Fashion

Comeback: Karma launches its first concept store in Islamabad

Brand returns to the capital after three years.

Photo Myra Iqbal/our Correspondent June 09, 2013

A woman checking out a shirt at the store (left); a summerwear display (right). PHOTOS: MYRA IQBAL/ EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD: Karma has arrived in the capital with the launch of its first standalone concept store, housing all its sub-brands under one roof.

One of the brands, Karma Pink, had an outlet in Blue Area, but closed in 2010. Karma’s design director Maheen Kardar Ali said the business, over a span of time, had expanded and new names had come under its umbrella. Ali said the 14 year old store now caters to different consumer needs from women to girls of all age brackets. “We have clothes for children, bridals, casuals and formals, so for us it is a necessity to have our own store and stock all our things under one roof, rather than stocking them independently,” she added.

Ali said the store has a special bridal studio established for clients who previously had to come to Lahore to place wedding orders. Moreover, she said she will be travelling more often to the capital now for consultations and appointments.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Ali said they were proud to return to the capital and were well aware of the market’s needs. About the taste of the capital, she said “We have to play with the hues keeping in mind the cities and understanding the market is essential for any business to flourish”. In a comparison, she said that Islamabad had a more refined taste than Lahore and Karachi. “Lahore can overdo the colours, Karachi is more monochromatic, whereas Islooites are not as afraid of color but at the same time they are more into their subtle shades,” highlighted Ali, adding that “I see a lot of black and white in Islamabad”.

Ali said she will be targeting the capital’s diplomatic community, whose needs were not well-addressed earlier. Moreover, she was of the view that the capital also feeds Rawalpindi and Peshawar, both of which are significant markets for any designer.

Rezz Aly Shah, a public relations manager, said established designers from Lahore and Karachi were making their mark in the capital now, because they see it as an emerging market.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2013.