Ennis and I swapped a few e-mails the other day, in which, in-between soliciting my opinions on Begum Nawazish Ali and expressing a fear of pigeon-holing me, he offered up some ideas of stuff to talk about—politics, the whole “war on terror”, fashion, South Asian politics, that sort of thing.
Naturally, having all the depth of a particularly shallow puddle, IÂ’ve opted to go with fashion.
Fashion, or what passes for it in Pakistan, really pisses me off. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I don’t somehow find myself at least marginally involved with it, but in the years since I’ve been back, it’s taken on this quasi-mystical status as an “industry”, with a mythical “council” comprising…well, I’m not quite sure who’s on the council at present, but I’m going to go with “senior”, “established”, and/or “reputed” designers, since those are generally the terms that seem to be kosher.
Now, at the risk of back-tracking, let me just mention for the record that I know most of the designer community in Pakistan. It’s all a bit of the little pink mafia, with most designers either being gay men or straight women (I’m sorry, they’re not always gay, some of them are “bisexual”, or “bi-curious” snort; I’ve yet to meet a larger group of individuals who have managed to make what they describe as a “phase” last well over a decade or two). And then the photographers, stylists, event managers and “choreographers” all tend to fall into the same gay man/straight woman alliance, so when you combine the somewhat incestuous socialising with a severely limited pool, and then further refine it into an industry dominated by fags and their hags, it’s not hard to meet them all—and be declared their new best friend—within a matter of hours. And while I’ll admit that there’s a certain amount of glitz to the whole thing, to socialising with the crowd that everyone knows (of) and being dragged from one party to another, the realisation that it’s tinsel and not actual stardust comes rather rapidly.
I know, what a shocker, right? Fashion, shallow and superficial? Never!What actually gets on my nerves about fashion in Pakistan is that it’s…well, it’s not really. Now I’ve never really understood fashion (I know, I risk losing my homosexual membership card with this admission), but I’ve sort of always followed the perspective that creating outré outfits that no one can either afford or actually wear in public for more than thirteen-and-a-half minutes may well be couture, but it’s not necessarily fashion. And admittedly, I adore Project Runway (although Laura was robbed, but we’ll get back to that)—to me, that’s sort of what the fashion industry is about—creating innovative, imaginative looks that while interesting, aren’t so completely insane that you can’t actually wear them out in public. But the key thing here is innovation and imagination. And learning about pattern-making, about sewing, about how fabrics need to be tailored, the basic tools that one would (I assume) require to be a successful designer.
Not here though, apparently. It seems that any bored hausfrau with a bit of extra cash and a tailor at her beck and call can set up her own “boutique” or label; and the successful designers seem to be the ones with the most technically adept tailors. I cannot for the life of me, imagine more than one or two of Pakistan’s most “famous” designers being able to go on a show like Project Runway. I mean, at the end of the day, it’s all bridal wear, ghararas, lenghas, shalwar kameez, and the occasional blouse, all differentiated only by the amount of embroidery, the length of the top or the trousers, and/or the general cut of the neck or the sleeves. There’s really not much else going on there. I’m not really doing it justice, but basically if you’ve seen one outfit, you’ve seen ‘em all. The menswear market is similarly limited, but enough on the limitations of the actual designs and clothes—suffice it to say that by virtue (again, we keep coming back to this) of an innately theocratic government and society, designers are fundamentally limited in what they can and cannot actually make. So I’m happy to give them a bit of a pass on the “oh good grief, it’s the same bloody thing as you made last week” element of the local fashion industry, they’re definitely working within some stringent conditions (although I continue to maintain that if they’re going to paint themselves as “edgy” and “daring”, they need to do more than slash a couple of vents in random pleats and contend that it’s a breakthrough in design).
