LAAM Fashion Week and the business of fashion in Pakistan
The runway is back and rooted in technology and e-commerce, but have the country's designers caught up with the demand for commercial viability?
After a successful inaugural run, LAAM Fashion Week (LFW) is returning to the runway this October for its second edition. LAAM announced the event on Saturday and opened registrations for designers to join Pakistan’s first “runway to e-tail” event.
In a press release, the organisers said they wished to continue their “mission to create a stronger, more connected, and commercially meaningful platform for Pakistani fashion”.
This comes after the event’s first edition showcased the work of 37 designers and, according to the organisers, generated interest from customers from over 100 countries.
The idea behind the event is to designer collections available to customers on LAAM’s digital platform immediately after pieces are displayed on a live-streamed runway. This give Pakistani brands the ability to take their work to a truly global audience.
Talking about the upcoming edition of LFW, LAAM co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Arif Iqbal said, “LAAM Fashion Week was created to make Pakistani fashion more accessible, measurable and globally connected. The first edition showed us what is possible when creativity, commerce and technology come together with purpose. LFW2 is about taking that vision forward with greater scale, stronger integration and a deeper commitment to positioning Pakistani fashion on the global stage.”
Amir Iqbal, the brand’s chief operating officer, said, “What made the first edition important was not just the showcase, but what happened after it. Designers were able to reach new audiences, engage customers directly and see their collections move from the runway into real commercial opportunity, With LFW2, our focus is making the platform even more structured, more commercially effective and more meaningful for every brand and designer that participates.”
While further details on the programme, dates, venues and partners haven’t been announced yet, the organisers have called for interested “fashion brands, designers, retail labels, manufacturing brands and emerging creative voices from across Pakistan” to register for the event.