Winter in Pakistan is synonymous with wedding festivities, beautiful clothes, freshly barbecued chicken tikka....
winter
Winter in Pakistan is synonymous with wedding festivities, beautiful clothes, freshly barbecued chicken tikka, piping hot halwa-puris and all things delicious and stunning! While we all fret about wedding clothes and how they are a hassle to make and wear, deep down inside we love them too. Winter weddings give us a chance to glam up and feel like we are all on a red carpet. Wearing a sophisticated, trendy shawl is the best way to welcome winter. It’s time to update your wardrobe with this year’s festive shawls.
This winter, there is a new designer on the block who has made dressing up for winter weddings so much easier for all of us. Ambreen Imran has just launched her brand, A. Zee in Islamabad, and has designed beautifully embellished velvet shawls that are perfect for the season and stunning to pair with a plain raw silk dress and a statement necklace to add extra oomph .
Ambreen told You! that even though she has just started designing clothes professionally, she has always preferred designing her own clothes rather than purchasing stuff of the rack. “I think that helps me showcase my originality and keep my creativity alive. I thought of doing it professionally when friends and family began requesting me to design clothes for them too. Interestingly, every time I created a new piece, the result excited me and that’s when I knew I should be doing it regularly”, she said.
The mastermind behind A. Zee said that self-made designers who have developed a name purely on the basis of their talent inspire her. Ambreen’s first exhibition showcased at L’atelier, Islamabad, where she now stocks regularly and has a permanent rack.
Ambreen’s first exhibition may feature velvet shawls but she is not restricting herself to that. “I focus on using different kinds of embellishments for each piece I create, ranging from the traditional dabka, sheesha and naqshi to the more modern pearls of varying sizes”, said Ambreen.
The reason why she chose velvet for her first exhibit is that the fabric is perfect for the season and also because its dark colours give a lot of room to play with in terms of embellishments. “I used dark velvet colours like maroon, emerald green, navy blue with a slightly brighter tone of jamawar or pure silk to give it a luxurious effect to the capes and shawls”, she said.
Her exhibition has changed the concept of shawls and reminded us that Pashmina is not the only material that can be wrapped around while heading out during the cold winter nights in Islamabad. Moreover, most of her designs are reversible which ensures they can be used in different ways and styles. Ambreen admits that her next collection will feature a different colour palette and material, as she wants to cater to everyone!