I suppose it’s because of the somewhat repressive social regime that exists across the board here in Pakistan (although some are, of course, more repressed than others) that fashion has taken on this mythological sense of presence. There are fashion shows for just about everything, and they double as excuses for parties, for fundraisers, for self-promotion…just everything under the sun. Which again, somewhat understandable, but I hear about things like Pakistan Fashion Week and cringe just a little, imagining a week of catty designers screaming epithets at one another as models swish down the catwalk in a rapid succession of only-marginally-different outfits. I think though, that an exchange between two of my friends right after the massive earthquake last year neatly encapsulates the degree of self-importance that fashionistas in Pakistan exhibit. A friend, living in Islamabad, got a telephone call from a “fashion choreographer” (i.e. “Walk down the runway! Now turn! Now walk back!”—seriously, that’s the extent of it from what I’ve observed), the day after the earthquake. The first thing asked was not “Are you all right?”, but rather “Oh God, what am I going to do? The fashion show is going to be completely ruined, you HAVE to come and be the MC.” I suppose that could be a relatively innocuous statement coming from someone who couldn’t process the tragedy and was dealing with it in manageable chunks, but I see this mentality everywhere. It’s as though the designers and anyone associated with the domestic industry have an obsession with living up to the conceptual certainty of being a designer (read: like to do lots of drugs and party massively) without actually exhibiting any amount of technical skill or ability. Not that you’d think it from hearing them speak about how incredibly talented (and self-effacing, of course) they are, nope, not at all.
Don’t get me wrong, I have an enormous amount of respect for the fashion industry—never in the history of humankind has so much attention been paid to the deconstructed A-line skirt. And there’s definitely an industry present, remarkable in its own way for the sheer amount of business it generates, but what strikes me about the Pakistani fashion industry is the number of aspirations that lack any real substance. But you have “fashion journalists”, and “fashion photographers”, and “fashion stylists”, all of whom are focused on inflating the reputation of an industry that is very much in its fledgling stages, is dominated by about a dozen people, and which quite frankly, needs to get its shit together. There are some genuinely talented people out there, but they tend to get overlooked by the pompous gits who seem to think that their ability to describe an outfit in its most literal sense is some sort of major accomplishment. Seriously. It’s that attitude, the “fashion is the panacea for all earthly evils” thing that really gets on my tits, and it’s what limits the industry here severely. If someone could get everyone in the general industry knurd, I suspect very strongly, that once the medications have run their respective courses, people would really get their shiznit together.
I swear, I cannot WAIT for Heidi Klum to auf someone from the Pakistani version of Project Runway. Just to see the expressions on everyoneÂ’s faces.
Fashion, glamour, page3, celebrity…i am getting dizzy. Keeping up with this is another job!
Thank god i am not gay, bi or both….
the same designers who are ridiculed at first with coming out with new stuff and copying the “west”
It’s interesting that this is a topic of discussion right now. I’m going to India soon for a wedding and I’ve had to think of what to wear. But I’m so over Indian clothes; it’s so hard to look unique anymore (not that it was ever easy). The only differences I see are the colors and the styles of embroidery, because heaven forbid the absence of embroidery on any suit or lengha. I know what the Middle Eastern/South Asian fashion industries need: a makeover.
(By makeover, I mean an enlightenment of sorts. People need to realize how boring fashion has become.)
That’s my two-cents.
Should Western dress be the barometer, though? (I’m not sure if you’re saying that, though.) In any case, admittedly, most Pakistani fashion is crap, but there are a few exquisite designers. I mean, I certainly drool over their stuff when I visit and shop. And what about the Pakistan School of Fashion Design? It’s a reputable program that’s affiliated with the Parisian LÂ’Ecole de La Chambre Syndicale Parisian. My cousin (and quite a few of those “top” designers) are graduates, and their curriculum is pretty rigorous. I think there is some talent, but isn’t all the requisite BS more of a symptom of (exhausing) Pakistani “society” in general and not necessarily the fashion world?
Sin – You, Sir/Ms. are the true inheritor of Saadat H. Manto.
You make it sound like you need to be all of the above to be fashionable 🙂
Sin you are quite possibly one of my favorite guest bloggers here. And of course I’m partial to fashion. I think a lot of the same shit goes on in India. Ritu Beri who can’t sow to save her life has had some phenomemal patternmakers work for her and who helped her launch into the bridal market. You know what all her original designers left her drunk and pre madonna ass behind and gone on to become successful elsewhere.
By western terms unless you are innovating and doing something “different” “edgy” you aren’t really considered a designer. Every single major designer out there started out as a patternmaker and knows how to sow, it’s the bare minimum requirement in the west. Even in India any random rich spoilt kid can become a “designer”. I have a friend who is now a “famous” architect. He never even finished college and never went to any kind of a design school but his dad had enough money and enough contacts to give him a launch. He has a team that is fully trained that works with him who pretty much do it all. He takes credit.
