According to a report from US media outlet Puck, the Chinese retail juggernaut bought out Everlane on Saturday for $100 million. The company was reportedly in around $90m of debt when the deal was finalised between Shein and Everlane owners L Catterton, likely saving it from financial collapse.

The contrast is stark. San Francisco-based Everlane prides itself on its “radical transparency”, eco-friendly practices and use of natural fibres in its clothes.

Shein is the exact opposite, having been criticised for shoddy labour practices, misrepresenting environmental initiatives and reliance on artificial materials such as virgin polyester in the pursuit of ultra-cheap t-shirts and dresses.

Prior to the sale, Everlane had faced challenges with its revenue and leadership. The brand’s sales dipped in 2022 but recovered to some degree a year later. 2022 also saw the brand’s founder Michael Preysman stepping down as CEO and being replaced by Andrea O’Donnell, who was replaced by the current CEO Alfred Chang in 2024.

While the sale might help Everlane stay afloat, it will likely leave a bad taste in the mouths of some of its most loyal customers who flock to it precisely because of its promises of ethics and responsibility.

In an email to CNN, Neil Saunders, managing director of consulting firm GlobalData, said, “Shein has the finances and patience to undertake this, but it would also need to be prepared to endure some short term pain due to customer churn. Ultimately, the deal likely saves Everlane. But that salvation comes at a price.”

Families said they have been struggling to find new wedding dresses and many search instead for places that refurbish gowns and other kinds of clothes for their children.

Importers cite delays, high shipping costs, and restrictions on materials, ​such as the crystals encrusted into the elaborate wedding dresses, as key factors behind the shortages and ​price hikes.

Many workshops have also been damaged during the conflict.

“We try to reuse the ⁠old gowns that we have, produce them by fixing them a bit, work on them, wash them, arrange them, ​shape them,” said Rantisi, adding that work initially relied on a bicycle-powered sewing machine due to electricity shortages.

Rantisi said ​she used to buy the fabric for about 120 to 150 shekels ($41 to $51) before the war, but now pays around 500 shekels ($171).

“This has caused a big rise in the cost of bridal dresses and children’s gowns. We are living in a vicious circle from ​the war that affected us,” she added.

Cogat, the Israeli military agency that controls access to Gaza, said in ​a statement it “allows and facilitates the entry of various clothing items, in accordance with requests submitted by aid organisations and the international ‌community.”

Cogat ⁠said that it was not aware of any restrictions being imposed on materials such as crystals.

Most of Gaza’s more than 2 million people have been displaced, many now living in bombed-out homes and makeshift tents pitched on open ground, roadsides, or atop the ruins of destroyed buildings after two years of war with Israel.

High prices beyond reach for ​most in Gaza

Despite the ​hardships, some couples still find ⁠ways to celebrate, with mass weddings held in Gaza offering a rare moment of joy amid the devastation.

Still, shop workers say those celebrations come at a price.

“Before the war, ​prices were reasonable for everyone,” said Rawan Shalouf, an employee at a bridal shop.

“But ​now, given the ⁠circumstances we’re in, the price of a dress is ridiculous.”

Across Gaza, brides and families are struggling to afford even basic wedding needs. Shahed Fayez, 21, is due to marry in about four days but has been searching in vain for ⁠a ​dress.

“I don’t care about its style, what’s important is that it’s new,” ​she added.

“The cheapest dress is $1,000 or more, that’s the minimum, and all we have is less than $200. The entire dowry does not cover the ​price of a dress.”

Rather than wear western gowns, she’s chosen to represent Pakistani fashion and heritage at Cannes and we love it. But that’s not all she’s repping. According to Brut India, she is the inaugural honouree of the South Asian Women Excellence in Cinema and Arts initiative launched by Us Studios.

Saeed posted about the moment she walked the red carpet. “I didn’t go as an ambassador for a brand, I didn’t go as part of a film team, I went just as a South Asian woman representing Pakistan and our heritage and craft. I told you I’d walk for the women of Pakistan, for the ones who came before us, for the ones who are yet to come and for the ones are never seen behind the scenes.”

Earlier, she spoke about representing Pakistan and the many women in its entertainment industry. “Women are the custodians of Pakistani entertainment,” she said in a powerful video.

“This Cannes, I’m not just walking the red carpet, I walk carrying every woman who has stitched, written, directed, watched, and dared to dream. And the next generation, she’s already here.” 

And carry she did, in an outfit custom-made by Rehar. According to the designer, it took 50 artisans 2,354 hours to complete the embroidery on the ivory outfit.

In her earlier post, she went into detail about her clothes, calling Rehar a master of his craft who “keeps the women he designs for at the centre of his creations”. “This beautiful take on an Anarkali meets haute couture and the global trends of layering and volume and old world charm. The outfit is made from the purest of fabrics. Silks and chiffons. The intricate, metallic work called Mukesh was hand embroidered by women in Bahawalpur,” she said.

The flowers in her hair, a statement if we ever saw one, were handpicked from the garden by Samah, her ’“little helper there from Lahore/Houston”. “Her mother Ayesha aunty, who accompanied Samah, then strung the flowers to make the larees to wrap around my hair.”

Her gorgeous style statements extended to her pre-red carpet looks as well. At Rehar’s exhibition, she wore a black and white sherwani-style long coat, paired with what appeared to be a beaded skirt beneath it.

Earlier, she wore an amazing pale yellow outfit that screamed summer.

From her incredible outfits, chosen with care and intention, to the way she’s carrying herself with grace and poise, wearing her identity on her sleeve, Saeed is making all of us incredibly proud.

Sanam Saeed, you’ll always be our favourite.

Cover via Shakeel Bin Afzal

The National Chamber of Italian Fashion (CNMI), which organises fashion week, has been under pressure from animal activists to ban fur at the shows — something fashion weeks in London, New York and various others have already done.

But the guidelines published on Friday fell short of activists’ demands, making the request not to show fur voluntary.

“The CNMI believes that the most effective approach does not consist in imposing bans… but in issuing a request not to present, during the Milan Fashion Week shows, clothing, accessories, or any other item made of fur,” the body said.

The new guidelines, to come into effect starting in September, include the chamber not using fur in its communications.

According to the chamber, materials excluded from the guidelines include shearling, vintage fur and fur obtained “by indigenous communities through traditional subsistence hunting practices”.

Most fashion names who show at Milan Fashion Week have already gone fur-free, including the Armani Group, Dolce & Gabbana and Prada, but a major holdout has been Fendi, which began as a furrier.

In her first show for the brand, new Fendi designer Maria Grazia Chiuri showed a collection that included “remodelled” furs, or pieces from old furs reworked into new designs.

In March, anti-fur activists demonstrated during the women’s shows, unfurling banners that said “Milan Fashion Week Go Fur-Free”.

Animal activists noted that CNMI’s new guidelines fell short of the flat-out bans on fur seen in other fashion weeks, but nevertheless called it progress.

“Without a fur-free policy like those in place at New York and London Fashion Weeks, there is no guarantee that cruelty will be excluded from Milan’s runways,” said Emma Hakansson of Collective Fashion Justice.­

Originally published in Dawn, May 16th, 2026

The actor cut off her long locks and is now rocking a pixie — just in time for the summer — and everyone has lost their minds. From shock to horror, there are a lot of reactions online, especially on X where sane opinions go to die, so we thought we’d address some of them.

Sajal posted a picture of her new haircut on her stories on Tuesday night. Many speculated that it might be a filter.

She then posted a video of her hair to her account, and her sister, Saboor Aly, commented, which many took as confirmation that this was no filter or wig.

The internet then lost their collective minds. We’ve picked some of the tame reactions to include in this article.

There were some sane voices that pointed out that Sajal was not in fact the first Pakistani woman to get a pixie cut and that they actually used to be pretty common.

There were also others who understood that this was not normal behaviour.

We understand that many people appear to have a parasocial relationship with Sajal’s hair — if you take ‘understand’ to mean begrudgingly accept with great contempt — but the line really must be drawn somewhere.

If you don’t like a pixie cut, don’t get one, but Sajal has a right to get whatever haircut she wants. Sure, no one can stop you from having an opinion on her hair, though we don’t understand why it would be a point of conversation you feel deeply enough to post rants on social media about, but at some point, you’ve got to let it go and touch grass.

The girl got a haircut and everyone is acting like she’s committed a crime against humanity. It’s her hair and if she wanted to shave it all off, that would be her choice too.

And for all those in the ‘we have a right to our opinion’ camp, yes, you certainly do, but that doesn’t mean it’s valid.

We’d also like to remind everyone, this is Sajal Aly we’re talking about. She looks good in anything and everything.

TLDR: Let Sajal Aly get whatever haircut she wants because she looks good in everything.

The Pakistani designer will be presenting his collection Lahore — A Knot in South Asia’s Loom alongside the Cannes Film Festival’s 79th edition today (Friday). The exhibition will be an invite-only event at Château St George.

Rehar posted the details of the event in an Instagram post on his brand’s page, calling the collection “a decolonisation of fashion’s origin story told through Lahore, craftsmanship and South Asian authorship”.

The post said this was the first time a Pakistani designer was presenting their work alongside global fashion houses such as Gucci and Roberto Cavalli.

Clarifying the theme of the showcase, the post said it “celebrates Lahore as a source of fashion, craft and cultural inspiration”.

Going into the anti-colonial message behind the collection, it said Rehar “confronts fashion’s erasure of South Asian craftsmanship, calling out how traditions like zardozi, phulkari, khussa and maang tikka have been renamed and stripped of their origins”.

“You cannot rename what you did not make… If a kimono can be called a kimono, then a dupatta should be called a dupatta,” the designer said.

He added that this was not just a collection, it was “a return of signature, stitch and source”. His post called for a recognition of Lahore and the Subcontinent’s influence on global fashion and craftsmanship.

This isn’t the designer’s first soiree in one of fashion’s most significant cities. He presented his collection Jeevan in Paris during Paris Fashion Week (PFW) in October. The collection made a point to highlight the intricate work perfected by Pakistan’s craftspeople.

Before Rehar, Natasha Kamal showcased her work at PFW in 2017 as part of a special exhibition of couturists from 14 countries aimed at promoting peace through cultural dialogue.

In a style of censure usually reserved for women and their choices, Mustafa received intense public backlash for wearing a pair of shorts and sitting with his legs crossed.

The actor was called “shameless”, “vulgar” and all sorts of other names people used most recently to talk about fellow actor Dananeer Mobeen and sheer tights she wore under a skirt.

Mishi Khan, the actor known more for her social media commentary than her acting, even chided him for showcasing his “beautiful hairy legs”. She said different places had different dress codes and it wasn’t appropriate for male celebrities to be wearing shorts during interviews. “You’re not at some beach party,” she remarked.

She also talked about how women face so much more flak for these things and asked why everyone who treated Mobeen’s clothes like the end of the world just last week was silent today.

