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Crimson by Farah Talib Aziz *** 1/2

By Style File
Sat, 04, 16

Farah Talib Aziz has garnered quite a name for itself as a luxury brand. Despite having never showcased at fashion week or having an outlet, the bespoke Karachi-based label has acquired a name for its modern, feminine aesthetic and opulently bejeweled creations.

Lawn Review # 8

Farah Talib Aziz has garnered quite a name for itself as a luxury brand. Despite having never showcased at fashion week or having an outlet, the bespoke Karachi-based label has acquired a name for its modern, feminine aesthetic and opulently bejeweled creations. The niche label entered the lawn arena last year with a pretty, well-received collection and continued their stint in 2016 by teaming up with a Lahore-based textile brand, resulting in Crimson lawn. The campaign, starring Sanam Saeed and shot by Abdullah Harris evokes memories of Disney princesses with the plethora of white animals that share screen space with the starlet but unfortunately doesn’t quite hit the mark. More than anything else, it is possibly the choice of the face of the campaign that lets it down; Saeed doesn’t embody the fragile dreaminess that the shoot required. The only reason we bring up the campaign and this critique is because the shoot actually does a disservice to the lawn; the product itself lives up to the expectations. It features a light, pastel palette with a few darker prints thrown in for good measure. Salient FTA aesthetics find their way to Crimson lawn in the form of chikenkari, gaara embroidery, flora and fauna motifs as well as the requisite landscape/ skyline print. Not the best lawn we’ve seen this season, but definitely one of the better ones we’d recommend buying.

Quality

Crimson suffers no quality setbacks. The lawn is light and airy, not silky so it will remain breathable and wearable all through summer. They’ve opted for chiffon instead of silk dupattas and it’s not a bad break from all the slinky scarves that have been paired with lawn this season. Their add-on embellishment is mostly lace or embroidery on net, which again is airy but can be difficult to iron since it requires a lower heat setting.

Design Innovation

This is probably where Crimson loses out the most. Not because the designs are ugly or obnoxious but because they’re typically pretty with nothing fresh on offer. The prints range from pale florals to more floral, but in darker shades. They’re the kind of designs you don’t have to think much about; they’ll look good at work, for an afternoon lunch or just generally on a daily basis as summer staples.

Value for Money

Certainly one of the more pricey collections, Crimson’s basic suit starts at PKR 6750 and goes up to PKR 7250, which, as we’ve said before, is just too much money for pedestrian lawn that will be “out of season” next year. Considering that these prints will be outdated next summer, we’d recommend maybe buying one suit that you really love but nothing more.

Wow Factor

As we mentioned earlier, FTA has amassed quite a following and is a brand people aspire to wear. This gives Crimson lawn greater desirability and social standing, which makes the collection covetable. It is also pretty and looks good when stitched well and carried properly, so it wins big on the wow factor.

 

– Haiya Bokhari

* Avoid at all cost, even if free

** Don't Buy

*** Buy if you need to stock up

**** Buy because you simply love it!

***** Must Buy! You'd be crazy not to!