Shoot Spree – Luxury Pret feat. Ayesha Toor

Hi All!



I apologize for my slight absence but my team and I have been involved in a spate of fashion pictorials for the ‘AI Femme’ (women’s wear) line. We were very excited about orchestrating the shoots and had planned the concepts way in advance. ‘AI Femme’ Head Designer Fayez Agariah took a breather from production of pret in Islamabad and flew down to Karachi for a few days to art-direct the shoots he had envisioned.
 


The first shoot was inspired by myriad influences; from 70s black and white photographs of androgynous fashion shot by Helmut Newton to iconic images of Audrey Hepburn from ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. The outfits paid a reverential nod to these images but were contemporary in feel and cut from the back-beaded LBD to the structured rilli-like white sports jacket.
 
Fayez chose his favourite ‘muse’ the irrepressible and decidedly androgynous dusky beauty Ayesha Toor to play the character who  “transmogrifies: (a favourite word of Fayez suggested by Creative Consultant Zurain Imam which means “to transform in a surprising or magical manner” from an ultra-feminine socialite to an ambiguously a sexual character.
 


Photographer Fayyaz Ahmed and Fayez decided to shoot half the shoot (three outfits) indoors but insisted to shoot the rest at night in Karachi’s deep dark metropolis. Driving through Karachi the team shot some amazing photographs near the Clifton underpass, against the backdrop of the Sofitel Tower and then later in  front of the Ocean Mall itself much to the chagrin and annoyance of the guards who tried to hurry the team up! Ayesha all this time with cigarette stylishly in hand à la Newton remained cool, aloof and unflustered!


The last image with Ayesha wearing a French-inspired riding jacket cum jump suit (which easily ‘transmogrified’ into a Batman-like cape!) was shot near the old Metropole Hotel a place that commuters traverse every day but never realize is an amazing backdrop for fashion shoots at night! With traffic crossing from all four sides at this crossroads, the team incurred a lot of attention from  families in cars, to single men on motorbikes and even rickshaw drivers stopping to stare! Everyone loves a little night time glamour!
 

The team finally wrapped up shooting around 2:30am after creating a slew of unbelievably stylish, iconic and Vogue-quality shoots! I was delighted by the results and am sure you will too when they appear in a leading publication soon!
 
Next time I will relate the goings-on of the even more ambitious and most expensive and expansive Arsalan Iqbal fashion shoot to date!
 
Till next time!
 


Ciao!

Arsalan I.

Shoot Spree – Luxury Pret feat. The Famous 9

Hi All!

As I mentioned in an earlier blog entry, I told you I would be recounting a behind-the-scenes peek into some of the fashion pictorials The House of Arsalan Iqbal recently orchestrated and shot.
 
There is one thing that Fayez, the Head Designer of ‘AI Femme’, our women’s wear line, and I have in common: We each have OVERSIZE ideas and larger ambitions for the brand. Zurain, our Creative Consultant attempts to bring us down to earth occasionally but usually fails, knowing that we both believe that where there is a will there is a way! =P
 
So was the case with the most ambitious, extensive and most expensive shoot that The House of Arsalan Iqbal has ever planned! This was an exercise in coordinating numerous super-busy female models, male models, actors and celebrities to converge at one venue to photograph the theme-based shoot.
 
We wanted to shoot AI Femme’s sumptuous, jewel-toned pure silk jumpsuits with accompanying decorative headpieces from  the line’s Luxury Prêt capsule. The concept was to posit several strong women in an arena partially inspired by the bravado of  the women from the hit TV series ‘Desperate Housewives’ and merge it with the verve and vigour of  mythical Amazonians to ostensibly create a bevy of Glamazons.
 
Uber-model Iraj Manzoor “played” the Queen of the Amazon to perfection and was accompanied by Ayesha Toor; designer Sanam Agha, actress Zhalay Sarhadi; journalist Kiran Haroon; model Marvi Sarfaraz; model Maha; model Tatmain and newbie model/actress Sayeeda  each sheathed in distinctly coloured jumpsuits and  accessorized with jewelry created by Fayez and each carrying a weapon of her choice from saber swords , sword gauntlets and daggers and from axes, poles, bow and arrows to Executioner’s  swords and knuckle dusters ETC.! Make-up was done by Aku Apa (Nighat Misbah) and her team at Depilex.
 