She wasn’t alone in this criticism — the internet was awash with people who were offended by Mustafa’s clothes for one reason or the other. From the hypocrisy of men being allowed to wear shorts when women were criticised for it relentlessly to his clothes being inappropriate for an interview, a lot was said.

However, it seems Mustafa knew this was going to happen and simply did not care enough about the haters. In the interview, he made a point about double standards in Pakistani society, where some things are kosher in foreign films but Pakistani filmmakers face backlash for doing them.

He said Nora Fatehi and her dances were hugely popular in Pakistan, but if Mehwish Hayat — his Zombeid co-star who was sitting next to him — danced in Na Maloom Afraad, it was suddenly not okay.

This is when he got to his shorts and asked what the big deal was if he did wear them. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve been wearing them since I was a child, they’re just shorts. What’s the matter?”

He said he had worn shorts in school all the way till sixth grade and continues to wear them for activities like badminton and cricket. The actor said you could go out on an evening stroll and see 10 people also wearing shorts, so it was unclear to him what the issue was.

When host Aamna Isani asked if he wore the shorts to promote his own clothing line, he retorted quickly. “I don’t give a s**t, that’s why I wear them. Why is everyone telling me what to wear and what not to wear?”

He then promptly used the opportunity to promote his clothing business.

The sad reality is that Mustafa is right. Society has a habit of linking clothes to morals and then policing them, for men and especially for women. While Mustafa is wondering why everyone is telling him what to wear, we’re wondering how this is one of the first male actors in the country who’s been policed for their clothes, especially given that female actors are policed nonstop.

Perhaps the solution is just to let everyone wear and do what they want…

Actors and models tasked their good friend Chat GPT to get them ready for the biggest night in global fashion and the results were… something.

Azfar Rehman — The one who followed the dress code

Let’s start with one of the better ones. Azfar Rehman’s “Met Gala look” was a suit and cape inspired by Barcelona’s iconic La Pedrera — a heritage building from the early 20th-century designed by Antoni Gaudi. It was perhaps the only look that kept to the Gala’s theme of ‘Fashion is Art’.

On the flip side, Mehwish Hayat called the outfit “very holesome” and we’re kinda mad we didn’t come up with that one.

Tooba Siddiqui — Mad Max: GT Road

Tooba Siddiqui kept things desi and likely used “goth truck art” — three words that have probably never been uttered together before –– in the prompt she used for her dress.

What came out can only be described as “truck art if the truck driver was also a pirate”. There’s very little colour, there are skulls, everything is black. It looks like something a toxic ex would wear to your wedding.

Srha Asgr — Fashion is the art gallery

In a leap of logic only AI is capable of, Srha Asgr’s look said, “Fashion is art, art is found in galleries, therefore fashion is the gallery.”

Her gown was covered from neck to toe in — empty — picture frames, making us wonder whether she was sending a message about the new-age obsession with everything picture-perfect, or if she just called it a day after a couple of messages with her chatbot.

Hina Altaf — Dressed for the wrong year

Hina Altaf had her look generated for a Met Gala, just not the one in 2026. Her look, a form-fitting tunic with a mandarin collar and gold embroidery would have worked for past events which focused on history — maybe 1979, when the theme was the Hapsburg-era fashion.

Still, if she’d get something similar made by real people and wear it to a real event, we think it could work.

Ahmed Ali Butt — Solar Superman

Okay, Ahmed Ali Butt’s creation was definitely unfit for this year’s Met Gala. He knows it, we know it, everyone knows it.

Still, the actor did send a message about renewable energy with the wings embedded with solar panels and a gas cylinder with “no gas” printed on it. We’re not sure we get the Jordans though.

Jokes aside, it’s odd to see so many artists resort to AI for costume inspiration at a time when Pakistani fashion can be said to be experiencing a golden age both at home and abroad.

Pakistan’s art scene would perhaps be better served if these celebrities worked with their friends and colleagues in the fashion industry to host an actual themed gala to benefit our own museums.

When the world is turning to Pakistani brands like Warp and Rastah for fashion, why are our own celebrities going to half-baked robots to dress them up anyway?

The theme for the Met Gala — the over-the-top charity event turned fashion spectacle — returned on May 4 with a theme reflecting the spring exhibition at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, which is “Costume Art”.

We’re just going to be examining the good looks, because the boring looks were too meh to even discuss. Think breastplates — many, many breastplates — that tied into nothing artsy and men in boring suits.

Heidi Klum

The winner of the night has to be model Heidi Klum, who brought her love for Halloween and costumes to create an insane costume replicating the Veiled Vestal by Raffaelle Monti. If there’s one thing we know about Klum and her love for costumes, it’s that she’s going to commit to whatever she does, and she certainly committed to this look.

Created by special effects artist Mike Marino, this costume transformed fabric into sculpture, manipulating latex and spandex with extraordinary precision to mirror the stillness, delicacy, and illusion of carved marble, according to Klum’s Instagram.

Unfortunately, much like the veiled statues, Klum’s outfit isn’t very PG, so we can’t share full pictures of it. Suffice to say, she captured the beauty of a marble statue.

Kendall Jenner

Kendall Jenner’s far less elaborate but still on theme recreation of the Nike of Samothrace was also a winner.

Her outfit featured a peach corset beneath a ruched white gown, imitating the marble statue and was created by Zac Posen for GAP Studio.

Madonna

Madonna wore a custom Saint Laurent outfit, brining drama to the red carpet with her recreation of Leonora Carrington’s The Temptation of St Anthony, Fragment II, complete with a crew of colourfully attired women lifting her grey veil.

On her head was a miniature of a ship, much like the painting, and in her hands she carried a circular trumpet.

Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter’s look was a departure from the classical art-inspired looks on the red carpet. Dressed in Dior, her dress was reportedly created using film strips from the 1954 movie Sabrina starring Audrey Hepburn.

We guess she was making a statement that film is also art, which we appreciate for the creativity.

Bad Bunny

Speaking of creativity, we couldn’t have a list on good Met Gala outfits without a mention of Bad Bunny. Dressed as an old man, his look was possibly a nod to the museum’s Aging Body exhibition, which is pretty darn creative if you ask us.

His prosthetics were created by makeup artist Mike Marino, who also did Klum’s costume.

The Puerto Rican singer wore a custom black tuxedo he designed with Zara with a large bow on his neck.

Emma Chamberlain

Emma Chamberlain was draped in Mugler. Her look was designed by the brand’s creative director, Miguel Castro Freitas.

A gorgeous creation of swirls and movement, her gown looked quite literally like a piece of art come to life. One of the most interesting details of her gown was how the entire top half looked like an oil painting, mimicking the distinctive texture of the paint.

Hunter Schaefer

Model and actor Hunter Schaefer wore one of the more fun looks of the night, recreating Gustav Klimt’s Mäda Primavesi.

Wearing Prada, Schaefer even recreated the painting’s distinctive makeup — rosy pink cheeks and blue shadow on the eyes.

Beyonce

Beyonce made her return to the Met Gala after 10 years wearing a skeletal design by Olivier Rousteing, the former creative director of Balmain.

Perhaps paying tribute to the art that is the human body, her outfit recreated the skeletal system in crystals.

Maria Zardoya

A little creepy, a little cool, Maria Zardoya, lead singer of the band The Marias, wore a puffy pink tulle gown by Matieres Fecales to the Met Gala, while carrying a porcelain doll replica of herself and looking like she was pulled from a painting.

According to her Instagram, the porcelain doll, which was made in the early 20th century, circa 1910 to 1925, was meant to represent her because her family called her “the little porcelain doll” when she was younger.

Karan Johar

Bollywood filmmaker Karan Johar made a splash in Manish Malhotra.

His outfit was inspired by the art of Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma. Johar donned a cape featuring paintings of what appears to be an Indian court and a heavily embellished coat inside.

What really caught our eye here is not just the overall cape — it’s how each it isn’t one dimensional. Each character on his cape gets their own gorgeous embroidery and fabric — the women wear saris of velvet with light gold embroidery, while the men’s shawls and coats feature embellishments. Even the pillars aren’t just paintings.

What were your favourite looks of the night?

Styled by Saad Hassan, the star wore a white shirt with a wide collar and puffed shoulders, paired with a traditional Balochi shalwar. The top and bottom were plain, likely in a deliberate effort to keep attention on the star of the outfit: an embroidered corset full of messages.

The corset, keeping with her film’s themes, had pictures of young girls playing football on it in green, black, white and brown threadwork. It also had rickshaws, palm trees and floral motifs, adding a tasteful pop of colour to the outfit.

The piece also carried some writing, notably a banner saying, “Lyari ka Fakhar (The Pride of Lyari)”.

The jewellery selection was quite distinct, with Mobeen wearing a necklace with three large heart-shaped gold pieces at the front. She wore two metal rings on her left hand and a panja — a bracelet chained to five smaller rings on her right.

The look was finished off with a pair of gold earrings and bright, colourful nails, bearing some fun messages. One said Lyari, while the another had a bedazzled L on it.

Her styling team fashioned her hair into a bubble ponytail with each section separated with a beaded hair tie.

The actor was all praises for her stylist, who drove in from Lahore — presumably to Islamabad — to drop off the outfit, and designer Ahmed Manan, who managed to put the whole thing together in just a day.

Mera Lyari is due to release in Pakistan on Friday after having played at the UK Asian Film Festival in London. The film is the story of a disabled football coach, played by Ayesha Omar, who goes back to her native Lyari in search of young girls to form a team.

There, she meets Afsana (Mobeen) and Kashmala (Trinette Lucas), two girls using the game as an escape from the pressure and abuse they face at home.

Yep, hawk-eyed observers spotted Meryl Streep’s iconic character from The Devil Wears Prada 2 holding a bag from the contemporary Pakistani fashion brand Warp.

The brand posted a clip from the movie where Priestly is seen in her office, holding its Accordion handbags in oxblood — a dark maroon.

The piece pairs well with her burgundy trousers and blue-patterned vest, but that’s a given considering we’re talking about the movie’s queen of fashion.

Streep isn’t the first cast member to be seen wearing one of Warp’s purses. Her co-star Anne Hathaway also wore one when she was promoting the movie over a month ago.

She paired the black Tobla bag with a gorgeous black Schiaparelli dress with gold detailing as she went out during the film’s press tour in Mexico City.

The Devil Wears Prada 2, which released on May 1, sees Streep and Hathaway’s characters reunited two decades after the events of the 2006 cult classic.

The film highlights the changing nature of fashion journalism, the rise of technology in the news space and the effects it has had on readership.

This isn’t Warp’s first rodeo in Hollywood. Rapper Doja Cat also had a Warp piece as part of her outfit at a listening party in October. She was carrying the Hexella Baguette in glistening yellow.

Oscar-winning actor Lupita Nyong’o carried Warp’s Cloud bag at a press event for A Quiet Place and actor Nava Mau took the brand’s Hexella Petite to an event for her miniseries Baby Reindeer.

The bags also have a Pakistani fanbase — Mawra Hocane was seen with one in Doha and Ayeza Khan carried another on the Ramazan transmission Mehfil e Khas. Meesha Shafi was also pictured with an Accordion bag from the brand.

