Khadija Shah of Elan spices up an LBD with a gorgeous dose of bling! The Valentino belt is used as necklace, lush!
March 29, 2010
Iffat Umar: Star Style.
Iffat Umar spotted in an Umar Sayeed ensemble at the recent fashion week. Helloooo to the fact that she said G'bye to any jewels! So refreshing.. :)
March 28, 2010
Ansari, A little tooo Arora?
Nomi Ansari's collection at first look seemed to lack the crisp execution needed. Color was always his thing but it seems he is taken by Manish Arora's aesthetic. The collection i believe was interesting, but completely editorial. IMO every look needed to get rid of at least two accessories.
As Coco Chanel says: 'Before leaving the house, look at yourself in the mirror and take two things off'
Manish Arora (courtesy FB fan page)
March 25, 2010
Jahanara Saigol: Bag that Style!
Jahanara looking quiet the Chic self that she is in fur by fendi and clutch by Shana London. Steal her style with:
Clutch by Carlos, Earrings at Barneys, Boots by YSL ( currently on sale Yayy) and a bargain belt at asos.com!
Image: Vogue Italia.
Mirror-rific!
Ok so we all know fashion repeats itself but who would've thought 'Mirror Work' would be the latest trend!
Temperly London adds some shine to a gorgeous blue, Mrios Schwab blings up a black LBD at the cuffs and Khadija Shah of Elan opts for a gorgeous Mirror Necklace.
shoes by Thakoon, Gold dress; Naeem Khan Fall 2010, Clutch at asos.com
March 24, 2010
Luxe List: Summer 2010
Summer is here.. Yayyy NOT! Beat the heat in style with a few fashion essentials..
- The white tunic, This is a must and the best thing is this garment allows for any shape and size! Put on a bit of lace, a bit of pleating, a knot in the front or just some pearl buttons on the front and your set!
- Take the LWD from a day to evening look with a gorgeous printed jackets, your tailors are full well capable of making a jacket ( just give him a sample.. the one you bought from primark last year? or your friend's gucci). Pick a print but make sure the fabric is heavy and stable to pull off the structure of a jacket, dot with some sequins or a brooch if you wish and your all set for a party!
- The classic: The orange Birkin, Don't matter if your wearing crap... top it off with a birkin and watch that smile :)
- The Sandal: This summer its NOT the gladiator, please girls throw it away or just give it to your 'safai' wali! but no glads this summer... Opt for thongs or flip flops (bejeweled if you must ;)
- Statement jewelry : Store that cocktail ring you got! and dig into your mom's old jewels. Kundan Jadau are the jewels to go this season but more is less girls. If you wear the big chocker, miss the earrings completely. If you go for the ring, miss the bracelet and so on so forth...
- Grass: Yes replace the flowers in your house with gorgeous grass, fake as in the image if needed! It's a fresh idea.
March 23, 2010
Picks : PFW 2010.
... so Pakistan Fashion week was the latest happening out in Lahore.. Don't feel like posting all the images so just gonna show you what i like and why?
... This cropped jacket by Rouge, I think its a brilliant idea to don a cropped heavily worked jacket over a loose shirt. Go for a black loose shirt, black wide pants and a heavily worked jacket. TIP: browse your old stuff, find a heavy shirt you love but hate and make it into a jacket!
On trend jacket at Karma; Jump Suits were all that last season in International fashion and as expected have finally trickled down into Pakistan.. I am not a big karma fan but this jacket is HOT!
If i had to give the 'most improved design house' award it would be Nayna!
.. well done.
One collection that was totally summer, wearable and on trend was Sara Salman!
Loved it!
March 22, 2010
Heat.
Being Pakistani or more generally of eastern origin i love color and therefore HATE fall season, it's like Black season! But hallelujah for Zac Posen who brought some serious color to the runway with his Fall 2010 collection.
The color palette is a gorgeous swirl of an autumn fire. Orange, rust, pomegranate and mustard, LOVE!
p.s. velvet is every where! so weather permitting make sure you indulge in this luxurious fabric.
R.I.P Mc Queen.
Days before his Fall 2010 show McQueen, the very talented british designer took his own life. His contribution to fashion is immense and will be missed dearly.
Give me some sunshine!
Yellow has always been my favorite color but it is much more tricky than people realize. It takes the right shade, the right cut or just the right amount of this gorgeous color. This season fashion designers have hit the right shade of yellow! It's deep, it's intense and it's hot! It's Mustard Yellow.
Fendi, Fall 2010. Burberry , Fall 2010.
March 21, 2010
Painting Milan RED!
Designers have been adding a splash of red to their mostly dark collections..
at emporio armani, I love the red but the head gear is a bit too 'ghetto meets scary spice!'
Etro, my all time love have not disappointed at all! They played down the usual suspects, Paisleys and went for more structure and block color dresses, LOVE! (left)
The collection at bottega was a gorgeous play of textures, with silks and chiffons paired with leather (right).
hallelujah! for the absence of those hideous blue psychedelic prints at pucci! Infact it was a much feminine, flowy and color specific collection, with the red above being a favorite! (left)
latex? eewwww D squared, you can't win 'em all can you? (right)
.. and the Queen said: I fight my own war!
Props, attitude, FASHION! A vision need not a defined boundary. A vision can be as large as you want and as overwhelming as you want. Seeing Ali Zeeshan's collection at the Fashion week was like witnessing the birth of a Pakistani Lacroix! Excitement beyond measure for a fashion freak such as myself. The collection to me was about:
' A queen that fought her own war!'
