International fashion. It is important that we immerse ourselves in understanding and respecting the dimensions there is to culture, especially fashion. Fashion is not one sided, but has multiple dimensions. Those dimensions include ideas, texture (styles and patterns), materials, and purpose. We will be discovering these multiple layers of fashion by exploring international fashion. The vast number of cultures and communities are defined by their unique fashion. We will be taking a journey to view and immerse ourselves with the different types of prominent fashion brands and styles around the world.

The first stop on the fashion discovery trip is Pakistan. Known for its intricate, exquisite details and rich fabrics, Pakistan has developed a prominent presence in the fashion industry. We will be looking at the major players in the fashion game making a mark in the realms of street fashion and high fashion.

Pakistani Street Fashion

(1) Khaadi

Khaadi developed its multinational company on the premise of crafting handmade designs on lawn (linen) clothing. The founder of Khaadi, Shamoon Sultan, wanted to preserve the beautiful handicraft tradition of handloom. As clarification, handloom is a device used for weaving. The practice of handloom reflects the historical practice of using handlooms to create Pakistani clothing. He named it Khaadi, meaning hand-woven, to reflect the company’s commitment to detail, quality, and tradition.

 

(2) Agha Noor

If you go to Pakistan and ask anyone where her shalwar kameez is from, most probably she will say Agha Noor. To provide you with perspective, Agha Noor is the equivalent Zara of Pakistan. Agha Noor experiments and succeeds in trendy styles from embroidered kurtas to tulip shalwar. A feature that makes Agha Noor attractive to all is the material: cotton net. Using this material makes the cost of the outfit inexpensive. However, the texture of the material is unique and flattering so the demand for Agha Noor shalwar kameez is always high.

 

 

 

 

 

Pakistani High Fashion

(1) Elan

Elan has developed itself as the powerful couture fashion house of Pakistan. Their intricately crafted designs display the luxury of this clothing brand. The brand has combined both traditional and modern Pakistani techniques and styles to create uniquely designed clothing.

 

 

(2) Ali Xeeshan

Ali Xeeshan epitomizes traditional formal Pakistani wear. Pieces from the collections are all delicately designed to represent the rich, classic culture of Pakistani fashion. The campaigns for each collection are magnificently tied to pertinent human and social rights issues plaguing Pakistan. A recent one was regarding the backwards, corruptive culture of child marriage in Pakistan.

These brands represent few of the many that have emerged in the fashion industry and are the major players that have revolutionized the dynamics of the Pakistani fashion industry. People tended to purchase unstitched lawn (cotton pieces) to make customized clothing wear by their private tailors. However, the emergence of brands that have marked prosperous and emulative Pakistani fashion styles have replaced the culture of tailor customized wear. These four brands have made a significant impact on the authenticity, innovation, and creativity of the Pakistani fashion industry.