Warp isn’t the only Pakistani brand making waves in the global fashion scene. Rastah, the clothing brand, has also become a favourite of international stars — Justin Bieber has been seen in one of their button-downs, Timothée Chalamet wore a sweatshirt from their catalogue and Anil Kapoor wore one of their jackets in a movie.

Diljit Dosanjh even wore Rastah in his film Sardaar Ji 3. American rapper Jelly Roll has been spotted in one of their denim vests, Zayn Malik sported a hoodie and wrestler Seth Rollins wore a Rastah coat into the ring.

Derek Guy, the editor of fashion magazine Put This On, wrote how “beautiful Western-style tailoring is often worn by men from non-Western countries”. As examples, he presented three men: Emperor Naruhito of Japan, senior Nigerian economist Akinwumi Adesina and Shehbaz, each with his own signature style.

Guy quoted a post from the Government of Pakistan that showed the premier at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum. He stood out in a crowd of blues and blacks in his tailored, double-breasted beige coat with matching trousers. He paired the suit with a light grey shirt and a pair of dark brown oxfords.

We couldn’t exactly agree on what colour his tie was — someone said it was olive green, someone else said it had a tinge of brown to it, there was even a suggestion of it being grey. What we do know is that it looked great in the Mediterranean sun.

His accessories included pins on each lapel, a Pakistani flag on the right and a conference pin on the left.

In the tweet, Guy shared a second picture of Shehbaz to hammer home just how great the PM’s tailor is. The second shot was from the premier’s visit to Ankara last year and shows him wearing a similarly double breasted wool blazer in navy.

A pair of grey trousers created a slight contrast in the suit and white shirt provided the perfect background to a popping emerald-green tie. A pair of spit-shined black loafers completed the outfit and a set of silver buttons and a lapel pin added a welcome touch.

A quick glance at the Government of Pakistan’s X account shows Shehbaz is no stranger to ditching the bland black and blue suits everyone in politics seems to wear like a de facto uniform. After all, who can forget his many, many colourful safari suits and hats?

The two other leaders Guy praised had very different styles, but each was comfortable in his element. Dr Adesina wore a single-breasted pinstripe suit in navy blue with a striped bow tie adding a pop of colour. The Japanese emperor, meanwhile, wore a morning suit, keeping with established traditions of royal attire dating back to the reign of Emperor Meiji in the late-19th and early-20th centuries.

It was recognised as a natural progression of fashion, with lawn — a pedestrian fabric and a summer essential — being reimagined, fine-tuned and metamorphosing into affordable designer-wear. Designer lawn surfaced and it was comfortable, glamorous and even edgy at times.

The economy was changing and this made sense. Internationally, Armani had diffused to Armani Exchange and Alexander McQueen to McQ, and young guns such as Zara and H&M had sprung up on the High Street, offering trendy looks at a fraction of the prices of their high-fashion counterparts.

In the same vein, in Pakistan, Rizwan Beyg translated his love for phulkari, ralli and paisleys on to lightweight lawn. Shamaeel Ansari turned her eye for colour, texture and print towards lawn’s mass-centric domain. Sana Safinaz also extended their sophisticated signature to designer lawn, which became recognised as a covetable, glamorous, summer wardrobe must-have.

Once a humble, comfortable summer staple, lawn was transformed into a glamorous, designer-led phenomenon during the great lawn craze over the last few years — creating new careers, challenging designers and changing consumer behaviour. And then it all seemed to end. Why?

Lawn’s golden era

Lawn was all set to take over and the customer was ready for it. While textile mills continued to bring out their own seasonal unstitched collections, almost all of Pakistan’s motley crew of designers also chose to venture down the lawn route at one point or another.

There were those who were great at it. Others struggled to translate their couture aesthetics into lawn’s massy domains. Nevertheless, most of them succumbed to the lure of selling to an avid, massive lawn customer base. If they succeeded, the profits could be huge, and the prestige of being recognised as a ‘lawn mogul’ was irresistible.

These were the days when lawn exhibits would be held at popular public venues and crowds of women would gather there at the crack of dawn, just for the love of buying a lawn suit that had them smitten.

And when a suit was sold out, customers would become even more eager to get their hands on it, willing to pay double the price if need be. There would be such a rush to be the first to wear a lawn suit that enterprising women would arrive at exhibits with buckets of water in their cars: they would buy the suit, shrink the fabric right there and then, before handing it over to the tailor immediately!

In retrospect, it all seems fantastical and unnecessary and, yet, when lawn mania raged through the country, such stories would often be heard.

Designer Zara Shahjahan — whose unstitched summer collections are extremely popular — notes, “The world and the economy changed, the middle classes became more visible and everyone wanted access to fashion. Designer lawn was an inevitable result of this.”

And yet, somewhere along the way, the designer lawn bubble burst. Many designer lawns lost the ‘designer touch.’ So what happened?

The changing lawn

Rizwan Beyg, who spearheaded the designer lawn movement in the days of yore, says, “Lawn has always been there. Historically, it is a derivative of the Dhaka malmals that were popular in the Mughal era — a light, nearly transparent fabric that was a summer essential.”

He adds that Pakistan’s initial unstitched lawn lines came from textile mills that would just replicate Korean and Chinese digital prints on to unstitched fabric, which had no cultural relevance. “Designer lawn changed all that,” he says. “I added traditional elements characteristic of my aesthetic to the lawn collections I designed. For the first time, designer-wear became accessible to the mass market, available to all and sundry.”

But then something else happened.

“In the early days, a lawn design relied on print, screen, blocks and digital prints,” says Rizwan. “When designer lawn gained popularity, investors entered the market and focused entirely on gaining a larger share of the market. Price wars began and, suddenly, what used to be a simple summer staple for every woman became a bridal outfit masquerading as lawn.”

The creative and not-so-creative sides of lawn

The mad rush to entice customers led to what Rizwan aptly describes as a jhanjhalpura [a state of chaotic excess]. The basic cotton suit began to come with multiple add-ons: embroidery, additional borders that could be appliqued, chiffon, silk and organza swathes, cutwork and even smatterings of sequins.

The three-piece lawn had transformed into an eight-, then 12-, then 16-piece jigsaw puzzle!

Lawn campaigns were in a rat race of their own, with designers opting for exotic locales to add oomph to a collection. The elaborate lawn suit started being photographed in places where you would never dream of wearing lawn! Embroidered shirts would sway down the cobbled streets of Rome, a dupatta would flutter against the backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea, models would wear their high heels and navigate mountain tops, beaches and heritage sites in all their luxury lawn glory.

Touted as the ‘queens of lawn’ back when designer lawn was still trendsetting, Sana Safinaz would rule the summer sartorial season.

Designer Safinaz Munir recalls, “Our aim when bringing out unstitched lawn collections was to provide amazing fashion at affordable prices. Earlier, lawn was relegated to daywear, while women wore polyester as formal wear. We introduced lawn as an option for evenings. The fabric would be comfortable but also very formal. Every year, we would experiment and innovate.”

She explains that her team introduced chikankari bases, incorporated silk, added laces, and experimented with silhouettes. One year, they focused on the straight pant as an alternative to the shalwar, while in another, the white shalwar dominated their collections. They also dabbled in paste-printing, to prevent see-through shalwars, popularised new colourways, and innovated with digital embroideries.

Safinaz Munir adds, “We would produce our collections in large quantities, so that when a lawn suit would sell out, it would not be because stock was limited. It was because people had truly loved the design and bought it all!”

In all the madness, though, many designers were forgetting the whole point of designer lawn: to offer creative, original designs at an affordable price to the mass market.

“Designer lawn was supposed to offer customers a slice of high fashion, and introduce sharp, trendy options in the mass market,” argues veteran designer Maheen Khan. “Instead, Pakistan’s sartorial tastes deteriorated — from wearing starched dupattas and darted shirts we went on to wearing outfits drowned in nine separate pieces that the tailor could hardly figure out how to put together!”

She adds: “Just when fashion in Pakistan was finding its voice — structure, education, identity — it was hit by a massive lawn wave. Fast, loud and commercial, it washed away nuance, craftsmanship and depth. Fashion didn’t evolve — it drowned. And lawn took its place. Big brands took over and smaller fashion ateliers closed their doors.”

Lawn as a launchpad

Designer Kamiar Rokni, whose occasional trysts with lawn have always reflected his traditional, colourful ethos, agrees that lawn may have dumbed down actual design.

“Design is a creative endeavour that primarily caters to a niche clientele,” he says. “Lawn is a translation of this aesthetic, but design gets limited because the focus is on creating clothes that appeal to the masses. There is very little experimentation with silhouette or innovation with pattern-making.

“However, one can’t deny how lawn has transformed fashion. Credit goes to designers such as Hussain Rehar and Zara Shahjahan, who offset the ‘massiness’ of their product by elevating how it is presented. Creative campaigns, combining striking imagery and videos, have become the norm, opening doors for a young generation of creatives in their careers.”

Zara Shahjahan points out that lawn gave her and many other designers the opportunity to build their brands. “A brand like mine started off without any major investor on board and lawn was a lucrative venture, allowing me to earn enough to bring out more collections, open stores and invest in campaigns.”

Designer Faiza Saqlain adds that lawn gave her the opportunity to tap into a market that could not afford her luxury-wear. “Designing lawn was an eye-opener. My luxury formals and wedding-wear cater to a niche clientele, but there are so many others who find lawn to be a more economical option. A lot of women also prefer buying unstitched suits and having them tailored according to their body type.”

She continues: “My lawn collections are launched following detailed evaluations of the market. If Eid falls in the summer, around the same time that lawns enter the market, my focus is on coming up with a festive aesthetic, while sticking to the lawn fabric. There are also specific colourways associated with my brand that I like to translate to lawn.”

Does lawn dilute a brand’s aspirational value?

However, does lawn — affordable, easily available, boasting the name of a famed couturier — strip away aspirational value from fashion?

When labels, hitherto considered exclusive, suddenly start selling unstitched packets of lawn from the friendly cloth vendor on Karachi’s Tariq Road, do they suffer from becoming too accessible?

For Sania Maskatiya, the unstitched domain has been an inevitable extension of her label, offering options to customers on the search for formals in lightweight fabrics.

“Unstitched collections do not dilute our brand’s presence,” she maintains. “There are customers who enjoy wearing lawn. Others are on the search for more affordable options. We create our unstitched lines just like we design all our other collections, coming up with design elements that appeal to us.”

She adds that her brand doesn’t compromise on quality, which is why their summer unstitched line remains relatively expensive and niche. “The brand losing its impact over the market has never been a concern for us. In fact, our main priority has been to have our supply chains sorted and our design team organised so that we can cater to the demands for summer lawn efficiently.”

On the other hand, designer HSY counters, “A brand might lose aspirational value when dabbling with lawn, and we have seen this happen in some cases. The ones that have lasted in the long run are those that have stayed relevant with original designs, and worked in developing narratives that make their campaigns stand out.”

