Leave it to designer Hassan Sheheryar Yasin to turn even the most random of Friday nights at a mall into a happening, celeb fest. It’s exactly what he did this weekend at the official launch of his flagship store at Dolmen City Mall, Karachi, as some of the most popular faces of the film and fashion industry came together to lend him some support and the rest, a lifetime of social media fodder. These included actors Javed Sheikh,
Team HSY (Left to right): Ali, Anusheh Shahid, Bilal Ashraf, Salwa Rafique, HSY, Mehreen Syed and Waleed Khalid.
InstepREport
Lahore’s favourite fashion powerhouse opens at Dolmen Mall and turns a hot summer evening into a happening celebration.
Karachi : Leave it to designer Hassan Sheheryar Yasin to turn even the most random of Friday nights at a mall into a happening, celeb fest. It’s exactly what he did this weekend at the official launch of his flagship store at Dolmen City Mall, Karachi, as some of the most popular faces of the film and fashion industry came together to lend him some support and the rest, a lifetime of social media fodder. These included actors Javed Sheikh, Humayun Saeed, Bilal Ashraf, Gohar Rasheed and Tipu Sharif, filmmaker Asad ul Haq, designers Maheen Khan, Shehla Chatoor, Huma Adnan and more.
With a sparkling, mirrored stage right in the middle of the Fashion Avenue with all the elements - blasting music, classic floral arrangements and plush velvet sofas - the event resonated every bit the luxury that brand HSY is known for. Animated and larger than life, the designer seemed to be basking in his moment of glory while accommodating his fans for the mandatory selfies.
The recent past has seen more than a handful of designers from Lahore make their way into Karachi, finally realizing the city’s market potential and letting go of the industry’s blatant polarization. While some have delved straight into retail wear, others make it a point to hold trunk shows every now and then. HSY has, however, been the most awaited because while fashion critics maybe wary of his over-the-top embellished designs, the masses look up to his label for luxury wear. That said, his creations maybe too luxurious for mall-hoppers who are usually seen crowding high street stores like Khaadi and loitering around designer labels like Sania Maskatiya. HSY begs to differ.
“When you go to Dubai Mall, you find an H&M store as well as a Louis Vuitton. A consumer will go, buy and feel different things at different times,” HSY told Instep in a quick conversation at the event. “You cannot completely discount a mall-going client as someone who doesn’t want luxury. If we don’t bring it to them, how will you know and when you bring it to them, then will be the test of time. We opened our store as a test run three weeks prior to the opening and the response has been incredible.”
“People at the mall to buy outfits for 800 rupees, are also coming into our store to buy luxury because we are offering them that,” he continued. “You must give the consumer what they want. They won’t always want to go to a tucked away studio; they might want to go some place where they can bring in their friends because shopping is after all an experience. The studio is where people come for bespoke pieces; they come to sit with me and discuss ideas for couture but here we are selling ready-to-wear luxury; a lifestyle. We don’t sell a need or a want, we sell a desire.”
The store features a wide range of formal and luxury clothing that the brand is known for.
He has a point. Malls, world over, are meant to cater to a diverse set of shoppers and there is little reason not to adopt the business model in Pakistan. But will it work?
Moreover, we were curious at to why HSY did not showcase at last month’s Fashion Pakistan Week; the timing and subsequent publicity would have been ideal for his new retail space.
“It wouldn’t have affected us had we done a show or not done a show,” the designer responded. “People like us, love us and respect us regardless of where we are. We are always honoured to show at FPW but it just wasn’t the right time for us because we were showing somewhere else. Fashion weeks are very important and I try to take part in all of them.”
Coming back to the store, there is a lot to attract fashionistas into the opulent boutique that houses digitally printed kurtas in silk and soft cottons as well as formal and luxury clothing that can easily be part of a bride-to-be’s trousseau. There is also a small section dedicated to menswear, with embroidered sherwanis and kurtas for a style-savvy man’s sartorial needs. HSY surely has a better command over designing menswear and this is a
welcome addition to the mall that doesn’t offer much in terms of designer wear for men. The best feature of the store is the string of heavily embellished separates offering more variety to the customer. The outfits, however, don’t come cheap, some going well over 5 digits but then they are not meant to compete with high street, casual clothing anyway.
Fast fashion and ready-to-wear is the need of the hour and it’s refreshing to see our designers step out of the confines of their studios and focus more on the business aspect of fashion. However, at the same time, over exposure and accessibility may take away from the exclusivity and uniqueness of a designer label. This is a dilemma that designers may constantly face. Balancing then may be the best bet.
