I have to admit I have gotten drawn into the lawn madness. And to break the myth of never attending a Elan exhibition, I made the effort to go for the Elan lawn launch at Shapes in Karachi today. It was totally worth it: a fantastic set-up, beautifully displayed prints, a pretty dessert table and warm hospitality and well-turned out ladies, most of whom had received their gift packs a few days ago and had tailored them up in time to pledge loyalty to the brand. There was hardly any single print that wasn’t being paraded in 3D. It made it easier to choose what you liked.
Yet I was totally confused and walked away empty handed. The long lines at the cashier were a deterrent, plus I know I had the advantage to booking later, which I shall.
Now for the verdict. Elan lawn quality is impeccable and it is superb value for money. The ensemble comes pricey at almost 7000 rupees but I consider it a 6 piece set: there’s the front, the back, the sleeves, the dupatta and the trouser not counting the trimmings. That’s a lot to play with and many women rightly said they would pullout two gears from one.
Elan’s colour palette is also flawless. Despite the abundance of print in each ensemble, the colours are extremely aesthetically coordinated and I have to say that despite my scrutiny there wasn’t a single outfit that posed itself as garish. I loved the limes and blues, the navy and turquoises, the pink and fuchsias, the shades of grey and black…it was very eye catching.
The only short fall, in my opinion, was the complication of it all, making every ensemble a challenge to put together. I think the Rubic Cube would be easier to solve. I agree that this mesh of prints has become Khadijah Shah’s signature and she managed to pull it off better than anyone else but one does yearn for breathing space, some freedom from print, some relief. The result is that many women will turn their printed trousers into second tunics and wear the outfit with a solid lower. Solids were painfully missing from the collection and honestly, not many Pakistani women are as tall and slim as Khadija to carry the frenzy of print as effortlessly.
