From the runway to the retailer

KARACHI: The finale of Sanam Agha’s show at Fashion Pakistan Week 2010 was met with resounding applause as her showstopper - model and actor Tooba Siddiqui - walked down the ramp in an elaborate black outfit that Agha worked on for 24 hours straight when her first choice for the finale model backed out.

Agha has just started stocking her collection at Labels.

She told The Express Tribune, “Considering I cater to all aspects of fashion, whether its pret, couture, eastern or western menswear and women wear, I had to narrow down what I would be making for Labels. Since Labels is a shop catered to women, I created a line that was for evening wear in different colours.” Agha chose shades of black, white, red, pink and green in chiffon, georgette and silk.

According to the designer, her Labels collection is an “amalgamation of fully worked kimonos, long and short kameezes and belted dresses.” But keeping in mind the mindset of ready-to-wear-buyers, Agha has made clothes in varied lengths, “since people like to have a choice.”

Priced at Rs11,000 to Rs30,000, Agha asserts that this is “a high range collection.” The collection also takes its cue from the runway designs. “The separate jewelled trousers are from the fashion week collection and so are the two capes. The whole idea was to give a rich collection which is versatile enough to be worn as a whole ensemble and as a separate item with jeans.”

According to Zahir Rahimtoola of Labels, “The collection has been well-received and our clientele has shown interest in the label, which is a mix of formal and western wear.

While Rahimtoola does not believe in comparing designers because of their different design sensibilities and styles, he does say that what is key for a designer to shine is sales. “A good turnover of inventory is the litmus test.”

But does Agha’s celebrity status (she also worked as a VJ) help in selling the clothes? Rahimtoola asserts, “Being a celebrity does add to the punch and recognition but yet again Labels has a very discerning clientele hence fabric, the feel, cut, colour, fit and styling is very important irrespective of the designer label.”

Agha does not plan to stop stocking though. Up next are “an embroidered cotton line and a fusion line of clothing for labels merging western cuts with an eastern feel.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 24^th, 2010.