the signature gold screen print border would be our pick for being one of a kind in every way from the colour palette to the print itself.

Zara Shahjahan

It seems all the debut designers have been hitting it out of the park this season. Kamal Lawn by Zara Shahjahan’s peachy feminine florals and pastels were a delightful sight. Their signature mark was the consistent refreshing quality to the prints. The soft hues and pencil sketch like print made this one of our favourites.

Elan by Khadijah Shah

From Elan we learnt how to truly celebrate spring with brighter colours and striking prints all the while retaining elegance without going over the top. Khadijah’s use of Persian, Turkish, and Indian mosaic patterns were brilliantly incorporated with classic florals for a vibrant and cheerful collection. The Crown Jewels print would be our top pick for its balanced use of colour and mystical evocative patterns.

Fahad Hussayn

The Print Museum collection by Fahad Hussayn was more than just lawn. The designer took it a step further by adding modern digital silk prints to the mix and for us they were the best part of the eclectic selection. The abstract and pop art prints were something new and therefore one of our top picks.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 24^th, 2013.

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