One remembers HSY venturing into the lawn market as well, more than a decade ago. His particular vision for unstitched stayed true to the glamour associated with his brand, with a lawn-clad Mehreen Syed on a private boat zooming along the Dubai coastline or reclining in a Rolls Royce Phantom. Why did he opt out?

“I realised that it would have been the death of my brand,” he says. “My brand’s ethos has always been very luxurious and I cater to a market where pricing and brand positioning are very important. Lawn’s mass market did not resonate with what customers expected from my brand.”

There were many other designers who had eagerly hopped on to the lawn bandwagon back when the fabric was considered the ultimate summer sensation, only to hop off it later, losing interest in the ride. Today, designer lawn — or rather, unstitched collections, since they include so much more than basic cotton — that remain in demand are those that truly reflect a brand’s unique aesthetic.

However, the fact remains that there are many lawn labels that are entirely forgettable, lost in a sea of embroidery, with no decipherable ethos. Has fashion’s lawn bubble finally burst?

One could say so. But before it did, it introduced new career paths in the industry, as the demand for innovative lawn campaigns heightened. Not to mention that it made the mass market more familiar with Pakistani fashion brands. But let’s not forget that, in many cases, it also did the Pakistani woman a disservice, brainwashing her into thinking that an 18-piece suit, drowned in embellishments, was actually ‘fashion’.

Lawn didn’t just change what Pakistani women wore, it left an indelible mark on Pakistan’s sartorial landscape, shaping both designers and customers, for better or for worse, for generations to come.

Originally published in Dawn, April 12th, 2026

Cover: Sania Maskatiya lawn

The star carried the Tobla bag in black.

She was styled by Erin Walsh and paired the bag with a gorgeous black Schiaparelli dress with gold detailing.

Hathaway is currently promoting her new film, a sequel to the 2006 cult classic with Meryl Streep and Emily Blunt. The second film reunites Streep and Hathaway as Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs, a pairing fans have waited nearly two decades to see again.

The pair will be joined by returning cast members Blunt and Stanley Tucci with Kenneth Branagh joining the cast as Priestly’s new husband. The film will also feature Simone Ashley, Rachel Bloom and Lucy Liu and reported cameos from Lady Gaga and Sydney Sweeney. The film releases on May 1.

Hathaway is not the first Hollywood star to carry a bag from the brand. Earlier in October, Doja Cat wore the Hexella Baguette bag to the listening party for her album Vie.

Pakistani-Canadian star of Ms Marvel, Iman Vellani, was seen carrying a bag from the Hexella collection at the Gold Gala in Los Angeles. Warp’s popular amongst Pakistani stars too — Mawra Hocane was seen with one in Doha and Ayeza Khan had one with her on the Ramazan transmission Mehfil e Khas. Meesha Shafi was also pictured with an Accordion bag from the brand.

Cover via Erin Walsh/Instagram

In a post on her Instagram account, she said clothing brand Engine had used her face on AI-generated visuals for their latest collection. Images has reached out to Engine for a comment.

She said she modelled for the brand before, but was not involved in the promotions for this collection and had not agreed for her likeness to be used in such a way.

The content creator said she had tried reaching out to the brand herself in an effort to resolve the issue, but didn’t receive a response. That led her to highlight the issue on social media.

Tahir said this wasn’t just about one just about one post or one brand. “Using someone’s face through AI without their permission is not okay, in any situation. Consent should always come first, whether the content is real or digitally created.”

She said the fact that these visuals were being displayed publicly and even being used for advertisements was especially concerning. She said creators and models deserve to have control over how their image is used and hoped the brand would address the issue.

In a series of follow-up stories, the content creator said the scariest part was that she was initially fooled too, thinking she might have modelled one or two pieces that she forgot about. She said it was only when she saw they had used her face for so many of their items that she realised what had happened.

She said the problem wasn’t AI taking over jobs, but people misusing it “deliberately and illegally”. She also suggested they might have done a faceless shoot with another model and had AI paste her face onto the pictures, which raises its own problems.

Several people, including models and fellow content creators, shared her concerns, calling the brand out for what they saw as creepy, unethical and even criminal behaviour.

Many, including Miss Universe Pakistan Erica Robin, tagged the brand in the comment section, as did actor Romaisa Khan. RJ Sabah Bano Malik, who called out the “violation of consent”, “theft” and “general ickyness”.

Hania Aamir also got involved, sharing the content creator’s appeal on her story and asking Engine to “please look into this”.

While Engine has not acknowledged the allegations publicly, Tahir said the brand had removed her pictures from their website in the aftermath of her post.

The incident highlights AI’s alarming body-morphing abilities. Similar concerns were raised in January when Grok — the AI arm of the Elon Musk-owned X — was found to be entertaining requests to digitally undress people whose pictures were on the platform, including children.

Musk said the company would not tolerate any illegal activity with its AI tools and Grok’s image generation features on X are now available to paid users only. However, in a post on March 12, Musk said anything “allowed in an R-rated movie” would be allowed for Grok to create.

From breezy florals to all-black statements, here are the looks that stayed with us well after the sheer khurma ran out.

Hania Aamir made a strong case for saris on Eid

There’s something to be said about committing to a vibe and not overthinking it. Hania’s maroon blouse paired with a cream and gold lawn sari hit that sweet spot between festive and unfussy. The real charm, though, was in the details — a bare-faced (or at least convincingly bare-faced) look, a simple braid, and bangles in maroon, gold, and white that skipped the obvious Kashmiri churi trend.

Add to that mehendi dotted with those tiny, stud-like embellishments that have quietly taken over Instagram, and you have a look that feels current without trying too hard.

Saboor Aly said yes to the frock comeback

Saboor’s black and white frock-style kameez felt like a throwback in the best way, structured yet playful, with that elaborate rust gota-embroidered neckline doing most of the talking. She paired it with a black baggy shalwar featuring a broad border that mirrored the neckline, which tied the whole look together without feeling matchy-matchy.

Braided hair, statement jhumkas, and minimal makeup sealed the deal. It’s giving, festive, but also ready to sit cross-legged on the floor for Eidi distribution.

Yumna Zaidi balanced softness with statement

Yumna’s look was a reminder that subtle doesn’t have to mean silent. Her pale yellow kameez with a breezy floral print felt like spring in outfit form, paired with a plain net dupatta with just a whisper of sequins.

Dark green khussas grounded the look, while her accessories did something more layered — literally and otherwise. Kashmiri churis (very on-trend) were stacked with pink and green glass bangles on alternating hands, but it was her mehendi — reading “Free Palestine, No To War” — that made the look linger. Minimal makeup, open hair, maximum impact.

Sadaf Kanwal made a case for all-black Eid

Eid pastels are great, but Sadaf clearly didn’t get that memo, and we’re glad. Her all-black ensemble from her own brand leaned into drama with a frock-style silk kameez, flowy sleeves, and black embellishments that caught the light just enough.

The real twist was in the shalwar-trouser hybrid, loose at the top, fitted at the border, creating a silhouette that felt both relaxed and sculpted. It’s the kind of look that doesn’t scream Eid, but still completely belongs.

Saba Qamar delivered understated festive elegance

Saba’s pastel green peshwas-style kameez was one of those looks that doesn’t need a second glance but gets one anyway. White detailing and emerald-studded accents around the neckline added just enough richness, while her accessories kept things interesting — classic jhumkas paired with a nath that featured a delicate chain to the ear. Not bridal, not basic, just perfectly in-between. Sometimes the win is knowing exactly where to stop.

Zara Noor Abbas went playful, but polished

Zara’s cream ensemble from Studio Dilbar could have easily been just another neutral Eid look — but then came the hearts. A bold pink embroidered heart at the hem and a smaller one at the neckline gave the outfit a sense of whimsy, balanced by rust-gold detailing on the neck, sleeves, and shalwar.

She leaned into the softness with kundan pearl jewellery, teeka, earrings, and stacks of pearl-white bangles. It’s cute, yes, but also surprisingly chic.

If there’s one takeaway from this Eid, it’s that there’s no one way to “do festive” anymore. Whether it’s political messaging in your mehendi, hearts on your hemline, or just really good bangles, the looks that stood out were the ones that felt like an extension of the person wearing them — not just a checklist of trends.

Let’s start with the fashionistas. Saboor Aly brought out the cutest violet kurta with matching chooriyan. Paired with traditional jhumkay, the resulting photoshoot made our Eid morning special.

Kinza Hashmi didn’t hold back either, rocking a white outfit with a sharp, embellished red border and matching red coat on top. Her earrings really completed an outfit that would make anyone do a double take.

Merub Ali’s theme for Eid appeared to be pretty in pink and boy, did she pull it off. The hair, the makeup, the mehendi on her hand, 10 on 10, no notes.

Hira Mani kept it simple in what appears to be a blue and white peshwas. The jewellery included a tastefully selected set with blue stones to match her outfit and some infinitely trendy Kashmiri bangles.

Hina Altaf took the style game up several notches in a flowing peach lehenga that could have just as easily worked on a red carpet.

Asim Azhar played it very safe and wore a white shalwar kameez. Clearly, he hasn’t had the time to go through our Eid menswear guide. The pictures with his dad are adorable, though, so we’ll give him a pass.

Meanwhile, Zahid Ahmed absolutely did take our advice and wore a patterned kurta. We love to see fashionable men.

Most of these came in on Saturday morning, or in the afternoon, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t get some pre-Eid treats. Junaid Khan, who is in the United States right now, posted his Eid pictures on Friday night.

Ahmed Ali Butt also sent his Eid greetings to fans on Friday night.

While everyone looks their best on Eid, the true spirit of the holiday lies in spending it with loved ones. Malala Yousafzai had the right idea, spending the day with her parents.

Sunita Marshall chose to take things slow on Eid, spending the day with her husband and kids. The photoshoot is just family goals.

Cricket star Naseem Shah also spent Eid with family, leading to these photos of him and his brothers Ubaid Shah and Hunain Shah.

Faysal Quraishi didn’t wish fans on Eid this year, but his son did and it’s the most adorable thing we’ve seen all day.

Eid Mubarak, everyone!

It was a historic, debilitating rise that triggered panic at petrol pumps as the price hike would come into effect at midnight, on March 7. Horns blared until late into the night, with vehicles queuing in long lines to fill up on fuel before the increment came into effect.

The price increase, triggered by the ongoing US-Israeli war in the Middle East, occurred midway through Ramazan, a time when crowds flock to bazaars and malls for their Eid shopping. In the Muslim world, it is considered one of the most lucrative retail seasons of the year, with customers inclined to splurge, make impulse buys and stock up on clothes and gifts.

With the economy under stress and inflation looming, would people want to spend as they had in better times? And while they may continue to purchase necessities, would they be inclined towards indulging in shopping binges or luxury wear at a time when, in the near future, they may have to struggle to make ends meet, given the economic uncertainty?

