While the launch of international brands like Mango and Debenhams have answered the prayers of those struggling to find everyday Western wear in Pakistan, their high prices have often forced one to wait for a sale to make a purchase. However, by then the season is almost over, making most available options outdated. This is where Hira Tareen’s Icon steps in – it is affordable, minimalist Western wear that can take you from day through night looking fashionable.
While the launch of international brands like Mango and Debenhams have answered the prayers of those struggling to find everyday Western wear in Pakistan, their high prices have often forced one to wait for a sale to make a purchase. However, by then the
season is almost over, making most available options outdated. This is where Hira Tareen’s Icon steps in – it is affordable, minimalist Western wear that can take you from day through night looking fashionable.
“ICON Karachi is a clothing brand for the educated, care-free, practical and modern woman who likes to wear minimalistic, urban, effortless, quirky and tailored clothing,” Hira said while speaking to Instep. “Clothing doesn’t define her, she defines her own style. She can look as feminine and glamorous wearing androgynous silhouettes and simple cuts as she looks while wearing a ball gown. She doesn’t need to break her bank or drop common designer names to feel fabulous.”
After making a notable debut back in 2014, the multi-talented Hira hosted her second Trunk Show this weekend, just in time to curb the summer blues with breezy fabrics and subtle pops of colour. From neon plaid shirts to trendy polka dot tops, from airy solid tunics to printed floral blousons and linen joggers, the collection ranged from smart casual to fun and quirky with the potential to appeal to women of all personalities.
Also on display was the Icon Luxe line that is meant for more formal affairs with silk pleated skirts and jumpsuits and could be customized on order. What makes the luxe collection desirable? The luxe quality of the fabric, the solid silhouettes, minimalist designs and the fact that celebs like Sabeeka Imam and Zhalay Sarhadi have all been spotted sporting a piece.
However, the luxe line is priced higher going up to PKR 25,000 and Hira has a good enough reason for that. “With Icon Luxe we make sure we give more control to the customer in terms of custom fits and utility, for example, when we make our ‘raw silk balloon skirts’ we give our clients the options to purchase them with a ‘can can’ (a separate tool you wear underneath a skirt that gives extra volume) or without.
Moreover, the skirts are available in various colours to give more options,” shared Hira. If personalization and customization to such an extent come at a slight premium, it is sure is worth the charge.
While Hira is on point with her affordable, western wear label targeting the young and hip who are on a constant lookout for casual tops and tunics that won’t burn a hole in the pocket, the label suffers from limited accessibility. At the moment, Icon’s products are available on ‘cash on delivery’ through a Facebook page, but often customers prefer to see the physical product before making a purchase and with competition growing, retail presence is a feature the model must focus more on.
“We do plan on stocking at various multi-brand retail outlets this year in Karachi, Lahore & Islamabad. We are also in the process of completing the development of our e-commerce platform so ICON Karachi can be available globally,” Hira revealed Icon’s future plans. “The goal eventually is to open up physical retail outlets of ICON Karachi and provide a unique shopping experience for our customers but we need to develop the brand further before we can be ready for that. It’s all a process of trial and error to learn about our customers and grow the brand further accordingly.”
