The impulse is to go green on August 14, but there’s no need for your outfit to be awash with that one colour from tip to toe. Show your love for Pakistan with a celebration of Pakistani crafts and heritage, while helping a few social causes along the way.
Sanam Chaudhri for BlockedFor our annual (over)dose of national iconography on August 14 this year, Sanam Chaudhri has partnered with Afsheen Numair‘s Blocked label to bring us the ‘Independence’ line - a collection of kurtas stamped with fun little details that are quintessentially Pakistani. Five and ten paisa coins from yesteryears make a comeback, Sindhi and Balochi topis take the quirky place of rickshaws and truck art, and the ubiquitous staple symbols of the Pakistan map and the chaand sitara abound. The icons are block printed by hand in an ancient technique that is rooted in our heritage, making the pieces truly a celebration of Pakistan’s rich culture. All proceeds from the sale of these kurtas will go to five noteworthy charities, so don’t miss your chance to shop for a really good cause.-- Photo courtesy Secret Closet
Deepak Perwani’s LRBT scarvesPriced at PKR 3000, which is the cost of a cataract surgery at LRBT, the Deepak Perwani LRBT scarves are not only geared towards giving the gift of sight to the underprivileged, but also pay tribute to the diversity of the country’s cultural identity. Chappals, camels and chai-danis deck the length and breadth of one scarf and colourful kites evoke the kaleidoscopic frenzy of Basant skies on another. Wear your culture proudly around your neck as you help bring LRBT a few thousand rupees closer to its mission.
HSY’s Sher collectionIndigenous embroidery, fashioned by the female artisans of the village of Shergarh, showcased the impact and power of the female workforce in Pakistan at the patriotism-fuelled PSFW 2014 finale. For a big August 14 do, you can splurge on an haute couture ensemble from the Sher collection available at the HSY flagship store in Lahore.
Be a CappieDid you know that only 3% of Pakistan’s population is old enough to have witnessed the independence movement and Partition. With each passing day, this number is steadily decreasing. This Independence Day, you can help The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP) celebrate Pakistan’s history by buying a CAP t-shirt that will help preserve CAP’s Oral history project. We sure don’t want to lose invaluable partition stories!
