It's turning out to be
a good year for Pakistan's fashion industry. Not only are the established
designers moving beyond their studios, into international fashion
weeks and global showings, but the industry is also welcoming an
unprecedented number of new designers, ready to step into full bloom.
Amidst all this activity is a segment of the older guard, who until
now did not feel the need to step out of their creative burrows,
but have decided to do so now. Samar Mehdi falls in that category
- a designer who entered the scene a good ten years ago but restricted
her business and public appearances to her flagship store in Karachi.
While her business met a boom over the years, she never became a
fashion entity of the sort that her peers had.
Samar recently hosted her first solo fashion show in Karachi and
with it declared that she was now ready to step out in full form.
She talks to Instep about her first show, changing the gears and
what motivated her to do so….
Instep: This was your
first show in ten years. Why has it taken you so long to launch?
Samar Mehdi: I always wanted my first fashion show to be a solo
show. Group shows of the sort done in Pakistan never appealed to
me and I didn't want to be another designer doing a random collection
to launch some product. Having studied fashion at Bristol University
and having worked backstage for four years at London Fashion Week
I understood what kind of work would have to go into a solo show
and I needed time and finances to put that together. This is a show
and these are collections that I can be proud of.
Instep: Tell
us about the collections…
SM: I divided the show into three segments. The first was called
Oriental Muse, which was a collection of clothes I was preparing
for Pakistan Fashion Week. I used Chinese brocades and other rich
fabrics to put together an Oriental look. There were a lot of bright,
vivid colours, wide belts which are trendy these days and knee length
hemlines. Even the accessories were created to match the collection.
The second segment was the Red Carpet Glamour which was essentially
a collection of black, crème, brown and white gowns. My favourite
item of clothing actually is a ballgown and so something that started
out as a five piece collection developed into something bigger.
I actually cut all the patterns myself - haven't been able to trust
anyone else with the job yet - and I can safely say that no one
in Pakistan can cut a gown as good as I can. There was a lot of
experimentation with patterns in this collection and I thoroughly
enjoyed putting it together.
The third collection was called Vestige for the flashback it gave
of the classic fifties. That is one of my favourite eras for fashion
and I reinvented it with a lot of drop waist dresses. Even the accessories
were very classic, from the hats down to the headgear. It even had
a lot of high waisted trousers which are very fashionable these
days.
Instep: There
is a collection of everything at your boutique but it's difficult
to pinpoint a strong signature that one can creatively call yours.
How would you define your signature?
SM: My clients recognize my signature. I would say that my cuts
are my strength as I cut every garment I make myself. Another important
feature in my clothes is the emphasis on sensuality as opposed to
sexuality. With embellishments, my use of beads and sequins is unique.
I never use dabka or kora - I'm not an ethnically inclined designer
at all and that reflects in my work. Of course what I stock in the
shop is inclined to get a bit commercial too.
Instep: What
sells most?
SM: Oh, everything. At this time of the year, trousseau wear flies
off the shelves. The age demographic of my clientele falls between
25 and 40 so everything appealing to that age group sells. I work
on westerns towards the winters when the party season kicks in.
And I only make three to four bridals a year. I don't want to be
known for my bridals - they're not what I studied and they're not
what I was trained to make.