As they say in the east money buys everything 🙂
“But I’m so over Indian clothes; it’s so hard to look unique anymore (not that it was ever easy).”
but the same could be said of western wear. just look around you at any mall, subway, street (even in so-called fashion capitals of the world), shops, office, celebrities (who ostensibly can afford to pay for more “unique” “esoteric” non run-of-the-mill clothing) and it’s all the same limited color palate, styles and latest fads or trends. at least before, you could distinguish people by what country they came from via their clothing. today it’s mostly all globalized, conformist drudgery and cookie cutter brand-name mentality, especially at the middle class masses level.
Actually i missed one – bi curious
How about the others from Delhi who are now called gurus of fashion in india? Rohit Bal, JJ Valaya etc.
This is why I stick with jeans, t-shirts, and if it’s cold, a long sleeved shirt over the t-shirt. Yes, you can accuse me of being lazy, but my look is one that will be around ’til the end of time. And this post is yet another example of why it’s just so much easier for men. No one really cares what we wear. Really, what has really changed in the past 50 years other than the fact that people are now willing to pay $50 for a t-shirt and $200 for jeans? And no, I don’t see a difference between $200 jeans and Levi’s.
Fashion shows with stuff normal people can wear? – blasphemy. Anyway Ritu Beri didn’t deserve to be called a sow :). As the ole pirate once said “As Ye Sew, So Shall Ye Rip”
Hats 🙁
Actually, as someone who was often on the receiving end of my mother’s
cheap“cost-conscious”, K-Mart fueled Desi taste, I have to say that it’s not ALWAYS that easy for guys.I still have a major psychological block on paying full price for a new pair of jeans…
My favourite pair of jeans is one I bought at Sarojini Nagar in New Delhi for 500 bucks($10). The brand name- Macho – can be embarrassing with a short tee, but its a snug fit and has lasted 3 years now, and I won’t part with it for all the world. As the bard sayeth, for what’s in a name.
Fan-tastic. But please, next time more details on the debauchery.
Sriram and Neal 🙂
I think that some people do observe an expensive jean. I cant, but it must be in their genes to sense such signals. I couldnt sleep the night when I first bought a pair of jeans for 60$, because I was blissfully happy and ignorant wearing my 18$ deals 🙁
I understand what you mean, but in my experience fashion in the west absolutely has a broader range in terms of “looks.” Jeans, pants, capris, shorts, skirts, short skirts, long skirts, etc. And that’s just the bottom half! On top of that, there are different patterns (paisley, flowers, dots, whatever); styles (pleated, stonewashed, etc.), lengths (at the knee, ankle, ect.), and yes, even some embroidery. We admittedly do have some of the above, but it all meshes together so easily and to such an extent that, as sin says,
Maybe for men, but not women! You should see my cousin’s wardrobe.
snicker
So true. I think western fashion hit a low point when Madonna started wearing old purple leotards from the 80’s and calling them “vintage” in a magazine shoot. I think the best fashion is born of mixing classic staples with pieces that express the wearer’s personality. You can do that with almost any style of clothing, desi or western or whatever.
And there’s a distinct difference between Pret a Porter and Haute Couture that even the untrained eye can discern.
I don’t know … I’ve seen a lot of variation in Indian dress, mostly leaning towards Indo-Western (see the outfits at Bargello for some examples)
Fashion is an art form, just like painting… some painters paint stop signs, some true-to-life portraits, while others express their ideas more abstractly. I see fashion the same way. Some designers make utilitarian clothes (scrubs, uniforms, the standard jean and t-shirt, etc) like a painter would make a stop sign. Others make practical, wearable yet aesthetically pleasing clothes that could be jeans and t-shirts with a flair, or something more unique. Yet other designers are abstract artists, making dresses that become hats, blouses out of bubble wrap, and outfits that barely fit on the size negative-2 model wearing them, much less anyone in real life who buys clothes off racks.
