INSTEP Magzine

Not many designers do prêt a porter as well as Sonya Battla and for many years she has been designing her own block prints just as well as her ready to wear. Her last collection - which incorporated birds as the theme - was indeed iconic. So when Sonya took a step towards going national with her very first collection of lawn prints, it was all but a matter of time. Rizwan Beyg has dabbled in lawn as have Sana Safinaz. And it was great to see the summer craze for lawn sweep Sonya Battla away too.

As a high end designer, Sonya has chosen to remain exclusive to her flagship store for many years but with this lawn collection she told Instep she was "ready to reach out to a wider audience." Whether or not this means an overall expansion in terms of her fashion label only time will tell but it certainly does seem like an indicator.

For the meantime, Sonya has designed for Lala Textile Mills in Lahore; they have been running operations for the past 30 years and have the infrastructure to distribute the lawn on a nationwide scale. Putting some sense of style in everyday wear is the basic purpose and since every woman in Pakistan is a great investor in lawn, what better way than through the language they speak. For taking this brave step towards popular demand and designing her very first lawn collection, Sonya Battla is Instep's hotstepper of the week!

Sonya Battla's lawn prints are on exhibition (today is the last day!) at the Pearl Continental Karachi.