Buy Salwar Kameez, Sarees, Lehngas, Skirts

The Sari in Pakistan did a disappearing act after it was declared un-Islamic by Zia. But the whole six yards has made a comeback in the form of formal wear as well as in the trousseaus of Pak girls. Therefore, Pakistan is seeing the resurgence of the Saris in a big way. Earlier the Sari was donned by prominent women like Fatima Jinnah, Begum Liaqat Ali and Nusrat Bhutto. However, later Gen Zia declared that saris implied an un-Islamic connotation and that’s when the Saris lost their grip on the Pakistani fashion and gradually started to fade away.

Today the strong revival of the Sari in Pakistan has lead to many women dressed in this attire. Many women consider it as a symbol of independence and individuality. Popular Indian soaps have essentially contributed to the revival of the sari. The intricate and ornate saris are a favorite as a bridal wear. The tall and stately Nusrat Bhutto was one of the first ladies of Pakistan to wield power. She was usually seen in exquisite silk saris accessorized by pearl necklaces. However, her daughter Benazir Bhutto preferred the salwar kameez over the sari. She would team this up with a green jacket and a white chiffon dupatta, pinned properly to her head. This was more of an expression of nationalism than making a fashion statement.

The sari is a “softer” image of Pakistan that reveals too much of a woman’s body for an Islamic republic. No Pakistani woman parliamentarian today goes to the assembly in a sari. However, the fashion conscious Pakistani women are boldly donning the elegant attire, enough to make a splash and stir up and vex the zealots. Finally the mid riff baring attire has found its way back on the Pakistani soil. However, the salwar kameez still reigns supreme and is widely preferred over the sari. Nonetheless, the sari is not imperiled to become defunct.

The sari is not only worn by the Parsis and Hindus but also by women from (non-Punjabi) Urdu-speaking families. “My mother still doesn’t own a formal salwar kameez,” says Amna Jamot, who belongs to a family of middle-class Urdu-speaking migrants. “She wore only saris and it comes naturally to her generation.” Quite often at the age of 18, Pakistani girls are allowed to wear a sari to their graduation party, Pakistan’s fashion equivalent of prom night. The sari lends them the ultimate feel of womanhood, independence and elegance. It’s also become an expression of freedom and rebellion for celebrities like Ali Saleem, Pakistan’s most famous cross-dresser. Begum Nawazish Ali hosts a popular talk show on AAJ TV. Ali wears exquisite designer saris which are quite exotic and intricately embellished. In fact Ali’s ultimate fantasy is to “die performing on a glass stage in the middle of a vast sea with the whole world watching”!

However wearing a sari gathers one a lot of attention and many members of the Hindu minority living in Karachi have experienced this feeling. Moreover, the sari has become an almost indispensable piece of attire especially on special occasions like weddings and festivals. “I’ve always worn the sari,” says Ira Bai, a Hindu housemaid working in the city’s posh Bath Island. “But my daughter now wears the salwar kameez. She lives in Hyderabad and commutes a lot between cities. Wearing the sari attracts too much unwanted attention.”

Pakistan’s trendiest fashion designer, Deepak Perwani, belongs to a Hindu household but confesses a disinterest in reviving saris in Pakistan. He however prefers to create trendy fashionable clothing for the fashion conscious elite.

“I design for the young, and the young in Pakistan don’t wear saris,” he says. Out of every 100 clients only seven or eight will go for one, he adds. “It’s an extremely elegant garment and the salwar kameez can never replace that elegance and style, but the sari belongs to the gentry of Pakistan or the older generation. The old aunties still wear saris but it’s just not practical for the modern woman.” However, when it comes to his bride he would prefer her to be attired in the whole six yards when he decides to take the plunge.

According to Pakistan’s ace bridal couturiers Umar Sayeed the revival of the sari is seen in Pakistan largely contributed by the demand of formal and bridal wear. According to him, it’s the increasing demand for saris for weddings that allows sari-manufacturing areas like Karachi’s Orangi Town to prosper.

“Someone must be buying these saris for the production to be on a constant high,” he says. “As a designer I see a 1:3 ratio (of saris to salwar kameezes) and brides from all over Pakistan are coming to us for saris to wear to their Valimas (a traditional dinner hosted by the groom’s parents one day after the main wedding ceremony). The demand for bridal saris is increasing. They are timeless and people realize the worth of investing in them.”

The chairperson of Fashion Pakistan, one of Pakistan’s fashion councils, Maheen Khan has altered the style of the sari in a bid to modernize the attire. She has created the ‘half-sari’, a two piece combination that tucks a separate dupatta into a folded petticoat. Pakistani designer saris are made of delicate chiffon fabric and usually intricately embellished. These come at a price tag of at least Rs.50, 000 Pakistani rupees.

Younger generations prefer saris in simple chiffons or light silks teamed with a stylish sleeveless blouse. As far as cotton saris go, India is the best place to look for quality and genuineness. Designer saris are best preferred for formal wear.

The Indian cinema and soaps have hugely contributed to the resurrection of the sari in Pakistan; however its presence is felt stronger in the south as compared to north. Karachi in particular houses a vast variety in saris as it is home to various communities. In northern Pakistan, the sari is usually preferred essentially as a bridal wear. In the North Western Frontier, however the sari disappears completely or remains hidden behind the burqa.