As far as Pakistani fashion goes, I think that the designers are generally aiming for that second category : fashionable and wearable, which is honestly pretty limiting as far as trends and seasons go. What’s hot today looks dated tomorrow. Plus add in any government censorship/conservatism that might stifle creativity in terms of hemlines, necklines, etc. in the name of modesty, and you’re going to have a difficult time branching out towards that third realm of abstract fashion a la Betsey Johnson, whose clothes are wearable yet extremely unique.
Those designers will come along.. if they’re more devoted to their craft than barking out epithets across catwalks 😉
I don’t know what’s going on in Pakistan, but if you skim the pics of Ritu Kumar’s collections in one of my recent posts about the book ritu-kumars-royal-india I think you can see a lot of stylistic variation. I think that seeing the clothes as Indian, Pakistani, etc., and labeling them sari, ghagra, kurta, lengha, shalwar kameez etc., immediately makes it hard to see the differences, same as if you labeled a thing a dress or a ball gown, or pants or a suit, the variations would appear to be minimal. I mean, e.g., the counterpart of hem lengths could be how much midriff is happening, and so on. The Bangash Brothers show a completely new way to dress.
Well, my friend, people certainly care less about what we wear, but some people do care. Even within the simple, t-shirt and jeans uniform for guys, there are variations such as the cut/tailoring that aren’t as immediately obvious to us guys as they seem to be to the ladies. For example, most guys wear their clothes a size or two too large, in part because most US clothes makers seem to design their clothes for beefy midwesterners. What is nice for guys is that if you even make a little bit of an effort and have just a little bit of a clue about what to buy and wear, you’re already pretty far ahead of most guys.
I totally hear you, but it’s still painful for me to spend money on clothes when there are soooo many other things I’d rather buy (hell, I’d rather spend $60 on drinks at a bar with friends than on jeans). It hurts even more if you have a body type that’s outside of the average. I’m oddly proportioned in the sense that I’m tall, but skinny. Anything that’s long enough is invariably made for people with more meat on their bones. Whatever I buy, in order to truly fit, has to be tailored…not good when you have limited disposable income.
Andrea, this is one of the best analogies I’ve ever come across. It explains a lot to those of us who are fashion illiterate.
I’m with you on that. I think the biggest myth that a lot of guys believe is that they have to spend a LOT of money to look good or wear big ill fitted clothes because somehow they are so unique nothing out there is made for their bodies. And my personal favorite (NOT) “A woman would accept me no matter what I wear even if I look like I rolled out of bed and the bum down the street looks better than me”
I think that can be farthest from the truth. Having style has nothing to do with how much money you have. You can go to Target and find clothing that makes you look good. Buy stuff on sale, look for deals. But a little effort goes a long way for men and women. People react to you differently and positively when you put your best foot forward and that only makes life easier.
Whats the correlation between fashion and taking it up the ass? Gay guys often make it seem that bending over and talking like a woman is what gives them their flair for fashion, hair, and theatre.
Enough, enough, enough. I’m really tired of people defining who they are because who they fu.ck
No I’m not being Kramer-esque with hatred for gays, but I tired of being surrounded by fashion forward fruits.
A. It’s true, the sooner you accept it the easier your ire will be B. Taking it up the ass isn’t necessarily categorized as taking it like a woman
A new circle of fruits perhaps?
LOL@Amini.
Where does that come from? Apparently, in India – if you are a guy and expect to make a name for yourself within the entertainment industry, the casting couch awaits ya. Thats definitely news to me, because gays make or break your career in bollywood. I guess men are the scum when it comes to matters of power, whether gay or not 🙂
Oh so THAT’S what I’ve been doing wrong.
I beg to differ with you Sriram and agree with JOAT.
That guys are far more limited in their ability to accesorize is true but finding the right accessory is key. Any club/bar you go to, you have guys wearing a $75 Abercrombie striped shirt (usually white or beige with some kinda blue stripe action going on or the darker version of that) and a pair of Diesel jeans. Doesn’t mean they have style or a fashion sense. Anyone can plonk some dough and buy the clothes off a mannequin in a display.
And what is up with desis (men for sure but a lot of women too) and their love for black. I call it the desi uniform. Standard going out attire – black cocktail dress or tanktop for women and guys in jeans and a black dress shirt. I have sworn off black when I’m going to a desi-centric event cos it’s a see of black. Now for those that are movie-star handsome and charming, they could roll out of their beds in baggy sweats and still swim in a sea of drool. For others like me, it helps to stand out a little to attract attention and style helps.