Along with the fierce line of women who were shot both in a group and separately for stunning solo shots, a posse of 12 random male models were procured to play…. massacred, splayed corpses dressed in army fatigue trousers, white or black Ts,  with the more buff models deciding to go bare-chested with a mixture of grease and shoe polish smeared on their clothes, faces and bodies by Zurain to render an army feel. They convincingly played dead corpses some with open staring eyes and were surrounded by a medley of antique looking Roman soldier’s Galea helmets.
 
It was a glorious and macabre fashion tableau photographed by Fayyaz Ahmed which will be published in a leading magazine after our stint at Pantene Bridal Couture Week in late November.

Look forward to it as much as we are!

Below are a couple of astonishing pre-production images to show how amazing they all look together.

Group Formation

Super co-operating and talented boys!

dead corpses formation

Ciao!

Arsalan I.

Preparations – Bridal Couture Week’13

The more you look forward to something, the more it eludes you!

I have this penchant, a bug if you will, of planning and going full force ahead towards a goal. Fayez, Zurain, Moeed on-board. Check.

Btw Moeed Tariq is the new addition to our team, a junior women’s wear designer. He is one talented boy! His expertise is in Eastern Prêt or desi formals (as we like to call it).

We went out in full force to create a collection for A/W’13 to showcase at Fashion Pakistan 6 which unfortunately got postponed. So we were out of options to formally launch A.I Femme (our label’s women’s wear line) We came up with a plan of launching it at an exhibition cum fashion show in October, which didn’t transpire either due to a lack of sponsors in the economic recession our country has been battling since 2010.

What to do?

An invitation for The Hum TV Network Pantene Bridal Couture Week in Lahore blinked in my inbox and now the team is all excited about the idea for the high-profile bridal show instead! Why?

As a designer it’s a challenge to create a cohesive and luxurious bridal collection within eight weeks (it’s a good thing we will have a range of sample bridal outfits in hand soon!) As the wedding season beckons this decision of ours can also be a lucrative business opportunity.

I intend to unveil a spanking new revamped brand image in Lahore later next year so it’s a great idea to visit and gauge Lahore’s market! There are many reasons that have buoyed me along to participate at Bridal Couture Week’13 in November.

Fayez and I are done with our line-up and co-ordinates. The theme with accompanying accessories is under production. A few pieces are also already complete. Enthusiasm and excitement are at an all-time high!

Wish my team and me luck, guys!

Sharing some moodboard, sketches and embroidery samples pictures below!

Sketches.

Moodboard from menswear segment.

Bridal embroidery sample.

Ciao!

Arsalan I.

On a crazy shoots spree!

I apologize for my slight absence but my team and I have been involved in a spate of fashion pictorials for the ‘AI Femme’ (women’s wear) line. We were very excited about orchestrating the shoots and had planned the concepts way in advance. AI Femme Head Designer Fayez Agariah took a breather from designing the upcoming bridal collection for the upcoming Pantene Bridal Couture Week and flew down to Karachi from Islamabad for three days to art-direct the shoots he had envisioned.

The first shoot was inspired by myriad influences; from 70s black and white photographs of androgynous fashion shot by Helmut Newton to iconic images of Audrey Hepburn from ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’. The outfits paid a reverential nod to these images but were contemporary in feel and cut from the back-beaded LBD to the structured rilli-like white sports jacket.

Fayez chose his favourite ‘muse’ the irrepressible and decidedly androgynous dusky beauty Ayesha Toor to play the character who “transmogrifies: (a favourite word of Fayez suggested by Creative Consultant Zurain Imam which means “to transform in a surprising or magical manner” from an ultra-feminine socialite to an ambiguously a sexual character.

Photographer Fayyaz Ahmed and Fayez decided to shoot half the shoot (three outfits) indoors but insisted to shoot the rest at night in Karachi’s deep dark metropolis. Driving through Karachi the team shot some amazing photographs near the Clifton underpass, against the backdrop of the Sofitel Tower and then later in front of the Ocean Mall itself much to the chagrin and annoyance of the guards who tried to hurry the team up! Ayesha all this time with cigarette stylishly in hand à la Newton remained cool, aloof and unflustered!

The last image with Ayesha wearing a French-inspired riding jacket cum jump suit (which easily ‘transmogrified’ into a Batman-like cape!) was shot near the old Metropole Hotel a place that commuters traverse every day but never realize is an amazing backdrop for fashion shoots at night! With traffic crossing from all four sides at this crossroads, the team incurred a lot of attention from families in cars, to single men on motorbikes and even rickshaw drivers stopping to stare! Everyone loves a little night time glamour!

