 Zeba and Shehrnaz Husain are Instep's hotsteppers this week, as they literally caused quite a fashion stampede in Lahore with their opening of the multi-retail store Ensemble at the Mall of Lahore. The opening held up traffic for miles around the block and the Mall's management had to concede in awe how they had never seen such hordes. Despite being minimally advertised, over 500 women from all walks of life descended to the store: models, actors, designers, socialites and the wives of all the bigwigs in the city. The gracious manner with which Zeba and Shehrnaz dealt with their customers and the individual attention that they showered on each client render them both entrepreneurs whose social graces are par excellence: "Opening in Lahore is an extension of Ensemble's vision, which is to help make fashion exciting, accessible and dynamic; and what better place to execute this vision. Lahore does after all share both a historical and contemporary relationship with high fashion and style and the immense support and hospitality shown to us by Lahore's 500-plus strong crowd at our store was humbling," enthused Zeba.
They successfully managed to avert the Karachi versus Lahore fashion conflict by offering a delightful range of designs from the city by the sea, from fashion stalwarts like Rizwan Beyg and Faiza Samee (who exclusively stock with Ensemble), to new trendsetters Sadaf Malaterre and Nida Azwer, along with bringing in the perennial favourites from across the border: Ritu Kumar, Tarun Tahiliani and Simar Dugal, simultaneously respectful of the design houses already present in Lahore. They don't care for fashion councils or the politics endemic to the system, and go all out to form collaborations with local and Indian designers and putting them on the stage in fashion shows each season. With them one saw Bunto Kazmi's and Nilofer Shahid's prêt lines take to the catwalk, a feat nobody's ever managed till now. For their commitment to fashion in times of debilitating recession, for bringing in a fresh outlook to style in Lahore, catering to women of all sizes and the flair with which they entered and conquered an alien market, Zeba and Shehrnaz Husain are our hotsteppers this week. |