TRUE STORY. So I had this desi friend who dressed like an engineer. Someone had forgotten to tell him that Seattle inspired angst clothes were out and that he should return his flannel shirt and baggy jeans to Eddie Vedder. So he got himself a decent pair of jeans, some decent shirts all bought at KMart, Target and if he felt like splurging Old Navy or Gap on sale. But it was still too plain. And then Delirium happened. I picked out a hat (like a newsies/cheesecutter type) in worn brown leather. Plopped it on his head. He had the basic sense to know what he could wear with that hat and what he couldn’t. And lo and behold I had created a monster. That boy has gotten so much play from just that hat alone! There isn’t a single time he has been out when his hat (he has a collection of hats now) hasn’t gotten commmented on.
He still shops at Kmart.
Hey the poor/broke/cheap need play too 🙂
Delirium –
Oh my God! … I think I know this person. What city?
The opposite of the Big Apple.
Follow the L.I.P.P.S
Bless you, woman. Read it and weep, guys. We (women) put in the effort, so why can’t you?
“How about the others from Delhi who are now called gurus of fashion in india? Rohit Bal, JJ Valaya etc. “
i spent the afternoon today shopping at “the crescent” — the designer boutique mall in delhi. and spent a few hours with friends going through a dozen or more stores of indian designers and finding what i truly consider to be wildly innovative and accessible fashion.
i loved this post, and probably a lot because i do find myself coming into contact with the fashion industry… (i work with naz foundation, we of sec 377 fame, we of many gay supporters… many designers included) and i must say that the accessibility is what excites me. there is space for people to move up in fashion, space for small designers to find their markets and also space for designers to go over the top and get recognized for it (manish arora’s line “fish fry” being the most palpable example, what fabulous fanciful clothes) — and i must admit that perhaps i am biased as i am a bit of a fashion junkie…
yes, many a random rich kid also becomes a “designer” but there is also true talent coming to the top, not all of whom have financial backing from daddy — and it is to them that i look to when i think about fashion in india. seeing fab fashion designers working on movies and creating modern and influential portfolios that actually affect what society wears is equally exciting. i mean, i think that one of the things that consistently sets south asia apart across developing countries is that the countries are rife with creative talent that is able to make a viable career out of something that can be a bit of a pipe dream in the more established fashion scenes (milan paris nyc).
“And thereÂ’s definitely an industry present, remarkable in its own way for the sheer amount of business it generates, but what strikes me about the Pakistani fashion industry is the number of aspirations that lack any real substance.”
there is something here — i had a feeling when i read this that “you are right” — but then i think of the amazing skirts at manish arora and see a glimmer of sequin and glitter hope. http://www.manisharora.ws/
and i don’t care if you are poor as hell — there is never an excuse for not looking your best.
Sin – the obsession with bridal wear and turning fashion events into social events isn’t just Pakistani, it happens in India too. For simple reasons, really – very few people are willing to spend the kind of money that designers want for anything other than wedding wear. So yes, it becomes all about variations on cut and “kaam” and kinds of glittery applique. But what I do like is designers getting into the mass market in a limited way, e.g. Wendell Rodericks’ stuff for Westside a few years ago.
JOAT is right about men who think they can use the “nothing fits me” excuse to look like crap. We women aren’t buying the “it costs too much” excuse either, given that we generally make less money than you do and still manage to dress well. Funny how electronics never fall under the “costs too much” category…
I’m not sure where the comments on this are headed, but remind me to stick with tales of debauchery instead. How in the world did we get onto men and women and their (in)ability to dress well?
What about the term “ethnic?” Does it get thrown around there too?
While I loved reading this post, I think you’re not giving Pakistani fashion, or design and innovation in different forms of kaam, enough credit. I know too well how arrogant and annoying the designer divas in Pakistan and India can be (and outrageously expensive too) because I met with a dozen of them over a year ago while I was planning my wedding. Some of them have genuine talent and others are just packaged well… and some may be a combination of both. A few of the best designers are the ones who don’t advertise or participate in fashion shows, are known by word-of-mouth, and are quietly making millions.
