Fashion fervour on the rise

Designer Shamsha Hashwani launches store comprising prêt and luxury-wear

KARACHI: Winter has come to a close in all its chill and splendour and designer Shamsha Hashwani has decidedly taken a bold approach to spring’s festive palette. Located behind E street in Clifton, Hashwani’s boutique boasts a collection replete with ready-to-wear formal and semi-formal ensembles. From cool pastel-toned kurtas to vividly-styled lehengas, the store is laden with Eastern delights.

Drawing inspiration from the ideas of Greek Stoic philosopher Epictetus, the designer believes in a select individual-style ideology — diverse color schemes and dissimilar cuts to cater to different people. “I believe every entity has a unique personality and a unique sense of style when it comes to dressing up. It’s important to recognise what you want your clothes to say about you, and then dress accordingly,” says Hashwani. Detailing her work ethic, she asserts, “When it comes to my clients, I design in harmony with their personal style — keeping it congruent with their personality traits. I want them to feel comfortable in what they wear since their clothes reflect who they are.”



The store will comprise casual/prêt to luxury-wear for sale, right off the rack. Bedecked with kundun detailing, the store also offers bridal wear. The richly embroidered pieces adorned with enigmatic motifs, chikankari handwork and painstaking embellishments, Hashwani’s collection features a vast variety of colours and cuts to choose from.

Having designed for the past five years, Hashwani finally invested rigorous time to launch her own exclusive design house. “The main motive behind the store was that I needed to respond to the needs of clients. People prefer to buy light to medium-heavy outfits off the rack directly instead of coming in for appointments and waiting weeks for an order to complete,” Hashwani says. She further adds, “The boutique as a project has helped me streamline my business and provide a little extra for my clients.” Labels owner Zahir Rahimtoola shared his opinion on Hashwani’s latest enterprise, saying, “The collection is essentially up-market and involves niche catering to a certain type of clientele.”



Maliha Aziz, a young fashionista breezing through the collection, gave her thoughts on it, saying, “The ensembles are signature Shamsha — cool colours and classic embellishments.”

On expansion plans for the coming year, Hashwani is ambitious. “I plan on actively participating in fashion shows and perhaps work towards collaborating with multi-brand stores. I hope to open another boutique as well,” she reveals.

Published in The Express Tribune, March  4^th,  2015.

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