JOIN USWhile it’s a regular, staple outfit in Pakistan, salwar suits from Karachi are becoming a rage in India. Shazman Shariff gets the details on all varieties.
An array of dress material on the clothes stand appear attractive and beautiful, just like any other attire for women. But there is something different about these unquestionably eye-catching clothes; they are from Karachi, Pakistan, and I am told they sell like hot cakes, here in India.
The diversity in fabric, colour combinations and designs are fast gaining popularity in Bangalore and women have not been shy about expressing their admiration for the styles that come and go in haute couture from the neighbouring country.
It is surely surprising to hear women talking, rather raving about designers and trends of Karachi.
Considering the off-and-on tense relationship with the neighbouring country, one cannot help but wonder how this has come to be the case. The answer is best provided by those who are in the business.
Nazeefa Ahmed, a housewife who runs a clothes business in Bangalore, says suits from Karachi were introduced by those who have links to Karachi. “When our relatives come dressed in those clothes, it attracts others. The stark differences in styling gets the attention of others. Usually, demand pours in from acquaintances who see us wearing that same stuff,” she states.
For quite some years now, Nazeefa has been dealing mainly with chikankari clothes from New Delhi, but recently she decided to include Karachi suits in her collection. Her frequent visits to Delhi, her hometown, make it easy to cater to demands coming from friends and relatives. “There are a lot of people coming to New Delhi from Karachi. Relatives coming from Dubai too bring Karachi stuff,” she says, adding that she has also managed to get in touch with a leading brand which ensures she gets the genuine stuff directly.
She is one of the many housewives doing the business inconspicuously and is attracting buyers who long for more. The business spreads by word of mouth and a part of the house is their showroom but every now and then, comes a bigger platform to showcase the collection — through joint exhibitions.
The proximity of New Delhi with Pakistan has helped local buyers source consignments. There are some outlets in the capital city which get a continuous supply of clothes for the Indian customer.
Sharing her views about how she fell in love with Karachi suits, Ayesha, a housewife, says that it is the quality of fabric and designing which really appeal to her. “Some time ago, clothes were made with lot of sequins which I did not like, but now the latest fad of laces and long kurtas with nice prints is really impressive,” she says. What surprises her is seeing some renowned Indian models opting to model for Pakistani brands. “I have spotted Karishma Kapoor wearing these dresses. And that establishes their style value — why else would a well-established actress endorse them?” she opines.
Besides cotton, another famous summer fabric from Karachi is lawn, a soft fabric with a cool feel.
However, Ayesha feels each penny paid for a branded lawn suit is well worthy the money spent. “I have used them for years and they still have not faded,” she claims. Never missing the chance to take a look at the exhibitions held in the neighbourhood, she admits she has become such an ardent fan of the merchandise that she no longer craves to go to Commercial Street in Bangalore to buy clothes.
For Sameena, an artist, the popularity of the Karachi suits reached her in the US through her folks. When she surveyed the market, she could not resist its charm. She lists out a few things that readily convinced her to become a regular buyer. “The styling is different, colour combinations are unique, embroidery is different and the cuts are impressive,” she goes on. However, she refrains from following designs that clash with her taste, like the generous use of satin ribbons and the latest trend of endlessly long tops with hanging corners.
For Agha, the thought of taking a plunge into the clothes business struck him when he visited Karachi, which happens to be his wife’s hometown. “When I was there, I was impressed by the huge variety of clothes and the fashion that was being followed there,” he says.
“Although,” he adds, “nothing can lessen the charm of Indian clothes — the allure of wearing something different and trendy makes the Karachi suits popular. In the North, the fashion scene is very much similar to Pakistan’s, which is why the Karachi suit is more popular in Bangalore.”
Besides, this being a people-to-people business enterprise, technology too has helped many get acquainted with the trends from Karachi. Seema Iqbal, a boutique owner, says her clients are familiar with designers from Karachi as they see the designs on the Internet and come to her with a particular item in mind. Having direct links with Karachi, she often gets to visit the place and pick stuff.
An experienced seamstress, she feels Karachi suits appeal to those with a refined taste for fashion and styling. “The current trend of long tops with sleek skirts gives a model-like and glamourised look,” she says. “For girls with a tall and lean frame, this strikes the perfect look,” She adds.
In her view, working women or college students may not be easily inclined to buy such clothes but those who move within the fashion circuits are potential clients.
Whatever the cut and peculiar styles are, it is not something that cannot be produced locally. Seema points out that it is not necessary to buy a Karachi suit to feel the difference in styling as the same look can be created by using Indian fabric. “Give me any local fabric, I will cut and design it according to the pattern of Karachi suits and make it equally desirable,” she insists.
Inspired by pictures on the Internet, Sameena now manages to get the desired designs with a bit of hard work. “I use local fabric and follow the pattern I see in the catalogues,” she says, as it is not easy to get the exact item from Karachi.
With non-conducive trade opportunities, at times it can become difficult to cater to demands here as it takes days to get the desired item from there. But Seema feels once the barriers are lifted, the charm of Karachi suits would lose its sheen. “If accessibility becomes easy, the stuff would become very common and people would not find it worth buying.”