The logical answer to this question would be a resounding ‘no’. After all, one would assume that stores and bazaars would be empty and, more specifically, fashion designers’ Eid collections would gather cobwebs, with customers no longer able — or willing — to purchase them.

Eid spending vs economic reality

However, some versions of reality tell a different story.

Just a week before Eid, mayhem ensued at the pop-up exhibit at a mall of Nia Mia, a popular high street brand. Huge crowds — eager to shop — broke down some of the installed barriers amid a lack of crowd control.

Historically, the market for luxury goods, including fashion, has invariably taken a hit during periods of economic uncertainty. However, until that ‘hit’ truly makes an impact, Pakistan’s Eid shopping crowds seem to want to shrug away their sense of impending doom and head out to the mall.

High-street heavyweight Khaadi, for instance, continues to draw in huge crowds. “Business has not been affected at all,” asserts the brand’s CEO Shamoon Sultan. “It is an unfortunate reality that Pakistanis have seen a lot and are very resilient. So, despite the crisis in the Middle East, their Eid shopping is continuing as usual.”

He continues, “However, on a macroeconomic level, if the hike in fuel rates continues, it can prove to be dangerous. It will result in an overall price increase across the board and we will feel the crunch in the following two or three weeks. I hope that the situation improves because, otherwise, wallets will definitely shrink.”

Uzma Ahmad, Director at Image Fabrics, echoes a similar sentiment and observes that business has been only slightly impacted by the war in the Middle East so far.

“We have a niche clientele that continues to make purchases consistently,” she says. “I also feel that we have managed to establish ourselves in the middle ground — between high street ‘massy’ clothes and high-end luxury wear — and offer an aesthetic line that is not only sophisticated but is also relatively affordable. So far, business has been doing well and we are expanding, with two stores all set to open right after Eid!”

The luxury segment holds it ground

The local market for luxury wear is similarly on a roll. For instance, designer Rizwan Beyg, who specialises in luxury couture, says that his Eid collection is selling well, with local customers remaining unfazed so far by the global economic climate.

Sania Maskatiya’s CEO, Umair Tabani, observes that the brand’s sales were helped by the fact that its festive Eid collection was launched some time before Ramazan, and credits the timing for this.

“Maybe, if we had launched later, when the crisis escalated in the Middle East, customers may not have been as eager to place orders,” he says. “We got lucky with the timing. Customers placed orders and made advance payments, and now, we’re just making the final deliveries.”

Designer Mohsin Naveed Ranjha believes the impulse to buy is emotional. “I think people just want to celebrate. They may be upset by what is happening in the world but, at the same time, they are happy to be at least safe.

“A slight dip in sales occurred around mid-Ramazan, when tensions escalated in the Middle East, but soon afterwards, people began buying again. And now, in the last week of Ramazan, business is doing really well, with many people rushing to buy their Eid clothes.”

Shezray Husain, CEO of multi-label boutique Ensemble, also comments on customers’ sentiments: “I think we are just a really emotional nation and Eid clothing holds sentimental value for us. We particularly obsess over what we want to wear on Eidul Fitr, considering it as a kind of ‘reward’ following a month of fasting.”

She continues: “I think perhaps, right now, the middle class is more concerned about the crisis in the Middle East and how it will affect their pockets. The customers who tend to frequent Ensemble, though, have yet to feel the crunch, and they are willing to make purchases right now. It helps, of course, that there are about 150 brands within our umbrella and there is a diverse price range to choose from.”

Global blues

However, on the international front, business for Pakistani brands is not continuing as usual.

“International deliveries are getting delayed,” confirms Mohsin. “[More specifically] deliveries to the Middle East are obviously affected and even orders to the US and Europe were routed via Dubai. They are now being rerouted and this is resulting in higher shipping charges and longer delivery times.”

Menswear designer Emraan Rajput adds that customers are also requesting that their international orders be placed on hold until the situation improves.

“A client living outside Pakistan had placed orders for a destination wedding that was scheduled to take place right after Eid. They have now asked us to stall production, as the wedding has been rescheduled for a few months later, when, perhaps, things may improve. Also, with tariffs on the rise, international shipments have become very expensive and customers end up paying more.”

He also adds that the domestic market has been affected, unlike many of his contemporaries.

“There are so many men who shop for their Eid clothes at the very last minute, with areas such as Karachi’s Zamzama area usually becoming clogged with traffic. This year, though, spirits are definitely down. Customers who would usually buy four kurtas are buying two, and those who purchased two are now purchasing one. The excitement simply isn’t the same.”

However, people are still buying, and it is interesting to note how customers’ shopping patterns vary between the high street and the market for luxury wear. They may be more hesitant to buy designer-wear priced well above Rs50,000, but their wallets still allow them to indulge in shopping binges at malls and during Eid festivals.

Fashion events: on uncertain ground?

On her part, Maheen Kardar, designer and co-founder of Laam Fashion Week (LFW), observes that shopping activity has been continuing as usual.

For instance, she observes that the recent Laam Festival in Lahore was a success. “The footfall crossed over 100,000 people during the four-day festival and people were shopping and celebrating,” she says.

She believes that, as a nation, Pakistanis have really experienced an extended period of peace, given that political upheavals continue to occur, as do strikes, healthcare crises such as dengue or Covid and natural disasters such as floods or earthquakes.

“This has made us very resilient and we just go on with life. I haven’t observed any dampening of spirits, be it at the Laam Festival or as far as the orders being placed at my design house Karma, are concerned.”

Rizwan Beyg concurs, “We are a nation that starts making memes in times of war. It’s not that we don’t realise the seriousness of the situation. It is just that Pakistanis have gone through so much that we now just simply go on with life and hope that things get better.”

But will this tone-deaf joie de vivre continue with the world at war, the economy perpetually teetering towards crisis and a volatile political climate that could, at any point, turn against Pakistan? It is unlikely.

The Hum Showcase fashion show – a three-day event tentatively scheduled to take place in April this year — has now been “put on the back burner”, according to its show director Rizwan Beyg. “Sponsors are understandably hesitant at this point but, once things get better, we hope that the event will take place.”

Cautious optimism

Fortunately, as mentioned earlier, the first LFW took place in early February this year. It was followed by designer Hussain Rehar’s solo show in mid-February and then, the Laam Festival — an Eid ‘bazaar’ — this Ramazan.

Featuring trendsetting fashion, major designers and impressive catwalks, these fashion events had undoubtedly rejuvenated the local fashion scene, making one hope that fashion weeks — having slipped into the shadows since the pandemic — were going to make a comeback and perhaps, finally, Pakistani designers would step away from generic, commercial apparel and be more innovative.

Now, given the economic outlook, will the next LFW, scheduled for autumn or winter this year take place as planned? “Yes, we will be announcing the date soon,” says Maheen Kardar.

They are brave and hopeful words.

The news headlines may fill one with a sense of foreboding but, right now, like many businesses, the business of Pakistani fashion is resolutely forging ahead, hoping that inflation won’t take over and that customers won’t get demoralised and stop buying, and that the global situation will improve.

As Rizwan Beyg puts it poetically, “Fashion, right now, is dented, but not dead.” But it is dented. That cannot be denied.

Originally published in Dawn, ICON, March 19th, 2026

While most guys are likely to go with the same solid-coloured kurta-shalwar combo they do every year — some might even get brave and get something that isn’t white — it doesn’t have to be this way.

So, if you’re willing to up your game when it comes to Eid fits or you have a man in your life who needs tips on how to do it, we’ve made this helpful guide on how not to look like every other dude at the daawat.

Kurtas

Starting off with the basics, you do not need to wear a plain white kurta every time the dress code demands desi wear. Sure, white is safe and works for everyone, but it’s also boring — and impossible to get saalan stains out of.

Instead, try wearing some other colours, like royal blue or purple. For the more adventurous, you can ditch solid colours entirely and try different patterns and even embroidery.

Different fabrics and textures can also add a touch of individual style, making the wearer stand out in a crowd of starched cotton.

Shalwars

The same ideas apply for the bottom half of the suit. You can try experimenting with colour, fabric and embellishments. Be warned, though, shalwars are a lot less forgiving if the combination doesn’t work out.

Alternatively, you can ditch the shalwar altogether and go for a pyjama instead. Made similar to trousers, the pyjama does away with the bagginess of the shalwar and works wonders if you’re not the type to skip leg day.

Footwear

This is arguably the most overlooked aspect of desi menswear and there are so many options. Let us be absolutely clear, you do not have to bust out the same pair of chappals you’ve been wearing for five years straight.

Khussas are a great addition to any man’s footwear collection and they add just a bit of a formal touch to any desi outfit. You can, if this all seems overwhelming, get them in basic black or brown and use them as a substitute for whatever you were going to wear in that colour, or you can get the ones with embroidery and motifs to really give your outfit some pizzazz.

Peshawari chappals are a staple, of course, but they don’t have to be in black and brown either, try getting a pair in blue or maybe even a suede pair. Kolhapuri chappals are also in, especially after Prada tried to sell them to unsuspecting westerners for $600.

Western footwear is also an option, although we’d suggest leaving your sneakers in the closet for Eid. Instead, try out some loafers or moccasins and see what works.

Outerwear

In our humble opinion, you can’t have true desi formal wear without a waistcoat or shawl. Now, we hear someone in the distance shouting about how it’s too hot for outerwear, but that’s all a game of fabrics.

A lighter, summer waistcoat works well to keep its wearer cool while also giving some shape to the outfit — kurtas can be unruly and easily creased. The idea, of course, is to maybe avoid the black ones, lest you look like that one uncle who dabbles in politics.

Shawls have a tendency to make one appear as if you’ll break into verse at any given moment, and they’re way too warm for March in most of Pakistan, which is where the odhni comes in. Usually made of cotton, it can give you the shairana vibe of a shawl without making you internally combust in 40-degree heat.

If you’re feeling particularly daring, ditch the shalwar kurta entirely and pair the waistcoat with a band collar shirt and trousers. Sure, it’s going to get you a couple of looks from some of the older people, but it might be the perfect blend of East and West for a more formal dinner.

Accessories

Men are often under the misconception that accessorising outfits is more of a feminine thing — it isn’t. When everyone’s wearing similar clothes, as is often the case on Eid, accessories are what will make you look like you put some thought into what your outfit.

Pocket squares are an easy place to start, with the right one adding a welcome pop of colour to an otherwise plain suit. We would, however, recommend wearing a waistcoat and not just placing one in a kurta pocket.

Buttons are also something you can play around with, getting a more ornate set for your waistcoat, possibly in a different colour or encrusted with stones.

Speaking of things that keep your clothes fastened, cufflinks are a great way to show off some personal style. With options now extending from initials to the usual gold and silver blocks or even superhero designs, you can choose to wear something that reflects your personality.

Lapel pins are also something that can add personality to an outfit, with a dizzying amount of options to suit all styles and tastes. Alternatively, you can just pin a flower to your coat; if it works at weddings, it can work on Eid too.

As a final note, we’ll just say you should wear what you’re most comfortable in. Eid is a joyous occasion, there’s really no point in ruining the fun by stressing out over clothes.

