Lahore: One of the pioneers in ready-to-wear and minimalistic pret retail, Sara Shahid has been designing in Pakistan for nearly two decades.
Sara Shahid’s revamped store breathes new life into Sublime.
Lahore: One of the pioneers in ready-to-wear and minimalistic pret retail, Sara Shahid has been designing in Pakistan for nearly two decades. Her clothes reflect her personality; clean, simple and fuss free but poised and charmingly bohemian. While Shahid had been missing from the pret runway for a couple of years, spring/summer 2016 has been a happening season for the designer. Her latest collection received acclaim at the recently concluded PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week and rolling with the momentum, Shahid recently launched the new Sublime store in Lahore’s commercial hub, M.M. Alam road.
As can be expected from the zen designer, the store is white washed and without opulent trappings of chandeliers or over the top interiors. The focus is entirely on the clothes, which are hanging invitingly from the racks lining each wall. Since Shahid’s SS16 collection plays with pastels, the clothes, sorted colour wise, beckon brightly against the stark background.
Sara Shahid moved to the current space as it offers a far more comfortable retail experience and does justice to her design philosophy.
Speaking to the designer reveals that while Shahid was planning to shift her store, the move happened more organically than expected with the perfect space opening up at the right time. “I really wanted to get out of the space I had earlier. There was something about the store and it’s set up that didn’t quite do justice to the clothes or provide a comfortable retail experience. I often felt that some of my best pieces were lost in the set up and never called out to a consumer but I feel this store completely changes the vibe. It’s much more in sync with my aesthetics and it puts the clothes in the spotlight, which is what the main point of a store should be in any case. It’s been exhausting but very rewarding,” she states.
Shahid also intends on keeping her store well-stocked with the merchandise regularly supplemented with new pieces coming in. “Now that I have this store and this gorgeous space to work with, I want to make sure that there’s something new that’ll attract returning customers every time they step in. I also finally have a chance to better display my formal wear, which tends to be neglected as everyone associates me with pret more, but this year there will be a greater focus on them,” she divulges.
The store itself has something to offer for everyone. From festival ready, flirty off shoulder tops in bright yellow, lavender and pink to embroidered kurtas and worked jackets as well as evening wear; there’s something for anyone who walks through the Sublime doors. Our pick from her store? Resort-inspired summer wear with hints of atheleisure adding a young, sporty dimension. But don’t just take our word for it, stop by the new store and be ready to walk out with a chunk of change missing from your wallet.
