With 2016 over and done with, it’s safe to say that our yesteryear has seen its share of fashion debacles and shakeups but we’re not the ones to sit and dwell in the past. A resilient species we are for sure and in our quest of being better people and putting out more positive energy in the world, we sat down with two major game changers from the Lahore fashion fraternity to talk about what 2017’s treasure chest is hiding and what they hope remains in.
A lot was done, overdone and then done some more (our instagrams can vouch for it) when it came to style goals and individual styles however we can only wish that 2017 has some better fashion in store for us. We spoke to Khadijah Shah, the creative director of Elan and Sapphire about 2016’s style epidemics and she had more than just a little to say;
KHADIJAH SHAH
SH: What trends and creative behaviours observed in 2016 would you happily see the end of in 2017?
KS: I would love to see people not blindly follow trends, and develop an individual aesthetic when it comes to dressing. Too many people are looking the same. The same goes for bridals, it’s one formula that is just being repeated without any real innovation in terms of cut or craftsmanship.
SH: There’s a constant tug of war between Pakistani culture and western influences in fashion. Do you think our fashion industry is a true representation of the cultural landscape or is it too insular?
 KS: Considering the realities of the Pakistani population, and the percentage that falls below poverty line, the lack of education, exposure and a miniscule middle-class, I think it safe to say that the fashion industry is fairly insular.
SH: Do you see a scope and scale for fashion in films now that film stars have more or less taken over the runway?
KS: Of course! There is so much scope of not only fashion but overall art direction in our burgeoning film industry. I would love to contribute to and see a very-well styled film that is locally made!
SH: If there’s one trend you could bring back in 2017 what would it be?
KS: Originality
And to that we say ‘AMEN’. 2016 was a bland year as far as style evolution was concerned although a great year for the off shoulder and the infamous choker that now makes us cringe and squirm at the very thought of it. All we can say is that let’s put our inner Gigis to rest and move on ladies, after all it is 2017.
KAMIAR ROKNI
Kamiar Rokni, Rehan Bashir and Tia Noon are the creative geniuses at The House of Kamiar Rokni
We also sat down with Kamiar Rokni, a name that has emerged as a true couturier and a real creative genius of his generation.
SH: What do you think will be 2017’s big fashion revolution?
KR: It is difficult to predict these things but I always hope to see more originality and people striking a good balance between creativity and commerce and it would be great to see an effort towards achieving excellence rather than working very hard towards being average.
SH: What trends and creative behaviors observed in 2016 would you happily see the end of in 2017?
KR: I am uncomfortable with excessive sharing on social media…the world seems to be moving in that direction but I am a fan of discretion and a little mystery as I get older.
SH: There’s a constant tug of war between Pakistani culture and western influences in fashion. Do you think our fashion industry is a true representation of the cultural landscape or is it too insular?
 KR: I think our fashion industry is a true reflection of our society. It goes from being extremely good to terrible so quite schizophrenic, like us. There is a lot of excess and bad taste, which is prevalent in our society. Then there is the desire to superficially ape the west and a certain disregard for tradition which is again very reflective of us. The love for Bollywood and imitating others a lack of individuality…I could go on…but there is a lot of talent as well and joy and exuberance.
SH: Do you see a scope and scale for fashion in films now that film stars have more or less taken over the runway?
KR: Yes, fashion and film has tremendous potential but one is waiting to see something truly trend setting in fashion and style coming from the cinema beyond the lehnga choli.
SH: If there’s one trend you could bring back in 2017 what would it be?
KR: The return of Tribal, bohemian and folk.
We do hope 2017 will be bolder and bigger for all of us. We do believe it is time to dust our hands off with the demure mainstays of 2016 and get ready for 2017 and its more courageous fashion chills that will be coming our way. So it’s time to focus our fashion lenses on the future and see if our expectations pull through.