So, have a fun, blessed Eid and let us know your favourite holiday styles in the comments.

The 10-year-old designer has become the youngest person ever to showcase a collection at Paris Fashion Week, presenting his women’s ready-to-wear Fall/Winter 2026–2027 line earlier this month.

Max’s show took place on March 3 at the grand Palais Garnier in Paris, just days after he turned 10. According to multiple publications, including CBS LA and Vogue France, that makes him the youngest designer to ever present a collection at the French capital’s famed fashion week.

It’s a remarkable achievement for someone who still has primary school to worry about.

Max, a fourth-grader, began sewing and designing when he was just four years old and has steadily built a reputation as a dressmaking prodigy. His Instagram handle, ‘couture.to.the.max’ speaks for itself.

His Paris showcase featured a sustainable collection of 15 looks inspired by florals, reported People. The young designer said around 90 per cent of the pieces were made from sustainable materials, including deadstock fabric, surplus textiles, recycled bags and biodegradable materials.

The collection also featured creative reuse of unusual materials, including a corseted gown crafted from a French military parachute and a vintage sari that Max redesigned.

“I am happy I got to show the world my designs,” he said, adding that he hopes his work encourages people to rethink fast fashion. “Maybe [it will] encourage people to think about reuse and not buying so much fast fashion.”

Max made his debut at New York Fashion Week in 2024 when he was just eight. He also holds a Guinness World Record for being the youngest person to design a runway show at age seven on November 18, 2023.

During an interview in 2023, he jokingly told People he believed he might have been Guccio Gucci — the founder of Gucci — in a past life. “I actually was,” he said at the time.

By then, Max had already created more than a hundred designs, sold pieces internationally, staged his own fashion shows and even made a custom piece for actor Sharon Stone.

His mother, Sherri Madison, previously told the outlet that her son’s dedication to fashion was evident early on. “He’s just so committed to it, and he has so much fun. It’s truly his happy place, his studio, and even just playing with the material,” she said, recalling how the family initially thought the interest might just be a passing phase.

“For the first year or two, we said, ‘Well, tomorrow he’s going to be a cook.’ But it just stuck.” For Madison, her son’s achievements on the runway are only part of the story.

“It’s his golden heart,” she said. “Everything he does is with the intent of making people happy. His whole goal with these dresses is to make people feel beautiful — he says it all the time.”

Cover photo: AFP via Getty

The detailed designs and fine textures of the garments made in the central Tangail city won Unesco recognition in December as intangible cultural heritage reflecting “local social and cultural practices”.

But it has brought little relief to crowded local workshops where a shift to automated looms, evolving fashion choices, unstable yarn prices and a lack of government support have squeezed weavers at every turn.

Ajit Kumar Roy, who spends the day interlacing warp and weft threads while paddling the shuttle back and forth, says the honour has done little to ease his daily hardship.

“It’s all hard work,” the 35-year-old weaver told AFP as he worked the handloom he has operated for nearly two decades.

“Hands, legs and eyes must move together. If I make a mistake then there is a problem.” Men typically lead the weaving, dyeing and design work, while women prepare threads, apply rice starch and add finishing touches.

High-profile clients

Once considered a well-paying profession, weaving has suffered from a market slump that began during the Covid-19 pandemic and never recovered.

Roy said his factory owner used to run 20 handlooms but now has only 10. “Some factories have shut down entirely,” Roy said.

With demand falling and costs rising, many weavers have abandoned the craft, turning to driving or construction work to survive.

“We earn 700 taka ($6) per sari, and it takes at least two days to make one. How can a family of four live on 350 taka a day?” Raghunath Basak, president of a local sari traders’ association, whose family has preserved Tangail weaving for generations, fears the craft may end with him.

His ancestors migrated in search of weather and water suitable for weaving before settling in Tangail, nestled in a low-lying floodplain near the Jamuna River.

“I brought my son into the profession too, but I don’t know how he will cope after I am gone,” Basak, 75, said from his showroom, where shiny crests line the walls.

Despite high-profile clients — from political leaders in India’s West Bengal state to ousted Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who wore his sari to deliver a speech to the UN General Assembly — Basak says the industry is struggling.

Cultural symbol

A halt to land-port trade with neighbouring India following a diplomatic fallout has also affected business.

“We used to export saris by road and import yarn when local prices shot up. Now land ports on both sides are sealed. Export has become almost impossible,” he said.

In the 1960s, the sari emerged as a cultural symbol as Bengalis in what was then East Pakistan embraced their ethnic identity. But consumer preference is slowly shifting.

Kaniz Neera, 45, buys two dozen Tangail saris a year, favouring their distinctive patterns and comfortable design, but worries that the younger generation is drifting away.

“Sari is integral to our identity,” she said. “My mother wears sari at home and outside. I wear it mostly outside. (But) girls now wear sari only on special occasions.” But researchers remain cautiously optimistic.

Shawon Akand, author of a book on the subject, notes that the Tangail sari is a relatively recent evolution by the descendants of Dhakai muslin weavers whose creations once captivated Mughal rulers and European aristocracy.

“The Tangail weavers inherited fine yarn techniques from their ancestors and adapted with unique designs in Tangail sari,” Akand told AFP. “Tangail sari will evolve. It will endure.”

Cover photo: AFP

The star wore a dress embroidered with their messages and carried their pictures to the event where she was nominated for the Outstanding Preschool Series and Outstanding Writing in a Preschool Series awards. She said she “told everyone about them and how we need to help in every way possible”.

In her Instagram post, she said she didn’t win — she lost the top prize to Sesame Street — but that she was happy to see so many people who care about children together.

The YouTuber thanked the Sudanese American Physicians Society and The Future of Congo for their support in the project. She also shared the messages she had taken to the Emmys.

Masajid, a little girl from Sudan, said she wanted to become an engineer to rebuild her country. Zahraa, seated with her, wanted to become a doctor to help cure people.

From the DRC, Saidati said she wanted to help people when she grew up by becoming a teacher like Accurso. Little Solange also said he was inspired by people who helped him and wanted to do the same for others.

The star is no stranger to speaking out for the children of the world, most recently telling world leaders to “Stop killing kids” after news emerged of a devastating US-Israeli airstrike on a school in the Iranian city of Minab which killed 175 people, including children.

She has been extremely vocal about standing up for children in other conflict zones including Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan. In November, she wore a gown carrying artwork from nine Gazan children when she was recognised as one of Glamour’s Women of the Year.

Accurso often lends her platform to relief organisations working on the ground to help children in these areas and even assists personally when some of these kids are brought to the US on humanitarian grounds.

The Met Gala — the over-the-top charity event turned fashion spectacle — returns on May 4 and this year’s theme reflects the spring exhibition at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, which this year is “Costume Art”. The theme was announced in November, but the dress code was just revealed.

According to Vogue, the theme perfectly encapsulates the ethos of Costume Art, which explores the “centrality of the dressed body” through depictions and interpretations of the human form in the Met’s extensive collection. That collection features nearly 400 objects and pairs clothes from the Costume Institute with paintings, sculptures and other works of art history. The publication says the dress code “encourages attendees to consider the many ways that designers use the body as their blank canvas”.

What we take this to mean is we’ll either be seeing some amazing clothes inspired by great artwork or some absolutely lazy designs with artwork plastered on barely-there shorts.

“What connects every curatorial department and what connects every single gallery in the museum is fashion, or the dressed body,” said Andrew Bolton, the curator in charge of the Costume Institute. “It’s the common thread throughout the whole museum, which is really what the initial idea for the exhibition was.”

The Met Gala is always hosted by Anna Wintour, the former head of Vogue US and Conde Nast’s current global chief content officer and editorial director at Vogue. In addition to the fashion maven, this year, Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman and Venus Williams will play host, as well as members of the Gala Host Committee — co-chaired by Anthony Vaccarello and Zoë Kravitz. This includes Sabrina Carpenter, Doja Cat, Gwendoline Christie, Alex Consani, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Debicki, Lena Dunham, Paloma Elsesser, LISA, Chloe Malle, Sam Smith, Teyana Taylor, Lauren Wasser, Anna Weyant, A’ja Wilson, Yseult, Adut Akech, Angela Bassett, Sinéad Burke, Rebecca Hall, Aimee Mullins, Tschabalala Self, Amy Sherald, and Chase Sui Wonders.

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Bezos will also serve as honorary chairs as lead sponsors for this year’s gala and exhibition.

Cover photo via Vogue

A debut is never just a debut — it is a declaration. When LFW Presents launched in Lahore with a solo Hussain Rehar showcase at Islamia College on Saturday evening, it was clear this was not meant to be a quiet extension of Fashion Week. It was positioned as a statement about where Pakistani fashion stands: confident, commercially aware and unafraid of grandeur.

The choice of venue alone carried weight. The red brick façade and Indo-Saracenic architecture of Islamia College anchored the evening in history long before the first model appeared. Heritage was not simply referenced in the collection — it was embedded in the setting.

Then came the theatre. Directed by Fahad Hussayn, the production leaned confidently into spectacle.

Resham’s entrance on horseback set the tone immediately. It was dramatic, nostalgic and unapologetically cinematic. The energy in the courtyard shifted from anticipation to spectacle. This was not minimalism. This was statement dressing, staged with intention.

Rehar presented more than 60 looks, a significant number for a solo showcase. In a fashion climate where tighter edits are often equated with sophistication, this scale felt deliberate. Bridal dominated the narrative, though elements of luxury pret filtered through.

At times, the distinction between the two categories could have been clearer. With a lineup this expansive, segmentation becomes part of storytelling and more defined pacing between bridal and luxury pret would have strengthened the overall flow.

The styling itself demands a special mention; it operated as a parallel narrative, sharpening the collection’s heritage theme while maintaining modern clarity across the runway. It brought cohesion to the expansive showcase, creating uniformity without overstatement and paying due respect to the garments rather than competing with them. It was a masterclass in restraint and intention.

That said, within the scale were standout moments that cut through the noise.

A green mukesh sari worn by Eman Suleman became one of the evening’s most memorable looks. It felt iconically old school, evocative of heirloom bridal glamour, yet the blouse design introduced a modern sharpness that refreshed the silhouette entirely. It was heritage without costume. Familiar, but not dated. That balance is difficult to strike and here it worked.

The opening black ensemble, dense with intricate hand embroidery, also anchored the show strongly. Across the board, craftsmanship was consistent, stitching was immaculate, embellishment felt disciplined rather than chaotic. Even when silhouettes expanded into exaggerated proportions, construction held its integrity.

There were voluminous skirts, sculptural sleeves and deep, saturated hues. Velvet in crimson and burgundy featured prominently, along with metallic gold accents that reinforced bridal opulence. Nothing about the collection suggested reinvention. Instead, it felt like consolidation. Rehar remained firmly within his aesthetic vocabulary, refining rather than reimagining it.

The finale, walked by Ayeza Khan, underscored this strength. Cloaked in one of the collection’s richest colour stories, she delivered the kind of cinematic bridal moment the designer has built his reputation on. The deep tones were striking, controlled and impactful without veering into excess.

