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Updated 31 Jan, 2021

There was plenty of conjecture surrounding Bakhtawar Bhutto’s engagement – not least what she would be wearing on her big day.

There were no clues, no hush-hush images released from a designer’s atelier and no BTS videos.

And yet, when Bakhtawar uploaded her engagement portrait with her fiancé, under a glorious pink bougainvillea tree, fashion aficionados were quickly able to discern that her tea pink outfit, with an ornately embroidered shawl draped over it, was the work of designer Nida Azwer.

The shawl, particularly, was quintessential Nida. The designer has always had a penchant for luxurious shawls with miniature Mughal scenes etched out on them with the daintiest hand embroideries.

It's all about the details
It's all about the details

Nida’s shawls are her best-sellers, coveted by a discerning clientele that recognizes their worth. Bakhtawar had her own particular vision regarding how she wanted her engagement shawl to be, taking it beyond Nida’s usual Mughal scenery.

“It was all very exciting for me as a designer because I was creating a detailed bespoke piece,” says Nida.

“Bakhtawar particularly wanted her mother to be a part of her day and we sat and decided how she wanted the shawl to be. I had to research a lot and look at the pictures that she provided me with, creating detailed sketches before translating them with cloth and thread.”

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on

Describing the shawl, Nida says, “The shawl has two pallus, telling two different stories. One side is embroidered with images from Bakhtawar’s past; her parents’ wedding day with her mother sitting on one side and her father on the other, she and her siblings playing in children’s push-cars, an image of her grandmother, a desk with Pakistan’s flag on it, a study with books on the shelves, Bakhtawar with her cellphone and McDonald’s fries and nuggets perhaps because she and her siblings used to like eating them!

The other side of the shawl captures Bakhtawar’s current life and her future; how she met her fiancé, how he proposed, her home, her garden, her pet dogs.”

“And then, the central panel is etched with the sun and the sky, with beautiful bids flying on it, holding together the two sides to Bakhtawar’s world.”

How long did it take for the shawl to get made?

“It did take some time,” Nida admits, “because it is entirely hand embroidered. Bakhtwar wore it over a tea pink peshwaz with tone on tone embroidery. It was very understated but classic.”

How did Nida end up dressing Bakhtawar Bhutto on one of the biggest days of her life?

“She approached me,” she states simply. “I have dressed her sister before. It takes a certain kind of person to forego bling and opt for a design that is entirely based on craft. I think Bakhtawar is like that, she enjoys fine detailing.”

Nida must have been aware of the curiosity regarding what Bakhtawar was going to wear. In fact, social media was rife with the rumor that the engagement outfit was going to be created by an age-old atelier that had created Bakhtawar’s late mother Benazir Bhutto’s Nikah outfit.

Why didn’t Nida upload a sneak peek or float out a tweet revealing that she would be creating the outfit?

“For one, it was Bakhtawar’s outfit, ordered by her, and it was up to her to reveal the images,” says Nida. “For me, the priority was that the person that I had created it for should get to enjoy it and like it. I wanted to create a customized piece that she would treasure forever.”

Zooming in on images of Bakhtawar’s shawl and realizing the personalized details within it, it certainly is the sort of design that a girl would treasure, always.

Comments

AZAM AKBAR Nov 30, 2020 11:13am
Is poor Pakistan for the elites who want to be in mass medias?
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saksci Nov 30, 2020 11:14am
Who cares people are dying of covid-19.
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RA Nov 30, 2020 11:42am
Nice concept and must be thoughtful research. Was there any Ajarak hinting in that master piece?
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Tariq Nov 30, 2020 11:56am
just curious after her marriage she will be called as Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari-Chaudry :-)
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Nh Nov 30, 2020 12:06pm
Money via corruption!!!
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Amin Arab Nov 30, 2020 12:19pm
Did she get the 10% discount on it?
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Naz Nov 30, 2020 12:27pm
You should review the outfit for ‘national interest’, as it’s been paid by the national treasury of Pakistan...!
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Fastrack Nov 30, 2020 12:36pm
A closer look is required how these so called educated and insanely rich, self-styled leaders risk the lives of thousands of the poorest by trying to gather them to save their skins.
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NYS Nov 30, 2020 12:51pm
All apart this peachy avatar ,calm soft look forwarding cool gesture by all means
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Chrís Dăn Nov 30, 2020 12:54pm
This amont could be used for poor people in sindh.
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Sab Se Pehle Pakistan Nov 30, 2020 12:56pm
Urban Sindh's tax payers hard earned money wisely used. Congratulations
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Yasir Nov 30, 2020 01:35pm
At least give credit to the photographer.
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Hyra Nov 30, 2020 02:36pm
What a shame.. ! Killing people with poverty , illiteracy and hunger .. and then approach towards a shawl.. they are blind with money n power
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Farrukh Arshad Nov 30, 2020 03:01pm
@Tariq Thanks for a good laugh
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Hamid Shafiq Nov 30, 2020 03:08pm
Rich leaders of poor nation
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AZAM AKBAR Nov 30, 2020 03:13pm
@Nh Mr. Nh, " Money via corruption!!! " Correct.
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AZAM AKBAR Nov 30, 2020 03:14pm
The so-called elites are mass-media-addict.
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AZAM AKBAR Nov 30, 2020 03:18pm
@Amin Arab Mr. Amin Arab, " Did she get the 10% discount on it? " She didn't and doesn't do any job in her life like her siblings and got gratis through money looted by her parents.
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NYS Nov 30, 2020 04:36pm
Apart from all controversies this dress has indigenous vibes
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Rino Nov 30, 2020 04:47pm
Why the hell so much space for a daughter of Mr 10%, who pushed country to disaster.
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Ehsan Nov 30, 2020 07:33pm
Beautiful dress
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Ahmed Nov 30, 2020 07:55pm
@Tariq Chaudhry Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari Baloch.
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salman Dec 01, 2020 10:36am
that's our money
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Masood Mir Khan Dec 02, 2020 02:22pm
وہی حالات ہیں فقیروں کے دن پھرے ہیں فقط وزیروں کے ہر بلاول ہے دیس کا مقروض پائوں ننگے ہیں بے نظیروں کے
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Saad Dec 03, 2020 09:34pm
Financed by people of Pakistan
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Rick Dec 04, 2020 05:28am
Kavan the elephant is finally free that all I am concerned about
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Aliya Abbasi Dec 05, 2020 12:16am
The amount of wealth they have amassed by pillaging this country and betraying its people is disgusting
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N abidai Dec 06, 2020 09:03pm
She looked older then her age in this style!
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