Lahore
Sana Safinaz wowed Lahore with their rece
Safinaz Muneer, one half of the duo that's changed the face of fashion retail in Pakistan
super-haute, flamingo dress). Barely had the city recovered from that dazzling onslaught of glamorous fashion that the team was back in the city, this time to launch its new store in the DHA area.
Zoe Viccaji in a luxe Sana Safinaz cape treating the guests at the launch to an unplugged performance
“We’ve opened up 14 stores in a span of two years, so yes you can say that we are on a kind of a roll,” Safinaz Muneer spoke exclusively to Instep at the launch. “Retail expansion shows the strength of the brand and this is our biggest venture to date, borne out of a demand to be accessible to a wider clientele.”
One often hears businesses bemoaning the state of the economy in Pakistan and the lack of infrastructure that makes production processes so much more complex, but all you need to do is walk into the spanking new outlet spread over four floors to realize that this is one brand that’s played its cards right and borne the fruits of a savvy business approach and strong design aesthetic.
“Textile is one of the few industries that has actually done well in the last few years,” says Safinaz. “And retail expansion boils down to numbers and demographics. When you have an entire population of women for whom the kurta shalwar is a wardrobe staple, there will obviously be a huge demand for it. The flailing economy has actually led to a boom in retail. With more and more household depending on dual incomes, there are more women entering the work place and looking for convenient and affordable wardrobe solutions.”
Muzlin, the brand’s latest line of lawn fabric priced between a very reasonable
Maha Ahmed and Sadaf Jalil of Team Sana Safinaz make a vibrant red-carpet statement
Fashion forwardness doesn’t necessarily need to take a backseat when you’re catering to the mass market as Safinaz explains, “It’s about making an intelligent trade-off between being experimental and towing the safe and viable line. For example, we were the first brand to introduce the shorter hemline into our pret range two years ago when everyone else was doing sweeping lengths. It was a risk that paid off, but at the same time, we realize that it’s not for everyone so we will also do mid-length tunics for the more conservative clientele.”
With over two decades of experience in
A view of the swanky new store
We have the power to do that and that’s something we are proud of. We are one of the few designers who do high fashion just as well as street fashion because we know how to translate what’s shown on the ramp into wearable, commercial pieces for retail.”
Success hasn’t come without its trials, and there have been complaints of colour bleeds for the printed lawn. “Retail is relatively new for us and we have had to learn it through trial and error. Yes, there might have been complaints initially but it’s something we’ve worked hard to fix and I can tell you with confidence that the lawn fabric we use is the best in the market,” says Safinaz. The proof is in the pudding – given the swamp of women at the new store queuing to get their hands on their favourite pieces, it’s obvious the brand’s popularity is only rising.