The men’s looks were solid but predictable, reinforcing the collection’s overall aesthetic rather than expanding it. Tailored sherwanis, structured jackets and traditional silhouettes were executed with the same attention to finish as the bridal pieces, yet they remained firmly within familiar territory.

While cohesive with the show’s heritage driven narrative, the menswear did little to shift perspective or introduce a new visual direction. It functioned as complement rather than conversation.

Beyond the garments, the audience composition and production quality signalled something broader. The right industry figures were present, the execution was polished and direction felt structured rather than spontaneous. LFW Presents is positioning itself as a curated, governance-led platform rather than an open runway format and that distinction matters.

Launching immediately after Laam Fashion Week was not coincidental. It suggests a shift toward a more sustained, year-round fashion presence in Pakistan. If this platform intends to build continuity beyond seasonal shows, it will inevitably raise expectations. Designers will not only need scale, but evolution.

Were there moments of repetition? Inevitably. A 60 plus look showcase risks familiarity. Some silhouettes felt safe. Certain embellishment choices leaned into predictability. Yet consistency in craft prevented the collection from feeling diluted.

What will define the platform’s longevity, however, is whether future editions encourage designers to move beyond refinement and toward risk. Because while refinement sustains a brand, reinvention is what defines an era.

And if this signals a revived, reorganised fashion ecosystem in Pakistan, then reinvention may be the next conversation the industry needs to have.

Cover photo by Syed Hussain Jamal

Sharing what he called an “almost win” on Instagram, Zaidi wrote that usually, “‘almost’ stories rarely matter. It only counts when you land it”. The caption added, “We custom-designed sets for Bad Bunny that almost made it to the Super Bowl stage.”

The pictures they shared included those of a customised white trapper hat, baseball cap and gloves, all embellished with metal floral embroidery, as well as some leather trapper hats with similar embroidery.

According to Vogue, Bad Bunny, styled by longtime collaborators Storm Pablo and Marvin Douglas Linares, took to the Super Bowl half-time show stage in a cream-toned ensemble comprising a collared shirt and tie, a sport-inspired jersey emblazoned with his family name Ocasio and the number 64, chinos and sneakers. As the first halftime headliner to perform his entire set in Spanish, his collaboration with Spain-based retailer Zara carried symbolic weight.

But in Lahore, another vision had been racing against the clock.

FOUND revealed that they had a press release drafted and ready to go, set to be distributed “the second the halftime show hit”. In the final days, however, the direction shifted, and Bad Bunny and stylist Pablo opted for Zara instead.

Behind the scenes, FOUND had been racing against time. The brand described artisans working through dozens of hours of painstaking hand embroidery in mere days. “A box was DHL rushed from Lahore, Pakistan to Santa Clara, California. Somewhere in the final days, the direction shifted. Ultimately, Zara won the bid for the full look. Apparently, they’re fast. Faster than most.”

Still, the tone of the post wasn’t bitter. Zaidi acknowledged that not long ago, even contending for a Super Bowl stage moment would have seemed impossible. Near-misses, he suggested, are part of the climb — reminders to keep taking the shot, because, as he implied, you never know when your moment will come.

Explaining why they chose to share a story that didn’t end in a spotlight reveal, the brand wrote, “We chose to share this because social media shouldn’t only be about the wins. There’s near misses that should be equally held. All of the attempts and countless moments that don’t land, but matter all the same. You’ll always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”

FOUND also thanked Bad Bunny’s team for including them in the journey. “The world is watching what comes next from the artist of our generation who is shaping a global world and all that is possible when you dream it into existence.”

The brand has previously created custom pieces for the global star across his tour, including a look they described in another post as a historic “exchange of cultures — handmade in Lahore, Pakistan by our artisans, where craft carries memory and every stitch holds intention,” sending their love to Pablo for the opportunity to dress an artist celebrated for his authenticity. Pablo also commented on the post, thanking them for the clothes.

Bad Bunny’s understated Super Bowl look, defying theatrical expectations, aligned with his long-standing personal approach to fashion. As Vogue noted, whether on stage or on the red carpet, the artist has always embraced an original and deeply personal style language.

FOUND’s near moment is part of a larger pattern — Pakistani fashion has been steadily carving a space for itself on the global stage. From Zain Ahmed’s Raastah being worn by Anil Kapoor, Barry Keoghan and Justin Bieber, to Palve’s hand-embroidered trousers appearing in Indian rapper Honey Singh’s ‘6 AM’ music video, local craft continues to travel far beyond borders.

This time, the spotlight didn’t land in Lahore. But the invitation did — and sometimes, that matters too.

What immediately set LAAM Fashion Week (LFW) apart was the integration of technology, commerce and fashion. Pakistan’s fashion industry has long existed as a fragmented space, with designers, retailers and consumers operating in silos. At LFW, it felt as though a single platform finally existed that brought these elements together in a cohesive and functional manner. The week felt commercially aware and clearly rooted in the business of fashion.

There were also unmistakable echoes of the Pakistan Fashion Design Council’s fashion weeks, which lost momentum nearly a decade ago. Rather than attempting to replace that legacy, LFW felt like a revival of its spirit, updated to reflect a digital and retail focused fashion economy.

The event was live streamed in over 120 countries, with all collections available for immediate purchase or booking via the LAAM app, including couture orders accompanied by free shipping. This seamless link between runway and retail highlighted a model with the potential to contribute meaningfully to Pakistan’s creative economy.

The approach also reflected a broader shift in consumer behaviour within Pakistan’s fashion market. Runway collections were no longer positioned as distant, aspirational spectacles, but as products that could be accessed, evaluated and purchased in real time. By collapsing the gap between runway and retail, LFW responded to a more cautious and digitally engaged consumer, one that is increasingly conscious of value, wearability and timing. In an economic climate where fashion purchases are more considered than impulsive, this model felt both timely and necessary.

Beyond individual designers, LFW also underscored fashion’s role as a wider economic ecosystem. A platform of this scale supports not only designers, but also production teams, artisans, stylists, technicians and supply chains that extend well beyond the runway. When fashion weeks move beyond spectacle and into structured commerce, they begin to function as economic infrastructure rather than seasonal events. If sustained, this model has the potential to strengthen Pakistan’s fashion and textile narrative in a way that aligns creativity with long-term industry growth.

The scale and breadth of participation alone signalled an industry eager to regroup. More than 35 runway shows took place across four days, drawing together a wide spectrum of designers and brands under one roof.

The opening showcases served as an ode to some the most recognisable names in Pakistani fashion names — Ali Xeeshan, Amir Adnan, Ammar Belal, Deepak Perwani, Élan, Fahad Hussayn, Feeha Jamshed, Generation, HSY, Huma Adnan, Hussain Rehar, Karma, Khaadi, Mahgul, Meeras by Nilofer Shahid, Mohsin Naveed Ranjha, Nomi Ansari, Rizwan Beyg, Saira Shakira, Sania Maskatiya, Shamaeel Ansari, Teejays, The House of Kamiar Rokni, Wardha Saleem, Zaheer Abbas and Zainab Chottani. The lineup underscored both continuity and influence within Pakistan’s fashion industry.

One of the most compelling segments of the week was the LFW Hot List, which spotlighted emerging designers from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture and the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design. Rather than feeling like a symbolic nod to youth, the showcase delivered confident and well resolved collections. In several instances, these presentations proved stronger and more coherent than those by established designers. The appearance of the Top 16 Pakistan Idol finalists on the runway added a layer of pop culture relevance to the showcase.

The young talent was a stark reminder to our more established designers that runway collections are not only vehicles for creative expression, but must also consider marketability, sustainability and scale.

It was against this backdrop that certain collections struggled to find clarity. Ali Xeeshan’s presentation, for instance, felt directionless and disjointed. The collection appeared more like a scattering of ideas than a cohesive body of work. Beyond the underwhelming spectacle, the designs lacked commercial viability, sustainability and any realistic potential for scale, making the showcase feel forced rather than considered.

In contrast, Fahad Hussayn’s collection, inspired by the recently-revived Basant festival, struck a careful balance between cultural reference and year-round wearability. The colour palette felt fresh, the detailing was precise, and the collection demonstrated clear retail potential. The pieces felt relevant beyond a single season, offering statement value without sacrificing practicality.

Nomi Ansari delivered a fun and fresh showcase that felt considered, showed potential for scale, and pushed the limits of fashion just enough to remain wearable. It was couture that listened to its audience.

A solid showing also came from Deepak and Fahad, whose androgynous pieces felt wearable and retail friendly. The collections reinforced the idea that design integrity and commercial appeal do not need to exist in opposition.

The strongest collection of the week, without contest, was presented by Mo by Mohsin Tawasuli. Defined by structured silhouettes and a restrained colour palette, the collection felt timeless, versatile and flexible. Designed to work across seasons and body types, it stood out for its clarity and refinement. While its retail pricing may prompt a separate discussion, the design sensibility itself was among the most accomplished on display.

Other collections disappointed for different reasons. Tena Durrani’s presentation felt recycled, offering little beyond a bid for visibility, while Souchaj’s designs appeared dated, revisiting aesthetics that show no real indication of a meaningful return.

Sadaf Fawad Khan’s collection demonstrated a refined colour palette and attention to detail, though it remained predictable. Saira Shakira and Karma continued with their established design languages, offering consistency over innovation.

Zainab Salman presented one of the strongest collections on the opening day, though its impact diminished as the week progressed and stronger showcases followed.

Among high-street showcases Kibo, Bulbul and Amna Ilyas stood out for their fashion forward thinking.

Ultimately, LAAM Fashion Week has set a new benchmark for fashion weeks in Pakistan, prioritising quality, integration and a clear understanding of the realities of the fashion business. Looking ahead to a second season, improvements in show management would strengthen the experience further, particularly fewer delays between showcases, greater respect for attendee time, and scheduling that avoids significant religious nights such as the 15th of Shaban.

Cover image: Zainab Chottani via Waqar Ahmed Butt/Paragon Studios

Inspired by the cultural energy of Basant, the collection translated movement and optimism into elegant silhouettes suited for traditional celebrations. A vibrant palette of sunlit yellows, fuchsia florals, and fresh green accents reflected the season in full bloom. Airy organzas, fluid silks, and softly-textured chiffons were layered in the designs to create depth while still being easy to wear. Designed for festive moments, the collection balanced heritage and contemporary styling with ease and grace.

LFW also showcased a collection of Mistfall by Panache Apparel drawing inspiration from nature and the calm of outdoor living. The collection featured softly printed fabrics and airy textures designed for ease and comfort during warmer months.

Gulrang by Urge Pret presented the audience with wearables that reflected a composed expression of strength and timeless beauty. Inspired by the natural grace of flowers that bloom with quiet confidence, the collection was designed for women whose presence feels assured and grounded.