The team finally wrapped up shooting around 2:30am after creating a slew of unbelievably stylish, iconic and Vogue-quality shoots! I was delighted by the results and am sure you will too when they appear in a leading publication soon!

Next time I will relate the goings-on of the even more ambitious and most expensive and expansive Arslan Iqbal fashion shoot to date!

Stay tuned for the pictures 🙂

Till next time!

Ciao!

Arsalan I.

Frustration!

Oh I’m mighty frustrated!

It’s been a while since a sense of frustration has taken the better of me! It’s the first in my life when I can finally and truly admit that YES, I’m frustrated!

I’m usually a super-organized and streamlined individual. I plan, organize and devise strategies to achieve any task or goal I’ve set for myself. It gives me an edge over almost all the fashion designers in the Pakistan fashion industry that I have patience coupled with an extremely good business head.

It’s been two-and-a-half-years since I entered the field properly and as a young designer, I’ve grown with leaps and bounds. I begin work on my collections well in advance of presentation. I’m professional when it comes to taking part in Fashion Weeks, placing collections in stores and taking 100% advantage of the press mileage I garner.

After the critically successful collection ‘Spectacle Blanc’ showcased at Fashion Pakistan Week 5, I was motivated and charged-up to come up with something extraordinary for A/W 2013. I was so enthused that I had kept myself über-focused to achieve what I had set out to do in my mind.

I worked on the collection for eight months. I successfully launched a studio atelier, Suite 907 in Islamabad in order to launch and showcase a women’s wear collection at FPW6. All was going great guns. I had dynamo designer Fayez Agariah on-board and was excited to learn a lot from him and Zurain on-board to take care of PR and marketing. I was excited to delegate a lot of work on to their shoulders. I was feeling free and happy!

Furthermore, I flew in Abdullah Ejaz from Lahore and completed two fashion shoots and a video in a mere two days with Fayyaz Ahmed. The video turned out to be really amazing and we were all hoping that this would add the cherry on the cake to our A/W’13 reception. The House of Arsalan Iqbal was geared up to do two fashion shoots and a video with the country’s top female models.

And then: BANG! It was casually announced that FPW6 was cancelled three weeks prior to it happening! The outgoing Electoral Committee didn’t even officially inform designers who were planning to participate. I called the model coordinator at the FPW offices as to whether he was sending models’ comp cards for measurements and he casually replied ‘Woh tu cancel hogaya’.(‘Oh that’s been cancelled’)

F*** You!

This is the height of unprofessionalism!

Please come back Maheen Aunty (Khan), Shamaeel (Ansari) and Deepak (Perwani)! The new board is young and full of enthusiasm and I wish all of them the very best to bringing on their A-games for the Fashion Pakistan Council. Fingers crossed!

BUT, what am I supposed to do now? We wonder why PFDC is a more credible Council. This is all why!

I am thankful that my team is extremely supportive and positive. We are thinking of alternatives and I’m sure we will deliver something amazing.

I think I am done with my bitching!

Ciao,

Arsalan I.

Fashion Pakistan Week 6 – A/W’13

The first outfit from my research and mood boards for Fashion Pakistan Week 6 finally went into production.

This time around, I’m even more excited than previously because of what I’m bringing to the table.

Friends and colleagues always asked me why I didn’t make conventional collections for Fashion Week and why I perennially offered something really different on the ramp. My answer used to be as follows:

1- Fashion Weeks in Pakistan are mere publicity stunts rather than a platform to showcase saleable collections, especially when it came to menswear. Why? How many designers have displayed their Fashion Week collections in stores? How many of them are even stocking at multi-brand stores? Pakistan hardly has any multi-brand stores that stock men’s wear. Pakistani designer men’s wear is just not taken seriously!

2- I like to use my fifteen minutes of runway time as a creative display of what I am capable of producing rather than showcase collections that are 100% classic or “conventional.” However, I ensure that wearable versions of the runway swagger are available in Arsalan Iqbal stores exactly a day before the Fashion Pakistan Week season begins.

3- Internationally, Fashion Weeks bring business and collaborative alliances from both foreign and local buyers, encouraging, nay compelling, local designers to work harder on their designs and improve the quality and finesse of the garment up to on international standards. How many truly interested foreign buyers has one seen in Pakistan? How many have actually bought/ordered something? Although internationally the collections are sold off to interested buyers before the fashion week starts. I’m sorry to say but I come across the same three multi-brand stores owners come to support their already stocking designers at every Fashion Week that takes place either in Karachi or Lahore.

