Fashion Focus

Every ‘festive season’ is dotted with celebratory events and while the what-to-wear aspect is well catered to by fashion weeks and exhibitions per year, one is a bit stumped when it comes to accessorizing their outfit right. Any fashion connoisseur worth her mettle knows that the key to nailing a look is to accessorize it right - it’s a make or break.

Therefore, we put together a list of the jewelry we’re currently coveting in the market. On is dominated by heavyweights that rule the precious fine jewelry sector but also the emerging designers with small pop up stores, online businesses and targeted advertising that have marked a slow but steady rise of artist jewelers in Pakistan.

Jewelry for the girl who likes conversation starter pieces

Today, one can think of a couple of jewelry designers making pieces that are conceptual in nature and unconventional in shape. These new designers are turning traditional jewelry design on its head and questioning the value of jewelry through the process and practice of making.

Zohra Rahman, a Central Saint Martins’ graduate, for instance, takes mundane and utilitarian items like paper clips and torn paper and fashions those shapes into covetable jewelry. Sundas Talpur, another graduate from the same school stands out for her luxe contemporary designs, which are inspired by local craft and reminiscent of hand-weave and embroidery. Both designers are pricey and may be a bit too avant-garde for the usual customer but are pushing boundaries and giving a peek into how exciting jewelry designing can be.

Jewelry for the traditionally inclined girl

Amber Sami is a Lahore based designer who seeks inspiration from sub-continental heritage. You can often spot filigree and peacocks on her designs along with kite shaped pendants and her best seller is the well-recognized chand-baali.

Gold by Reama Malik has been operating out of Lahore for a while but one really took notice of her designs at the PFDC fashion week showcase with Wasim Khan. Her designs stood out as modern, wearable versions that don’t have to spend an eternity in a locker. Designers like Reama Malik and Amber Sami are keeping the local craftsmanship alive and yet carving a name for giving their own edge to age-old designs.

Jewelry for the girl who likes fashion but won’t break her bank

This is the market that’s expanded most rapidly with many designers working with semi-precious stones and copper and silver, providing interesting designs at lower price points. Kaia Fine Jewelry, Esfir Jewels, Haya Lutfullah and Allure Jewelry are all Karachi based designers who are catering to the festive seasons’ wedding-bound crowd and also offering quirky pieces that can work for soirees.

Kiran Aman is another designer who’s well known for her fine jewelry line, having won many accolades for it but has also introduced a more affordable line called Kino. Ali Javeri Jewelers, known for their fine jewelry, also recently did a line called Vortex, which is experimental and fun, and sets the wearer apart from the crowd.

Jewelry for the girl who likes across-the-border baubles

Indians like our fashion and we like what comes from their side of the border. It’s the grass (read: jewelry) is greener on the other side of the border phenomenon fully at play. Amrapali, a well-known brand from Jaipur has been operational out of Lahore for three years under their distributers, Khazana Jewelers. Outhouse and Prerto took a slightly different route by appointing representatives in the country, the former of which is still available. Other brands like Valliyan and Jaipur and Co. have sporadic exhibitions around the country.

These designers have all either trained as jewelry makers or are training a bunch of people under them and have a hand in where the industry is headed. The international presence in the country also has something to say for how well the jewelry market is doing.