Faraz Manan: A little too inspired by royalty

Collection by Lahore-based designer encapsulates the extravagance and the deep pockets required for a nawabi lifestyle

KARACHI:

Wedding trends evolve every season and, ask the father of any bride, the ceremonies cost a fortune. Faraz Manan’s latest offering is an ode to extravagance, for those who can afford it. The designer’s Nawabi collection was brought on to the floor at The House of Ensemble on Thursday evening.

Present among the attendees was designer Safinaz Muneer of Sana Safinaz, who claimed, “He is a friend of ours. We wish him all the very best for today. I hope he rocks Karachi with his collection.”

On the same note, Athar Hafeez, Creative Head Designer at Sana Safinaz said, “I like the elegance of his work.”

Manan himself wasn’t present at the beginning of the event, due to a delayed flight from Lahore, and arrived late looking exhausted. Nevertheless, he managed to pull some joras off-the-rack to allow his models to dress up, and put on a good show.



With Manan doing the rounds, mingling with the guests wasn’t a task. We overheard one well-known politician, while looking at a grand outfit, say, “This is a pretty outfit, but I can’t simply afford this one,” indicating that the clothes were perhaps too steeply priced. It’s easy to look like a million bucks when you’ve spent roughly the same amount on what you’re wearing.

The Nawabi collection is beautiful — done up in reds, royal blues, greys and beiges. It is primarily a bridal collection, and, along with moti-work and a bit of qora — dabka in between. Manan has a preference for gold-inspired thread than silver.

While speaking to The Express Tribune about where the inspiration for his collection lies, the young designer said, “My own lifestyle, and the way I’ve been brought up; from studying at Aitchison, to playing the game of polo.”

“I drew inspiration from the Nawab lifestyle, and having said that, I always imagined the kind of impact a present-day Nawab would have had! It’s very relatable,” said Manan.

“Unlike the Mughals, the Nawabs would buy art in Europe and their women would be adorned in lace. The Nawabs, with their jackets and cigars, created this image, which is hard to forget! So I have created a fusion of sorts from what inspires me about that era.”

Manan claimed that the fabric used in this collection was completely woven in-house. When asked about whether his price range is justified, Manan said, “Steep, but never to repeat. You won’t find anything like this collection on the market.”

As for the target market, Manan says, “It’s meant for a wider Pakistani audience. Not money wise, but for someone with style. For me, it all begins with fabric. I have vast knowledge of it, as I have been working with it for three years now.”

Shehrnaz Husain, co-director at Ensemble said, “We have not hosted him before. But here he is today and he is definitely someone to watch out for. The embellishments on the fabric are good. The stock is mostly up for sale and can be bought off-the-rack.”

Price bracket

Rs100,000 to Rs1.5 Million

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2014.

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