the asian fashion journal

16th May 2014

Over the last bank holiday I attended the wonderful Champagne, Canapes and Couture evening @ Faisana Weekend. The event was held at the luxurious Crystal Room at the Mayfair Hotel with a show by designers Anita Dongre Rina Dhaka & Bhairavi Jaikishan and Pakistani designers Umar Sayeed, Nida Azwer and Sania Maskatiya as well as a performance by Fasih Rehman.

Loveddd the Sania Maskatya collection- the African inspired prints were gorg.

I have to say a big Congrats to the teams involved in the event-it was a fab evening and my fave part? Getting to chat to the ah-mazing Anita Dongre.

I asked her how she got involved with the event.

Radhika wrote to my team and I thought it was a great idea-an event with three Pakistani designers three Indian designers that have never really sold in London. So it was just a good to be a part of and to dip my toes into the London market.

and on that note I had to ask her if she had any continued plans in London.

Honestly, as a brand and as a company we are always looking to open new stores and we are considering a store in London. It’s maybe a year away….I’m hoping to come over with my other brand Global so not really ethnic.

Which area gives you the most pleasure designing?

So when I’m sitting on the drawing board for AND and Global Desi its great fun they are high street brands and I get a different kind of pleasure designing those two labels but the bridal market is luxury and its not bound by prices as much so maybe that is like my most luxurious de-stresser and I enjoy that the most because I’m not limited by cost, I just want to make a beautiful lengha- I want it to be light, I want my bride to enjoy it and I’m not doing it with a price point in mind.

Which bridal trends are you championing this season?

Since a few months I showed at Lakme fashion week and I showed the bandi, and its been accepted beautifully.I’m showing a couple of Bandi pieces today…showing how you wear it with a gown, showing how you wear it with the lengha, my clients have bought it with a palazzo pant and saris so its something that I put it on the ramp and I’ve told my fashion consultants on store to educate the customer and I love the way that todays young Indian woman is realising that she can invest in pieces but can get more out of them. I don’t even price a bridal lengha as one price which people are amazed so I price the choli or the bandi separately, the lengha seperately, the dupatta separately,so that my consumer comes in and buys any garment she wants and dresses it up or dresses it down

Me with the oh sooo talented Pakistani designer Umar Sayeed.

I’ve heard on the grapevine that following the success of the event the organisers are planning on bringing more talent over for a series of events like this one!

Thanks to Shahid Malik for the fab pics

x

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