High on vogue

Designer Omar Mansoor on his debut at Paris Fashion Week and exploring new options in the UK market.

LAHORE:

He maybe one of the many fashion designers who bridged Pakistan’s already rich fashion identity in the West with help from exuberant colours and exclusive cuts, but he doesn’t stop there. Omar Mansoor marked his debut at Paris Fashion Week (PFW) 2015 with the ‘Imperial Romance’ collection, which later on anchored his seventh appearance in the 2015 London Fashion Week (LFW). There’s no denying that Mansoor has been going places on the fashion front, literally. 

Drawing inspiration from the Russian revolution, Mansoor’s collection entailed neutral shades of white and ivory. He experimented with materials of flowy silk, jersey, crepe and lace to add a textured dimension to his offerings, while adding bits of military khaki cloth to break the femininity of his outfits. “The collection for LFW was more experimental with a fun mix and match of prints but the one at PFW was more sophisticated and in accordance with peoples’ taste there,” Mansoor tells The Express Tribune regarding how he tweaked ‘Imperial Romance’ for the two different ramps.

The collection also went on to feature in the British Vogue. “Since I started out, I dreamt of being featured in Vogue but not as an advertorial,” quips Mansoor.

Mansoor’s design studio is based in London where he takes appointments for his bespoke couture collections. Also stocking at multi-brand stores in different countries, he is currently working towards building an established brand in the UK and dressing people up for charity balls is the way to go about it. “Fashion weeks here are strictly for the press and bona-fide buyers so charity balls help to engage the brand with the general public.”



Mansoor moved from his hometown Faislabad to Lahore in 2002 and introduced a limited edition lawn collection. After dabbling with the local fashion scene, he moved to London for higher studies at the London School of Fashion and graduated with a degree in couture designing. “When I kick started my career in the UK in 2008, my first collection ‘Culture to Couture’ was inspired by the multiculturalism I found there. After that, my second collection ‘After the Dance’ reflected British Theatre and the third was inspired by exotic dancer Mata Hari.”

However, unlike many other artists, Mansoor tends to rely more on advice than impulse. “I ask my stylists for advice on who they think my next muse should be. I never go on impulse because then it’s difficult to capture the market.”



He follows accessory designer Anya Hindmarch’s strategy by calculating business decisions based on forecasted trends prior to releasing anything new. “She incorporates 70% of forecasted trends and 30% of her own designs in her collections. Whether that 30% is sold or not it gets critical reviews and the 70% covers sales on buyers. That’s how I play it safe on the commercial front”

Mansoor‘s last visit to Pakistan was three years ago but he keeps abreast with the fashion industry here. He feels Pakistan needs to focus on the business aspect of fashion and fashion graduates need to be updated on that knowledge. “The UK is completely urban whereas the demographics of Pakistan are vast so the same rules cannot apply in both countries.” As for what’s up next for Mansoor, he notes,  “I want to approach the masses and have a ready-to-wear line that’s affordable.”

 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2015.

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