Ensemble Du Jour: Studs and Fur

...and leather trimmings..

I have been getting requests to post more outfit pictures (with proper backgrounds, not my rushed closet ones) and make up descriptions - so that is exactly what I am going to do. This requires a little more effort, so an 'Ensemble du Jour' may not actually be from the same day...

What I'm wearing: Sass and Bide studded leggings/pants, Tea and Toast top, Zara fur vest with leather trimming, Valley Girl necklace (I love this piece - it is the perfect statement necklace), Urban Soul shoes (Aussie brands minus Zara) and Zagliani clutch.

Make up: Mac foundation in NC25, under the concealer: TV stick in 508. On top: Mac mini tube concealer NW25 and  Revlon photo ready 3. Lipstick is Bobbi Brown shade no 6 'Rose' with Illamasqua lipstick in 'Brink' on top. Blush is Illamasqua called 'Tremble', no eyeshadow as such have just highlighted my brow bone with this Hello Kitty brand I found in Priceline Australia in gold. Dabbed light pressed powder on top which is Chanel 30 Naturel - Translucent 2. Mascaras can be seen below and eyeliner is Rimmel. Nail polish is 'double decker red' by Rimmel as well - this is my all time favourite shade and I usually always have it on, unless I feel like being adventurous. 

Feedback is greatly appreciated, so do continue to tell me what you would like to see more/less of.

xxx A 

ARSAZI: Embellished Bow Ties

I am sooo excited to announce that the Arsazi S/S'13 bow tie collection will be launching shortly on www.arsazi.com

For the first time ever in fashion; Arsazi introduces an exclusive range of embellished bow ties for men and women.

I have worn a bow tie from this collection before to FPW4 - Day 2, so you can backtrack (on BFB) to get a small preview of what is yet to come! I've been working on this collection for almost a year now, so it is very dear to me and I have put a lot of blood and sweat into ensuring it is something that has never been seen before!

xxxx A

Girls About Town: Hello! Magazine December 2012 Issue

Make sure you check out my style profile in the December issue of 'Hello!' alongside many other fabulous fashionistas that are based both locally and across the globe!

Can you spot me in the pic above?

xxx A 

Labels Blogfest Picture Galore: Designer Dress Up Part 2

I have three more talented designers to take you through today who were a part of the
'Labels Blogfest'.

Wardha Saleem

I absolutely loved Wardha Saleem's 'Folk Play' collection from FPW4, so when I saw that we will be dressing up in these pieces, I was over the moon. Loved the vibrant colours, the prints and the attention to detail. So so so exquisite. 

 Wardha going through the racks picking outfits for each of us.

 Amara's kameez.

 Wadha positioning the sari's pallu.

Love.

With the lovely Wardha Saleem.

To purchase pieces from Wardha's collection, click here.

Maheen Karim

Another stunning collection we saw at FPW4 from the very talented Maheen Karim. The 'Luxe' collection was very on trend with metallics and the colour burgundy. Complimented with Sherezad's sparkling jewels, each ensemble looked magnificent. Maheen also looked very stylish in one of her own designs paired with a drop waist belt - so chic.

Maheen and Sana AK.

Sana Ak looks beautiful wearing the coat and burgundy pants.

(Click here to buy this ensemble)

Amara and I. 

(Click here to buy what I am wearing. Click here to buy what Amara is wearing)

Sana Khalifzai and Maheen Karim. (Don't miss the stunning Sherezad earrings)

(Click here to buy this chic silk jumpsuit)

(To buy more Maheen Karim pieces click here)

Feeha Jamshed

Last but certainly not least - superwoman Feeha Jamshed blew us away with her pieces. It was amazing to see how into the process she was, she made sure our shoes were appropriate for the outfits and fitted each piece to perfection. Very impressed with her attention to detail and her innovative and flattering designs. Most of the pieces were from 'Minaal's Rose to Gold Dust' which was showcased at FPW3 earlier this year.

Feeha looking fab, wearing a janitor jumpsuit which we recently saw on Mahira Khan. 