She's fierce but fashionable.
... i would love to see how this vision transforms into wearable clothes.
Fabric.
Yes! Fabric, see it? No? A lot of designers don't understand that simple treatment of a gorgeous fabric can be the perfect garment. It is possible to create fashion without embellishment and beading. Observe...
lat word: Khadija Shah of Elan.
Some talk shalk with the gorgeous Khadija Shah of Elan, Enjoy!
ss: How did you celebrate the holidays?
KS: I went to nathiagali with my friends and all our babies.
ss: What's your favorite winter food?
KS: barbecue
ss: What was your childhood nickname, and what's your nickname now?
KS: Dija and still is
ss: What was the first movie you remember seeing as a child?
KS: Sound of Music
ss: What's your favorite store in the world?
KS: Harvey Nichol’s and Label’s Karachi
ss: What's your favorite Fashion memory?
KS: At college when I was at my thinnest, I wore these white skinny pants with a white sleeveless tank and a long beige suede and fur coat on top and went super chic clubbing in Chicago. It was great fun people thought I was a celebrity or something.
ss: Have you ever been discouraged or felt challenged in pursuing your innovative take to Fashion?
KS: Well sometimes I do, when I send something I think is fabulous to the stores and it’s not very enthusiastically received because people want to to go for the same old things, but that’s mostly in Lahore. I love designing for the Karachi lot. Also, its very frustrating when other designers start copying my work and pretend its there brilliant idea; but the up side is that it also keeps me on my toes because I constantly want to come up with new things..
ss: You were the first to introduce the use of various fabric dimensions in garments, and every one has followed... Does it matter when people claim to be the pioneers?
KS: Well I never used to lay claim to anything before. As long as my clients appreciated the clothes and the sales were good I liked to keep a low profile. BUT then I noticed other designers were not only copying my work but also claiming to have been the brains behind those designs. That has really annoyed me and now I do like to admit when asked, that I did start the printed back, plain front trend and also the many different color/prints, paneled shirts at least in Lahore. I believe Sana Safinaz in Karachi also started doing them at roughly the same time but I didn’t know about that till much later as I had not seen their work since I made some of my own wedding clothes from them in 2006. Hence they were not my inspiration as I’m sure I wasn’t there’s
ss: What was the most rewarding - and challenging - thing about Fashion?
KS: Well the most rewarding is when your work is recognized, as you have done by interviewing me for your web-site. The most challenging I would say is to keep upping the design ante and keep your collections fresh and innovative without losing your signature style.
ss: Please look up from your computer and describe what you see.
KS: I can see a beautiful Anver Shafi landscape.
ss: What do you want the Elan woman to feel?
KS: Elegant and Luxe.
ss: The most understated Designer in the Fashion Industry?
KS: They are all mostly over-stated.
ss: The most over stated Designer in the Fashion Industry?
KS: I wouldn’t like to comment.
ss: Tell me about your favorite item of clothing/accessories and why it's so special to you?
KS: My gold Rolex, it has a customized ruby and sapphire strap and is absolutely stunning. It’s so special because my grandmother had got it for me when I was hardly a teenager to give me on my wedding. Sadly she passed away long before that and my mother presented it to me on her behalf.
ss: When was the last time you wrote a letter? Received one?
KS: I write letters all the time. I feel I can communicate best through writing. They are all mostly addressed to my husband Jehanzeb. Sometimes he is gracious enough to write one back haha so his would also be the last one I got.
ss: What's the greatest or most important lesson your parents taught you?
KS: Stand on your own feet.
ss: What's the first thing you do when you get home at night after work?
KS: Run to my babies!
ss: What's the worst gift you ever received?
KS: I can’t say. I get boring gifts all the time but I can’t pin point one as the worst.
ss: What never fails to make you cry?
KS: A mother losing a child even if it’s in a movie.
ss: When are you happiest?
KS: With my family or my real true friends.
ss:What's your favorite time of the day?
KS: Morning. I sketch, have my tea and chill-out in my pj’s with Zaydakbar and Hakan.
ss: What is the last thing you googled?
KS: Party games for grown-ups.
ss: What is the price range for your bridals? If someone doesn't afford to pay all at once, Do you have a deferred payment plan?
KS: My samples range from 200,000 to 400,000. But I design for people with all sorts of budgets.
ss: How does one do about interning at Elan? And is it only for Fashion student?
KS: Anyone interested in interning can email me their CV and if it works for me, I’ll ask them to come in for an interview and we’d take it from there. I feel people can have a flair for fashion without necessarily studying fashion and therefore I’d hire talented people regardless of what degree they have.
ss:Fashion only for the rich? your take...
Ks: I disagree. Some of the most fashionable people I’ve seen, put together great looks for themselves with high street or vintage clothing. Some even tailor there own outfits. Not all Rich people are fashionable and many people with limited means are insanely trendy..
ss: What is your computer desktop pattern/screen saver and how often do you change it?
KS: My son Zaydakbar’s picture from when he was born. He is two now so its not been changed since.
ss: Always...
KS: Upfront and Honest
ss:Never...
KS: apologize for speaking the truth
ss: Hard line truth about what you do, for those who wish to do it.
KS: it’s not all fun and games. You need to put in as much hard work as any other job if you want to be a success. And be prepared to never have any clothes for yourself!
SS: What do you think about Style Stripped and which is your favorite section?
KS: I think its great fun, ever since ive been introduced to it I regularly check it out. Its pure unadulterated fashion lowdown!
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