Sherwanis and anarkalis created by Indian designers are sought after by fashionistas across the globe. But there can be no second opinion that classy looking suits, embroidered salwar-kameez and colourful lehenga, created passionately and painstakingly in Pakistan, always register brisk sales when they are available during the fortnight-long exhibits at Dilli Haat.
A unique attribute of Pakistani attire is its articulate finishing line as well as the complex yet beautiful embroidery and smooth fabric, all these much in demand in the annual India International Trade Fair at the sprawling Pragati Maidan.
It won’t be an exaggeration to state that the highest sales of garments as well as footfall at IITF are generated by cloth merchants and designers from the neighbouring nation. Now, ensembles created by designers in Lahore and other Pakistani cities are available at the swanky edifice of the Pakistan Fashion Design Council — The Boulevard in South Extension.
However, the store does not sell traditional saris. “Then competition would have been bitter between designers of the two countries,” explains Delhi-based entrepreneur Sahibjit Singh Bindra. Two years back, Sahibjit fulfilled his ambitious dream of providing a platform for Pakistani designers, known more by their craftsmanship rather than their nomenclature, in the city he grew up.
A graduate from a fashion design institute in Milan, he did not want Indians to be deprived of an opportunity to explore an eclectic mix of salwar-kameez and suits designed in Pakistan. The fact that his grandparents grew up in Lahore and Rawalpindi, when the cities were part of undivided India, led Sahibjit to make frequent trips to Pakistan to stay connected with the land of his forefathers. These trips also helped him keep a tab on the latest trends in couture. “I have been regularly visiting Lahore and Rawalpindi to do purchasing for my store in West Delhi.”
Interestingly, the entrepreneur reveals that the sari presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mother by his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharief was not prepared by designers of that country. “Saris are neither worn nor manufactured in Pakistan. Being an inquisitive guy, I inquired from a handful of Pakistani designers whose outfits have been showcased by me about the sari. They told me categorically that the good quality handloom was woven by traditional artisans of Baluchistan. Their work is akin to what is done in our cottage industry.”
But is it not a risky proposition to start a business initiative when there can be a protest from the right-wing fundamentalists in the country? “The store is in the heart of the Capital. Risk is there but it is the government’s responsibility to depute security personnel at PFDC in case there is a threat perception. ”
Even though the Pakistani currency is less than the Indian rupee, the cost of each garment escalates because the designer has to cough up import duty. Prices start from Rs.10,000.
But seriously, how can a store have the name of a non-profit Pakistani body?
“Since the PFDC is helping us in various capacities, we thought that the store’s name should be borrowed from theirs. If tomorrow enterprising designers like Rohit Bal, Manish Malhotra and Rina Dhaka were to set up stores in the neighbouring nation then would they not have used their stores’ name on the Fashion Design Council of India? The PFDC provides us names of designers, reveals their background and even arranges meetings with them. We keep them on a rotational basis. Those who are good, we keep their products permanently.”