(Click here to buy the jumpsuit seen on Mahira, click here to buy the jumpsuit in other prints)

Checking the racks.

Adore this high waisted sharara skirt Aisha Gul wore, so versatile! Very few designers do 

Western/Eastern fusions like this.

(To order the pieces Aisha, Sana and I are wearing, click here)

Buy Feeha Jamshed on the Labels estore :)

All of us. 

(To purchase other designs by Feeha, click here)

That wraps up the blogfest news! Hope you enjoyed virtually being a part of the event! 

xxx A 

Undercover: The Herald Annual Fashion Debate: Are Pakistani Fashion Weeks Translating Into Sales?

Okay, so I went kind of anonymously into this debate. Sadly, it was moderated. More than half my comments never got posted. Here are some of the highlights, I took screenshots along the way. I am 'B' by the way.. 'B' for blogger, lol..

Panelists included Zahir Rahimtoola, Ayesha Tammy Haq and Shamaeel Ansari. Guest 'debaters' (for lack of a better word) were Feeha Jamshed, Frieha Altaf and Umair Tabani.

Zahir points out one of the biggest problems, that there is no consistency and

 lack of seasonal collections.

At this point I said that we look should at our local Pakistani audience, if TV dramas are converting to sales then we should rethink the fashion week strategy, the council however has set their respective fashion weeks as exclusive events and may not want to cheapen it in anyway, but if we are talking purely sales then maybe we need to segment the market and target differently. Unfortunately, this comment was not posted.

businesses*, typo

Ayesha Tammy Haq also suggested that it is time to rethink the fashion format if 

thinking purely in terms of sales.

All in all, it was a very interesting debate. I think the fashion weeks here have a long way to go before they actually start resulting in hardcore sales - they are still fairly new and our designers are doing very well for now.. at their own pace. I do hope however, the pace picks up and on a more international level which I am sure will happen in the near future. Fashion is fast in this day and age, in fact every single thing is, so the designers need to be quick with their collections and be accessible if they want to sell. There are quite a few issues that were pointed out, and one of the biggest issues I feel is the lack of professionalism and the fact that most local brand names are a one man show. It is clear that the more successful designers that have high sales are ones that have a few people on their team. A designer is purely a designer, it is too tough to manage everything else, even if you have a fashion design degree and an MBA. 

There is no doubt I am very proud of how far the fashion industry has come, and there is no denying the tremendous local talent. We have gained recognition worldwide but we have a lot of potential within our industry to exceed what designers are doing globally. I think and hope that it is just a matter of time. 

As per the voting results - it shows that majority voted that Pakistani fashion weeks do not result in sales. 

Your thoughts on the debate?

xxx Alyzeh

PS - Thank you Aamna Isani, I have learned a lot about the industry in your Fashion Media 101 class.

Thought of the day...

 ........and shoes and bags........

xxx A

(Background image from google)

FEEHA JAMSHED COUTURE. GET THE LOOK?

Four years back H&M contacted Feeha Jamshed with an offer to buy her designs - she refused. However, H&M was determined and they are back with a 'Feeha Jamshed Couture' inspired (or shall we say blatantly copied) dress. The dress is from the 'Minaal's Rose to Gold Dust' Collection.

High Street brands are known for duplicating runway trends (for way cheaper) before they hit the boutiques; that is their speciality, and though Feeha Jamshed is very well known and has gained recognition worldwide, there are still many that might not know this dress is a copy. I do believe imitation is a form of flattery, it might be an annoying form of flattery but it is one nonetheless. It's amazing that they have their eyes plastered so closely on her work - but no surprise either because Feeha's pieces are truly spectacular.

For those of you who would like to get the look for cheaper, this is your opportunity. For the ones that want the couture dress - there are many balls and parties coming up for you to dazzle in this exquisite number. Click here to place an order.

The H&M inspired dress is identical, minus the length and shoulder studs. Click here to view.

H&M should really collab with a Pakistani designer now. Feeha Jamshed x H&M. Thoughts?

xxx A