4- Serious designers, (I consider myself an extremely passionate designer) who take their careers and profession critically are mired and part of an unfair Fashion Week selection criteria where anyone regardless of whether they have a store; whether they stock anywhere or even sell a collection or not are invited to participate in the Fashion Week. WHY?

Hence, I consider Fashion Weeks in Pakistan not true to the concept of international Fashion Week standards. Although everyone has their own opinions, the above was just mine so no offence intended towards anyone.

I think the first Fashion Pakistan Week which began in 2008/9 was truly charismatic and on the right track! But now? With both the Councils – Fashion Pakistan (FP) and Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC) the core concepts have altered significantly and inextricably. It breaks my heart sometimes that Fashion isn’t being taken seriously at all anymore.

So, I have decided to do what my friends and colleagues wanted the most from me as a designer. I have accepted the challenge of presenting a conventional collection at Fashion Pakistan 6. My inspiration is derived from London’s legendary Saville Row tailors and includes classic Super 180’s, 160’s woolen suits and high street fashion separates you might come across in Milan.

Extreme attention has been given to detail and I have taken acute account of international trends even though I ordinarily don’t believe in following international trends as I enjoy creating trends rather than following them! But this time around the stripes, metal studs and exquisite fabric selection I saw on international runways inspired me in a big way!

Below are a few photographs of the latest international menswear trends:

Ciao!

Arsalan I.

Shalwar Kameez Fever!

Hello gentlemen,

So really what’s up with this blazing summer heat?! My advice to all of you concerned about the sun’s harsh UV rays is to carry an umbrella when going for a stroll this summer season. And since we’re hoping that there will be a downpour of monsoon rain (soon please!) an umbrella will be doubly useful!

I’m relieved that I launched the ‘Arsalan Iqbal Summer Collection 2013’ ahead of time. City men usually prefer to shop during the early days of summer because of the ensuing Holy months of Rajab, Shabaan and then Ramadan.

What I’ve mustered up this summer is something which is both contemporary and on-trend. I’ve stuck to my essential design ethos, melding something traditional and classic and adding my own tweaks and twists. I celebrate flamboyance in my designs and this is what I came up with:

– Velvet Appliquéd Shalwar Kameez (Below): This is for men, who can’t get enough of the Old School shalwar kameez. It’s an elegant option where the embroidery technique is all important and which is created by the country’s very best craftsmen. The color combinations are infinite and this style will be greatly appreciated by those aged from 15-40 years-old.

Prices range from Rs/3,950- Rs.4, 550/-

– Embroidered Shalwar Kameez (Below): This style encompasses a large age bracket from burgeoning 15 year old fashionistas to stylish gentlemen in their 60s and above. This look is tasteful, elegant timeless and evergreen! The most distinctive aspect that separates menswear from women’s wear is the finesse with which menswear is made. Attention to minute embroidery details here are equally important as is with other shalwar kameez in the Arsalan Iqbal Summer Collection 2013’ range. I personally travelled to Bahawalpur which is historically renowned for its truly amazing embroidery material. Top-notch masculine kora, dabka, zardozi and sequins are au courant this season. Don’t miss the embroidered look for anything!

Prices range from Rs. 3,850- Rs.6, 500/-

– Trendy & Chic Shalwar Kameez (Below): This is primarily for men aged between 15-35 years of age who enjoy wearing stylized shalwar kameez instead of conventional embroidered ones. This range is exceptionally detailed, rife with myriad designs. An extensive range of 130 designs will be available till Ramadan. Enjoy!

Prices range from Rs. 2,500- Rs.6, 500/-

– Rangeen 2013 (Below): Arsalan Iqbal’s signature ‘Rangeen’ shalwar kameez range comprises of block-printed, screen-printed and hand- painted shalwar kameez. The design ethos and style remains the same but this time around for 2013 the decidedly effervescent capsule is more stylish and subtle. This year I fell in love with block prints and sketched my heart out while designing all the kurtas. I’m particularly proud of this collection this season as it’s hot and haute! I encourage all you guys to go for it! Prices have been reduced this season so you can enjoy more than one Rangeen kurta perhaps. Go rangeen this season!

