Fahad Hussayn flies south

The Lahore-based designer, known for his dark and grungy aesthetic, brings his Goth appeal to Labels, Karachi

It’s a year for fashion explosion all over the country and it’s a time when designers from Lahore are gravitating towards the coastal shores of Karachi. While several big names have tried their luck at various multi label boutiques in Karachi over the years – HSY, Sublime, Kamiar Rokni and other equally prominent names are a few examples – not many have managed to flag it. But all that is changing and for the bigger and better. Today there is, most prominently, the retail giant Sapphire spearheaded by Khadija Shah and it is looming over other brands. The Elan designer will also be opening her standalone boutique on the hip E Street later this year. Zara Shahjahan has women hooked onto her prints and designs though she is only one store strong. Muse is doing well at Labels, Mahgul Rashid has made her mark at Ensemble and HSY will be opening his flagship store in Karachi this September. Thanks to consistently happening fashion weeks and e-commerce opportunities, geographical divisions have started to blur and fashion is being celebrated as a lucrative industry as opposed to a provincial landmark.

Fahad Hussayn with Fashion Pakistan CEO, Wardha Saleem: the two fashion councils may never come together but it’s heartening to see this warm camaraderie between designers.

The latest designer to fly south is Fahad Hussayn, who set-up shop at multi-label boutique Labels this week. Taking up the entire first floor, he has brought in an impressive range of designs, ranging from menswear, formals, separates and opulent wedding wear for women. Fahad has also put out a small offering of fabric – his unique digital prints – and is open to all kinds of business, whether for customized clothing, styling of his prints or the heavier and pricier bridals.

“Online sales on the Labels e-Store were the defining factor,” Fahad said on why he decided to brave the waters and why he chose to stock at Labels. Business was roaring and he decided it was safe to branch out. While the staff at Labels will be available to take any orders on alterations that need to be done on ready to wear, Fahad himself will be spending a few days every month for wedding wear orders.

A selection of edgy prints cultivated into androgynous waistcoats and turbans for men, women and kids.

His brand of clothing, which has a unique philosophy reflecting the designer’s dark and often disturbing artistic appeal, is a welcome change to the sobre, sophisticated and often safe clothing that women are accustomed to in Pakistan. The Fahad Hussayn label is not for the faint hearted. It’s for men who would dare to wear eagles in their printed waistcoats and for brides who would want their lipstick in a pocket in their ghararas instead of the traditional purse. There’s menswear that blends into androgynous territory and likewise, casual tunics that feed off Fahad’s distinctive fashion week collections. It all comes together with a cohesive appeal and it’s definitely worth a visit!

Fashion flock: Maira Pagganwala, Mohsin Ali – who shifted from Lahore to work with Sana Safinaz a year ago – Tooba Siddiqui and Noore Bhatti, the model who can safely be called Fahad Hussayn’s muse.