I completely disagree. A typical American bride has a choice between a white dress or an ivory dress…talk about limitations. Desis have a plethora of options…saris, lenghas, ghararas, angrakas, churidars, shalwar kameez..different styles of kaam, any color in the rainbow, and endless varieties of cuts. And the men! Have you seen Rohit Bal’s angraka style sherwani or Suneet Varma’s variety of menswear? Perhaps the uninitiated eye cannot appreciate the artistry involved, but then there are also people who think a suit from the Men’s Warehouse is no different than a Brioni tux.
HA. Welcome to the Mutiny.
p.s. vat is “kaam”?
p.s. vat is “kaam”?
“kaam” literally means “work” – in this context it’s being used to signify embroidery and the like (well, that’s how I use the word when discussing desi wear).
And this ANNA 🙂
I don’t think that brides in the US are limited in the least. White and ivory are certainly traditional, but I’ve seen Vera Wangs being done in any number of colours. Once again, my intent is not to sit here and discuss the relative limitations of a particular design aesthetic, but a gharara and a lengha aren’t substantially different (OK, a skirt vs. a pair of ornate trousers that LOOK like a skirt). And if you look at a lot of Pakistani clothing, I’m not talking about innovation in terms of a colour palette or amounts of detailed embroidery, but about the obsession that these designers bring to bear without actually producing items that are truly creative, innovative or really different in terms of construction or silhouette or bias, or any other number of criteria. Endless varieties of cuts are lost in umpteen paisley patterns, but my fundamental point is that the Pakistani designers with whom I interact on a daily basis tend to be more about flash and far less about substance than their self-promotion would indicate.
For the love of Pete (who, by the way, if you’re reading this, I will TOTALLY come back to Colorado for that skiing lesson), I don’t claim to know jack about Indian designers. Rohit Bal, Sunit Varma, Manish Arora & Co. may well be doing fabulous work, but I’m talking about the Pakistani industry, and make no claims as to expertise regarding the Indian scene. I’m more than happy to take your word for it though.
Nothing makes me feel quite so unappealingly middle-class as reading a post by Sin.
Ok, perhaps shades of white, but you really don’t see that much variation.. and in terms of construction, it’s either a dress or a dress. My point is the desi bridal gown doesn’t translate into one form – it’s a sari or a gharara, or lengha (and we may disagree, but the cut and fall of a lengha is entirely different than a gharara and its accompanying longer tunic).
Perhaps I’m alone in my view, but I see diverse options in terms of construction, silhouette, three-piece gowns, different applications of embroidery, craftsmanship, etc. If you haven’t already, go and visit the laborers… watch seven or eight of them at a time working on a single lengha and you might find a different appreciation for their technique and artistry. I have heard many people from the fashion industry in India talk about how the quality of work/kaam in Pakistan is more refined than what you find in India… and more expensive since the cost of labor is higher in Pakistan. Whether it is more refined, I don’t know, but clearly the world has noticed subcontinent style/kaam as it has influenced global fashion on bags, kurtis, skirts, etc… and this season’s leggings and sweater dress strongly resemble the silhouette of a churidar. Pakistani/Indian fashion is very similar and it is more vibrant and innovative than you think.
Gay guys often make it seem that bending over and talking like a woman is what gives them their flair for fashion, hair, and theatre. A. It’s true, the sooner you accept it the easier your ire will be B. Taking it up the ass isn’t necessarily categorized as taking it like a womanbut Im tired of being surrounded by fashion forward fruits. A new circle of fruits perhaps? ~~~~~~ LOL you totally misread my statement. I don’t think taking it up the ass is similar to taking it like a woman :O I meant TALKING like a woman…more spefically, a ghetto black diva beast.
A circle of fruits? LOL I duno why, but I had an image of the fruit of the loom underwear guys holding hands and singing around a campfire.
Prasad- thats a good point. When it comes to power gay men are still a step above women. And where do you find 18 dollar jeans? Old Navy?
Been in fashion, done the pink mafia. It sucks. It sucked then and it sucks now. The Indian fashion industry sucks as bad if not worse.
Ikram, don’t feel unappealing. For what it’s worth, I promise I’m lying here in my bed in Karachi wondering exactly how best to hit on you.
Amini:
During those days when I had infinite patience, I used to wait and wait and wait till I get a good deal. I used to get below 25$ deals at express 🙂
You mean, LIKE THIS?