Prices range from Rs. 3,500- Rs. 4,500/-

Tip: You can always opt for one designed, one embroidered and one Rangeen shalwar kameez suit. This will comprise your new shalwar kameez collection for the complete month of Ramadan and will come in handy for all the shaadis and valimas you’ll be attending after Eid. Your trio of taste will prove to be complete and cohesive ‘Arsalan Iqbal’ wardrobe staples.

Some of the collection is already available at Arsalan Iqbal stores. The complete collection will be available by mid-Ramadan 2013.

Credits for Rangeen photograph goes to amazing Khawar Riaz and rest are done by phenomenal Fayyaz Ahmed.

Ciao!

AI

Fashion Pakistan Week 5 : From Fever to Euphoria!

Hello all! There is a term that circulates around the fashion circuit at the advent of every season and that is ‘Fashion Week Fever’ and I literally was feverish during the course of FPW5. Like all true artists, I was extremely anxious and nervous about how Arsalan & Yahseer’s ‘Spectacle Blanc’ collection would turn out and be received by fellow bloggers and broadsheet journalists. I believed it was high time for me and the brand to take a giant leap forward and try to make it into the big league of designers. I needed to showcase a kick-ass collection with bona fide 100% positive and approving reviews.

I came up with an idea of using Kashmiri Kashidakari embroidery which is intricate, delicate and very rarely used in other parts of Pakistan, except for in Kashmir, because it is very expensive due to the brilliant craftsmanship. I extensively researched the idea of using Kashidakari and travelled to Muzaffarabad and other parts of Kashmir (India & Pakistan) of outfits would complement one another. Mr.”Kind” aka Zurain Imam helped me edit and complete the look for the outfits and then the genius Khawar Riaz helped to tweak and style the models in the final line-up. About 12 male models were flown in from Lahore only for my show to ensure that the collection looked really impressive on the ramp. My intuition to use them was spot-on and paid off remarkably well!

The collection earned positive and favourable reviews from all quarters. It all makes me feel so-oo over the moon right now! Everything fell into place smoothly and it was a beautiful experience all the way! But thinking about what I am going to create for “Arsalan Iqbal” A/W’13 collection makes me nervous as it again needs to be right on the money!

I am leaving you all with ramp pictures of Spectacle Blanc’ as well as my Red Carpet appearance. =P

Rizwan Ali Jaafri

New boy in town – Ariz Fahad

Aimal Khan

Rohail Pirzada

Ather Amin

Mohammad

Abdullah Ejaz

Salman Riaz

Shahzad Noor

Wonder boy – Abbas Jaafri

Ahsan Rabbani

Daud Khan

Fawad Butt

Zain Baig

Red Carpet – Day 1

Ciao!

Arsalan I.

‘Half Caste Culture’

Hello all,

As promised, here I am chalking out my blog within a week! 😉

Arsalan & Yahseer recently completed a fashion pictorial photographed by none other than Khawar Riaz, a veteran of the Pakistan fashion industry and a true visionary artist replete with camera-in-hand.

Khawar envisioned the concept of a tourist visiting Pakistan, packing with him the Pakistani national dress, the shalwar kameez, and wearing it seamlessly without hesitation, just as effortlessly as a Pakistani would, while packing and dressing in western wear for a vacation overseas.

The fashion story ensues with the tourist visiting Lahore’s major landmarks including the Badshahi Mosque the Lahore Fort and Lahore’s myriad and quaint old bazaars, amiably conversing with the natives, while trailed by paparazzi.

The best shot was when Mohammad Ali, the model who wore our clothes gracefully, gets into conversation with a middle-aged man, mistaking him for a famous actor. The manner in which Khawar bhai captured those natural shots was truly amazing. Below is the photograph for your perusal:

The collection ‘Half-Caste Culture’ is all about traditional, colourful and embellished kurtas. My idea was to introduce something very different this time around. We used threadwork on all of the kurtas, using jute and wool embellishment on cotton. The fabric is twill-weaved and we have 36 eye-popping colour variants. These unique pieces can be worn to an intimate party or even to a mehendi or nikah service. So guys, take the plunge and become colourful once again with A&Y! 🙂

I was truly amazed when I saw the complete pictorial and how natural everything looks. It’s truly effortless. Below are a couple of pictures, part of the shoot that will soon appear in ‘Sunday’ Daily Times in their new year’s issue this coming Sunday:

Signing out right now, but will be back soon, detailing the goings-on of our sherwani shoot by photographer Fayyaz Ahmed 🙂

Ciao

Arsalan I.