Bollywood actor Nargis Fakhri is the face of Bindra’s design house. PHOTOS: PUBLICITY
Some make it across the border with only fashion on their minds. Indian fashion designer Mini Bindra is one of those people. She has come from India to Pakistan with her brand Rubaaiyat’s ‘Love for Gold’ collection.
Bindra’s own fashion journey started in the year 2000 from New Delhi, India and 14 years later, she has crossed the border into Lahore, Pakistan.
The first Indian design house to be officially launched at Lahore’s Gulberg Galleria, Rubaaiyat will house a collection, which will include ready-to-wear and couture pieces.
In an interview, Bindra shared her take on Indian and Pakistani fashion with us.
How do you see Pakistani fashion in the subcontinental spotlight?
We have witnessed tremendous recognition of Pakistani fashion all over the world in recent years. As official franchises of PFDC in Delhi, we have witnessed this growth first hand, validated by the growing patronage of Pakistani fashion across the border. We are happy to see the consistency of fashion weeks in Pakistan, a testament to that fact that people are now looking at this as an employment generating and growing industry here in Pakistan. I personally feel that both Pakistan and India can further benefit from each other via fashion. We like to believe that the launch of Rubaaiyat will be a launching pad for many other trade collaborations in the future.
Why does the brand draw inspiration from Persian poet Omar Khayyam’s poems?
It’s a personal choice to be perfectly honest. I agree that there may well be bigger names in poetry from South Asia but the works of Omar Khayyam have always left a deep impact on my heart, right from the time when I was not even into fashion designing. I always wanted to express his poetry through another art medium and when I ventured into fashion designing, Omar Khayyam was the perfect inspiration.
What kind of a response are you expecting from Pakistan for your ‘Love for Gold’ collection?
We have high hopes from our Pakistani patrons, as over the past few years, we have been getting a significant number of orders for our bridal and prêt wear from Pakistan. We sincerely feel that there is a lot of potential and demand for Indian fashion here in Pakistan. As PFDC franchises in Delhi, India, we stock some of the leading names in the Pakistani fashion industry in India. Hence, we feel we understand the Pakistani taste for fashion. But saying that, our main focus is going beyond what is already available in the market, providing our patrons with something new from across the border. The Love for Gold collection consists of delicate gold screen prints in subtle hues of white, nude, beige, ochre, wheat, tan and fawn. The collection attempts to fuse thread work methods, including the famed Lucknowi chikankari and banarsi brocade, with traditional techniques, such as ari and zari work.
If your design house is able to maintain a strong presence in Lahore, which other city in Pakistan would you launch a store in?
We are confident that our brand will do well in Lahore. We have ambitious plans for growth and look forward to making our brand more accessible to fashionistas in cities like Karachi and Islamabad.
Anything special you’d like to share with our readers?
There is no reason why people from India and Pakistan cannot co-exist. We feel trade, especially fashion, is something that can connect the people of the two nations. We feel at home whenever we come to Pakistan, and our Pakistani friends and partners feel the same when they visit India.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 18th, 2014.
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