For the fashion-savvy kid

M&Co and Funky Fish open to fill in the void of international children’s clothing brands in Pakistan.

LAHORE: While browsing through Pakistan’s clothing retail sector, one will be quick to see that the variety of pre-teen apparel available is rather limited. Children of the 80s and 90s either wore highly priced imported clothes from Mothercare, ENEM in Lahore or had Leisure Club as one of the only local options available.



The Express Tribune speaks to Asad Amin of Arshad Sons about changing the face of clothing necessities in Pakistan. It is the holding company behind Quiz Clothing in Pakistan as well as testing the market for Indian retail options with Karmik, a store which provides designer clothing at reasonable prices. The company recently ventured into children’s apparel and accessories with M&Co and Funky Fish.



“Trends have changed. Not only do mothers want their children to be dressed to the hilt but children also want to be up to date with the latest of styles,” says Amin, adding, “In yesteryears, the concept of spending money on children’s clothes was quite alien as there wasn’t enough awareness.”



With regards to M&Co, Amin says that the company been one of the largest retailers in Scotland for about 50 years. They prize themselves for competing with brands such as Next in quality and yet being more affordable. “With social media connecting us with the international fashion industry it has become imperative that even children’s clothing brands comply.”



Not only do mothers want their children to be dressed well, they also prefer buying designer clothes for them. This culture is quickly becoming a reality and now retailers find it important to give mothers more options for keeping up to date with the latest trends for their kid’s fashionista wardrobe. “The concept behind M&Co is that we get new collections every month so there is always stock rotation,” says Amin. “The brand houses everything from new born babies apparel to bibs, fur lined booties, cropped tops, printed denim and double sleeved shirts for children up to 13 plus but it doesn’t end there. Young girls want to come and shop for accessories for their outfits and that it where bringing in Funky Fish comes into being,” said Amin.



As far as children’s apparel is concerned, there is still a very limited industry for it to keep up with the ever-changing trends. The market being huge and if tapped into further could really change the landscape of children’s clothing retail. A few local brands such as HopScotch have come up to offer locally manufactured merchandise at affordable prices, competing against the quality of international brands such as M&Co, which has to compete with the local prices.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2014.

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