Multi-designer store That 1 Place, well-known for stocking an exciting array of established as well as new and upcoming designer labels, has now branched out to Rahim Yar Khan. The creative mind behind the store, Bushra Wahid felt that with Eid around the corner and COVID restricting peoples’ movement, this was a good time to introduce designers to a new market.
In an exclusive chat with Something Haute, Bushra Wahid – who also runs her own label Attire – shared more about her latest venture.
“We decided to open a store in Rahim Yar Khan, rather than hitting the bigger cities because we wanted to change the mindset that only big cities provide lots of opportunities. This holds true but at the same time we can also not ignore the fact that people living in smaller cities always have to travel to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad for shopping as they don’t have any facilities available in their own hometowns. Moreover, because we live in the big cities, we believe that those who live in smaller cities don’t know the latest fashion, which I personally think is a wrong perception as these people are more updated than us. They know that they don’t have any fashion house or designer stores available in their cities so they are more attentive about the trends,” Bushra shared.
The designer is hopeful and optimistic about the future of fashion retail, she expressed when asked why she thought of opening a store at a difficult time like this. Globally, fashion has taken a massive hit, with brands either closing down or downsizing.
“We have opened our second multi-brand store in Rahim Yar Khan during a difficult time, but we can see the future of our store in this city. Women living in these cities don’t go out for a walk to the park in the evening or for cycling or take their pets out; their only activity is to shop around. So we believe that our initiative to cater to such cities will do wonders, Insha Allah.”
That 1 Place stocks ensembles of 45 designer labels under one roof. Some of the renowned designers are The Pink Tree Company, Unbeatable, Rizwan Beyg, Adnan Pardesy, Saleha Kashif etc.
Renowned designer Mohsin Sayeed, who is the co-founder of The Pink Tree Company, also supported Bushra’s vision as he thinks that Rahim Yar Khan’s market has an untapped potential for fashion.
“We had stocked our label at 11 multi-brand stores when we started PinkTree Company, however we pulled out eventually as the inventory management and other procedures were a vicious cycle. This year, we have started it again with That 1 Place in Rahim Yar Khan. The reason behind this step is that Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Dubai and London etc are all saturated markets for Pakistani fashion. People in these cities are familiar with designer labels and the clientele usually knows the designers, but Rahim Yar Khan is a virgin market,” Moshin shared.
“I did my research and I’m sure Bushra did it as well before they decided to invest in RYK. It is an industrial city as well as an agricultural one so people have spending power; it will cover most of our Sindh and South Punjab clientele. So if we give them designer labels at their doorstep, we will gain from the advantage of being an early bird,” the designer added.
That 1 Place was launched on Friday, 24th July without any special fashion presentations this time. “We cannot ignore the fact that inviting a lot of people during a pandemic will be a risk. But in future, once the situation gets better, we are definitely going to do a fashion presentation. Though, as a welcoming gesture, we offered opening discounts on all labels,” Bushra said.
Talking to Something Haute, designer Saleha Kashif also shared her thoughts.
“Saleha Kashif is a Lahore-based clothing brand. We have been stocking at stores in both Karachi and Lahore. Punjab and southern Punjab is a huge market and with the current situation amid COVID-19, when customers cannot access metros, we wanted to tap virgin markets where there is demand for our product. Rahim Yar Khan is one place where there is both demand and purchasing power for our product and these customers look for quality products,” she said.
That 1 Place houses all types of clothing lines from casual, prêt, luxury prêt, menswear to bridals as well as shoes, clutches and other accessories. “We view it as a fashion house and the concept is to bring all fashion needs under one roof,” Bushra said.
To those wondering about the new store’s location, it is 19-A Model Town opposite Nishat Linen, Rahim Yar Khan. “We have our main branch in Karachi at Zamzama Lane 8 and now the second branch is in Rahim Yar Khan, in the heart of the city,” Bushra concluded.
It’s no secret that interior Punjab has the buying power to invest in fashion, which is why this is a wise and smart decision. While Covid-19 has stunted all fashion activity, one can also not deny that things gradually are resuming normalcy and with Eid and festivities around the corner, women will want to shop. The idea of having access to colourful ready to wear would be irresistible!