Salabianca’s collection is deeply inspired by India given the country’s rich heritage, traditions customs and diverse cuisines. Salabianca is also the co-founder of Tino Soon. Bright colorful costumes, quality and variety of Indian textiles and different dressing styles is what stirred Salabianca’s latest collection.

Soon and partner, Allan Chan, have incorporated India’s rich cultural heritage in their collection, Incredible India. Indian beauties have been crowned a number of times at international beauty pageants. India is also the land of Bollywood, a film industry that churns out maximum number of films. Bollywood is perhaps the bet medium to portray India’s rich cultural heritage. Mirrored work, colorful saris intricately embellished or embroidered salwar kameez or lehengas are attires that are unique to India.

Knee-length shirt-style tunics with lungis or dhotis remain the tradition menswear. In the northern region however Pathani suits are commonly worn among men. Varied styles and textiles add immense diversity to Indian fashion and hence India is considered the perfect spot for fabric shopping. Elaborating on the rich traditional heritage, Soon commented “India is an amazing country. Everything - from the monuments with their intricate pillars and Moghul-influenced architecture to the variety of food - is simply magnificent. You have to visit India to fall in love with it”.

Chandi Chowk in Delhi happens to be one of the most frequented and busy markets of the city. A fashion shoot was for model Amber Chia was arranged with this location as the backdrop. The model was transformed into a Bollywood beauty, under the expertise of MAC’s makeup artist Reyo Lim. People flocked as the model arrived at the busy market for her shoot, posing in different outfits. Quite amazed at the response she remarked “It is like a scene from a Bollywood movie. I seem to have more fans in India than Malaysia!”

The rich outfits portray India’s cultural heritage perfectly. Salabianca’s trademark hand-sewn embellishments and delicate embroidery impart the creations an exquisite appeal. The most fascinating outfits are elaborately embellished and feature Indian motifs like paisley prints and sequined flowers. Any creations also feature rich Indian cultural heritage in terms of Indian architecture etc. Minaret and dome motifs bring to mind Moghul architecture (think: Agra’s Taj Mahal, Red Fort and Baby Taj) while semi-precious stones - crystals, jadeite, amethyst, turquoise and smoky crystal - salute India’s continuous legacy of jewellery making.

A few Asian outfits also feature Asian cultured freshwater pearls and trimmings adding the traditional touch. Intricate detailing further enhances the appeal of the outfits. A bodice of a turquoise velvet silk empire-waisted cocktail dress is embedded with beads and semi-precious stones imparting a regal feel to the attire. Popular beaded dresses especially the collection’s one-shoulder asymmetrical chiffon beaded number, comes with a maroon sari drape with embellishments. Another eye catching outfit includes fully-beaded knee-length chiffon dress with embellishments featuring paisley prints with thighs.
Embellished shorts and skirts also make attractive outfits. The silver linen slim shorts worn with red velvet silk cropped jacket embellished with beadwork makes it a simple yet stylish attire.

According to Chan “A fully beaded dress can take 10 to 14 days depending on the skill of the artisan. We use beads of different colours and sizes, that’s why it is time consuming. The work on one dress must be done by the same artisan. Each embellisher has her own beading “rhythm” and if two people work on a dress, you can see the difference”.

Inspired by the Indian dressing styles, Soon has cleverly incorporated the features into his collection. For example, he “modernised” the salwar kameez by shortening the pants and tunics to give them a trendier feel. He also designed tight fitting tops based on the lehangas top or choli.

Elaborating further on his collection he says “We worked around different designs and colour themes. Colours in the collection range from royal pink, white, fuchsia, orange, terracotta and turquoise blue. Gold and silver thread, the colours for the season, are incorporated into most of the outfits”.

His collection comprises of a skilful fusion of Indian and Japanese fabrics with Indian motifs and colors. The fabrics are obtained from various places - saree trimmings are from India and Thailand while lamé comes from India and Japan. Silk chiffon is sourced from China, Japan and Italy and silk velvet from Italy and Japan. Salabianca’s collection derives its inspiration from India.

For the period April-November 2006, the UK’s share of silk imports from India showed nearly 2%, while the US market dipped by 2%. The dip in the US market seems primarily due to other fabrics and dress materials gaining precedence over silk. While exports to the US came down to 27.8% compared with 29.8% during the same period in the previous year, the UK market went up from 9.7% to 11.6%. On the revenue front, while the US declined from Rs 602.8 crore to Rs 575.38 crore, the UK went up from Rs 196.15 crore to Rs 239.34 crore.

It was during the period 2002-03 that the Indian silk exports witnessed a growth in the UK sector. Indian silk exporters contribute 17% to the UK’s silk imports after China at 14%. India meets almost 50% of UK’s silk fabric demand. Silk fabric exports to the UK increased to $31.42 million in 2005-06 from $20.26 million in 2003-04 and it is expected to increase by 15-20% in 2006-07. For the year 2006-07, the ministry of textile is targeting to export silk worth Rs 3,200 crore which would include readymade garments, carpets, wastes and fabrics.

Encouraged by the recent bulk orders received from UK and UAE, the exporters have high expectations to meet the above goal. Combined share of the UAE and Saudi Arabia in the Indian silk exports increased to 8.6% in the April-November 2006 period from 7.5% in the same period a year ago, while revenues from these countries also went up to Rs 176.56 crore from Rs 151.60 crore. The top five countries US, the UK, Italy, the UAE and Germany import Indian silk goods accounting for 27.8%, 11.6%, 6.7%, 5.9% and 5.7% respectively.