Allure by Izna Hamza’s Sun at Noon presented a cross cultural dialogue shaped by African heritage and Pakistani craftsmanship. Drawing from tribal geometry, ceremonial silhouettes, earth-rich landscapes, and ancestral symbolism, the collection translated these influences through refined tailoring and detailed hand embroidery.

Bin Tayyab’s collection drew inspiration from classical architecture and traditional artistry, showcasing intricate hand embellishments, layered textures, and graceful silhouettes. Muted jewel tones defined the palette, reflecting sophistication while accentuating the richness of each ensemble.

Pehnawa by Bin Akram’s Amarbail celebrated South Asian heritage through a softer, intimate lens, reimagining tradition with contemporary grace. Inspired by Mughal artistry and vintage Pakistani silhouettes, the collection featured rich tissue, raw silk, zari organza, and badlazari, chosen for their movement, light, and historical resonance. Tilla embroidery, chatapatti, goti, sitara, beads, sequins, and hand-finished tassels accentuate each garment with deliberate detail.

Karma’s Dilruba marked Maheen Kardar’s fearless return to the runway after a decade, celebrating excess, emotion, and identity. Rooted in Desi maximalism and reimagined through a contemporary lens, the collection blended tradition — saris, flares, short shirts, shalwars, trousers, and flowing gowns — with modern proportions and movement. Designed for festive moments, Eid, and monsoon weddings, Dilruba is joyful, dramatic, and unapologetically expressive.

Meraki by Deepak & Fahad was a heartfelt exploration of craft, colour, and artistic expression. Inspired by the traditional ikkat weaving technique, the collection revived this fading art through intricate hand woven patterns in pure cotton yarn, complemented by styling pieces in linen. The palette drew from the works of Mark Rothko, with each ensemble reflecting the colours, moods, and abstract simplicity of his paintings.

Suroor by Sadaf Fawad Khan unfolded as a dialogue between heritage and contemporary couture. The showcase presented two distinct collections that reflected the evolution of the brand’s design language. The first revisited traditional, old-school aesthetics through refined silhouettes, restrained detailing, and a focus on craftsmanship, offering a timeless and composed expression of elegance. The narrative then transitioned into contemporary couture, where bold structures, rich embellishment, and theatrical scale took centre stage.

Day two’s finale featured The Conclave of Anti-Fashion by Fahad Hussayn, where he presented a ceremonial assembly of garments rooted in rebellion, permanence, and identity. The collection treated clothing as ideology, with silhouettes conceived as ritual objects rather than seasonal statements. Carefully composed colour stories supported the sculptural forms and symbolic detailing. Developed under the Fahad Hussayn Academy’s Art Collective, the collection existed as a series of collectible works, reaffirming fashion as a lasting medium for statement, artistry, and personal conviction.

The showcase also featured musical performances by Sheryar Rehman, Natasha Baig and Nehaal Naseem.

Originally published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2026

Taking to Instagram stories on Saturday night, Aamir drew a clear line between fashion that invites critique and moments that simply don’t. “Fashion critique makes sense on runways, campaigns, red carpets,” she wrote. “But I’ve seen too many brides turned into review material on their wedding day, and I genuinely don’t understand the point.”

Weddings, she reminded her followers, are not content farms. “Why is it so important to tear apart someone who’s just trying to live one of the happiest days of her life? Some moments aren’t meant to be rated. They’re meant to be felt. Empathy will always be more stylish than criticism.”

Actor Maya Ali echoed the sentiment, resharing Aamir’s post with a message of her own. “Very well said, love,” she wrote, urging people to stop playing critics, “especially for real brides”. Ali signed off with a blessing for all the beautiful brides out there that felt pointedly old-school in the best way: “Khush aur abaad rahein aap sab.”

Aamir’s comments came in the wake of online criticism directed at actor Sabeena Syed for her wedding outfit, particularly her Ali Xeeshan bridal gharara. Fashion bloggers and self-styled critics were quick to dissect the look, treating a personal milestone like a runway moment.

Syed’s experience is hardly an outlier. As the wedding season rolls on, brides continue to be placed under an unforgiving microscope, their choices parsed for originality, tradition, trend alignment and Instagram appeal. Grooms, meanwhile, largely escape this scrutiny, often because they play it safe, but also because the cultural expectation to perform visually still rests disproportionately on women.

The pressure is relentless. Brides are criticised if they experiment and criticised if they don’t. Too traditional, too modern, too loud, too muted, too extravagant — there is always a flaw to be found if the goal is to find one.

The problem, of course, is not fashion commentary itself. Pakistan has a rich and evolving bridal aesthetic, and critical engagement with design, craft and trends has its place. But the line blurs when real people, on deeply personal days, are treated as mood boards and marketing case studies.

That line was crossed yet again recently when Shanzeh Ali Rohale, bride of Junaid Safdar, was trolled online, and criticised by Indian fashion critic Sufi Motiwala for wearing a Tarun Tahiliani ensemble — the implication being that the look was invalid because actor Ananya Panday had previously worn something similar. The criticism ignored the obvious, that Rohale looked stunning, comfortable and happy.

Weddings, after all, are not red carpets. And if fashion commentary cannot make room for that distinction, then perhaps it is not commentary at all, just spectacle. And critism, as Aamir pointed out, is rarely stylish.

Bringing together star alumni and leading designers Sania Maskatiya, Nida Azwer, and Khaadi’s Saira Shamoon and Shamoon Sultan, the show was held to raise funds for the expansion of IVS’ campus, aimed at accommodating its growing roster and strengthening facilities for future generations.

Former model and fashion industry veteran Frieha Altaf, who attended the event in a vintage Sania Maskatiya ensemble, summed up the mood perfectly. Speaking to Images, she said she was there not just to celebrate the designers, but to support a cause that deeply matters. Calling Maskatiya, Azwer and the Sultans “very, very good designers,” Altaf reflected on how IVS is often associated with art and textiles rather than fashion — despite producing some of the industry’s biggest names

“We’re here to celebrate them, we’re here to celebrate, it is very important when there is a success story,” she said, reminiscing about having done Maskatiya’s and Sultan’s very first shows, and emphasising the importance of supporting scholarships and campus growth.

The evening began with a meet-and-greet in the courtyard of IVS’ iconic Nusserwanjee Building — a space many may recognise from Zindagi Gulzar Hai’s university scenes. The open-air courtyard was warmly lit, with long scroll-like fabric installations suspended overhead using fine wiring, creating a makeshift canopy in shades of blue, red and brown to represent the three elements.

The fashion show itself unfolded in IVS’ garden, with the stone masonry of the Nusserwanjee Building serving as a historic colonial-era backdrop.

The century-old building once stood as a warehouse and office in the busiest areas of Karachi, Kharadar. Named after Jamshed Nusserwanji, it was originally constructed by his father in 1903. An additional wing to the building was erected in 1919 using RCC for columns, beams and roof and coursed stone masonry. In 1991, the Nusserwanji building was destined to be demolished; simultaneously, the founders of the Indus Valley School were searching for an appropriate space to house the school. Through the support of the US Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preservation and US Consulate General, Sindh Exploration and Adventure Society (SEAS) and IVS successfully completed one of the biggest stone-by-stone relocation projects of its kind in the subcontinent, by relocating the building from Kharadar to IVS’ campus in Clifton.

Choreographed by model Vaneeza Ahmed, with Ali Allah Ditta on sound, the show was hosted by actor and IVS alumna Sarwat Gilani. Before the runway began, Dr Faiza Mushtaq, dean and executive director of IVS, addressed the audience, outlining the institution’s academic offerings, student body, and a three-year expansion plan. She invited those present to become “founding donors” for the new campus, which aims to add labs, classrooms and updated equipment.

Zubyr Soomro, chair at IVS, reminded the audience that what they were about to witness went beyond garments and glamour. “Tonight is a celebration of what our alumni can do, but more importantly it is a reminder of where it comes from,” he noted.

Singer and activist Shehzad Roy and musician Bilal Maqsood — part of IVS’ very first graduating batch — also took the stage, sharing personal reflections on the institution’s role in shaping Karachi’s creative ecosystem.

Each designer was assigned a single element from the three, and their entire collection revolved around that element.

The show opened with Shamoon and Saira’s earth-inspired collection. Earthy tones, natural dyes and handloom textures defined the line.

Browns dominated the lawn pieces, while solid colours featured in the handloom looks, offering a blend reminiscent of both Khaadi and Chapter 2. The designers experimented with airy silhouettes, pairing the outfits with tassel bags.

Water flowed next through Maskatiya’s collection, which leaned into softness and movement.

Pastel tones, organza, ruffles and fluid, mermaid-like silhouettes defined the line, with natural textures and an almost weightless quality that mirrored the element itself.

Fire closed the night in the form of Azwer’s bridal collection — dramatic, and layered. Moving through cool greys, ivories and rich reds, the collection bridged heritage and modernity with intricate “mirror, fine thread, vasli, resham and applique work”.

“I am showcasing a collection which is describing my entire design philosophy […] it is a beautiful collection based on fire, we have all the hues from sunrise to sunset,” Azwer told Images.

The night concluded with an address by legendary artist and founder of IVS’ Faculty of Design, Shehnaz Ismail, giving an apt ending to a night arranged to honour creativity, not just as a spectacle, but as legacy.

Owned by British makeup artist and industry legend Pat McGrath, the brand was initially set to go up for auction on January 7, according to Marie Claire. That sale, however, was put on pause when Pat McGrath Labs filed for Chapter 11 protection on January 22, allowing the company to halt the immediate liquidation of its assets and attempt a financial reset instead.

In the US, Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows a business to continue operating while it restructures its debts under court supervision. As New York-based financial planning and analysis manager Samuel Aboagye explained to Marie Claire, “They’ll continue running the business normally, but they have certain goals they must meet to pay back their debtors. If they don’t pay their debts (and by extension, their debtors) back in the timeline agreed upon, then they’ll cease control of the company or liquidate it for the funds and shut it down.”

Until fairly recently, Pat McGrath Labs appeared to be thriving on the surface. The brand remained highly visible online, backed by viral launches and glossy social media campaigns. Behind the scenes, however, employees reportedly described a far more pressurised environment, according to The Cut.

The bankruptcy filing comes in the same year that McGrath herself reached a major career milestone. In March 2025, she was announced as the creative director of La Beauté Louis Vuitton, the luxury house’s long-anticipated makeup line — a role that underscored her influence in the fashion and beauty world.

McGrath’s rise began in the 1980s, when her experimental, high-impact techniques quickly set her apart. In 2015, she launched Pat McGrath Labs, debuting with a $40 pressed gold pigment. The brand soon became synonymous with maximalist glamour, particularly its now-iconic $128 Mothership eyeshadow palettes and richly pigmented lipsticks that dominated both runways and red carpets.

In 2018, Pat McGrath Labs secured $60 million in funding from Eurazeo Brands, and within five years, the company reached a $1 billion valuation. By 2021, Eurazeo quietly exited its stake — a move that, in hindsight, marked the beginning of a more turbulent chapter for the once-unstoppable beauty brand.