Fashion is targeting millennials and sales are moving online. HEF Clothing and Sassy are two noteworthy brands out of Karachi and Lahore, respectively, riding the wave to their advantage.
Ah, millennials! It’s used by those exasperated by the fast moving, non-conforming, media-savvy generation. Whether we understand them or not, millennials are the future of fashion consumption – potentially with the most spending power compared to previous generations. So many international brands are trying to tap into the millennial market with star-studded endorsements, subversive designs and out-of-the-box digital narratives. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Vetements, Yeezy, Puma and Off-White are all successfully resonating with the youth lately.
Other than backing each new collection and product with a strong and intriguing narrative, these brands have communicated a unique sense of identity and that’s what appeals to the youth most.
Locally, of the designer establishment HSY proved that he’s shifting gears to focus on the millennials with his spring/summer Musafir collection. The collection has a youthful, fuss free vibe and is a sign of the brand’s evolvement with time. Pakistan has a growing youth, which is slowly turning the country into the world’s fastest expanding retail market where stores and e-commerce are developing together, leaving the trend behind in several developing countries.
A survey by Euromonitor International, a research group, says Pakistan’s market is likely to grow 8.2 percent a year during 2016-2021 as disposable income rises.
Two new fashion brands that have popped up on our radar for their suave ability to appeal to the youth and brand identity are Hef and Sassy.
HEF clothing
Hef was launched two years ago by Fraz Siddiqui and Hissan Khan. It’s a brand that aims to combine the boys’ two passions: fashion and music. Theirs is a contemporary vision of fashion influenced by their youth spent in cities rich with diverse subcultures.
The t-shirts on offer feature uniquely homegrown elements that the boys have given their own spin on. The Murree Brewery t-shirt stands for the oldest continuing industrial enterprise in Pakistan, known for it’s export quality beer. The Ustad Tee is one that is an ode to the maestro of qawaali, who made it an acclaimed form of art and put Pakistani music on the map. There’s an Ajrak Pocket Tee, with a small pocket featuring the inherently Sindhi print held in great reverence. The Peshawar 420 shirt shows poet and photographer Eddie Woods in Peshawar in 1947 which was an important part of the ‘hippe trail’ then. There’s also a Teen Talwar shirt but our favourite has to be the “Feminist AF” shirt which needs little explanation. Most of their tees come in what they call a “Street Fit” which is meant to be an oversized boxy fit with split sides but they also have some in a Turnt Fit with a curved hem and the Boss Fit with a dress like fitting along with the Roomi Fit which is oversized and boxy. They’re available online at www.hefclothing.com and with prices ranging from 2000 to 5000, they are pretty affordable too.
Sassy
The Sassy Store officially took off in Lahore yesterday with a launch party that really spoke for the millennial vibe the brand is hoping to establish. Sophiya Salim Khan, a London College of Fashion graduate is the brains behind it and being a photographer, their curated Instagram feed is truly a sign for fresher, greater things to come. The launch event had X2 come to life with a DJ, a dance performance, photo booth and perfectly Instagrammable décor that appealed to the social media savvy present. Almost all the clothes were available to buy off the rack, in small, medium and large and will also soon be available for retail on their website www.sassystore.shop. Everything was in between 2000-6000 and again, was an affordable purchase!
