And We Thought Men Didn’t Make for Fantastic Planners…

Uzma Bawany/Thaakat

The Dulhan Expo is your one stop shop for wedding planning, grandiose expose’ing and an immense menu of everything colorful, decorated and tasty for your wedding.

Sumit Arya has been a part of the South Asian wedding planning arena for more than a decade now and it wasn’t until he brought vendors to the brides that South Asian women felt dazed and confused when it came to the Shaadi Arrangements.

We all know what a scene it is to try to plan a South Asian Wedding, from the circus of a guest list to the cultural implications- our weddings are a fun but long and expensive process.

Dulhan Expo is a series of Bridal Expositions designed to keep the modern South Asian Bride in mind. DulhanExpo is providing the modern day brides with advanced wedding planning venues, saving them months worth of legwork by bringing wedding service providers from all different categories under one roof.

Recently, I moved to the East Coast. Whether it was buying daal on Oak Tree Road or visiting Eid Mela’s there was one consistent theme- New Jersey had a special charm. New Jersey had the opportune luxury of being able to experience the Dulhan Expo. In the past few months there have been more than six planned in the Greater New York/New Jersey area. I knew if Thaakat wanted to get places- being a part of a successful troupe was necessary.

Dulhan Expo I thought, It’d be a dream to get a booth there. I mean besides being a part of an event that was all glitz and glamour- it would be an honor to be a part of the wedding arena’s newest tradition.

I sent Sumit a casual message not knowing if I should expect anything and lo and behold a few weeks later I was awarded a booth. It was a wonderful show, we gained many contacts and we finally met the mega planner.

Since then, Sumit has been wonderfully amiable and has reached out to Thaakat several times. We are honored to have been provided the opportunity and are ecstatic to see what the troupe conquers next. From RDB shows, to modern mandaps, freebies and food tastings, Dulhan expo is a production you don’t want to miss. Visit www.dulhanexpo.com for more information!

By: Uzma Bawany/Thaakat Foundation

The Dulhan Expo is your one stop shop for wedding planning, grandiose expose’ing and an immense menu of everything colorful, decorated and tasty for your wedding.

Sumit Arya has been a part of the South Asian wedding planning arena for more than a decade now and it wasn’t until he brought vendors to the brides that South Asian women felt dazed and confused when it came to the Shaadi Arrangements.

We all know what a scene it is to try to plan a South Asian Wedding, from the circus of a guest list to the cultural implications- our weddings are a fun but long and expensive process.

Dulhan Expo is a series of Bridal Expositions designed to keep the modern South Asian Bride in mind. DulhanExpo is providing the modern day brides with advanced wedding planning venues, saving them months worth of legwork by bringing wedding service providers from all different categories under one roof.

Recently, I moved to the East Coast. Whether it was buying daal on Oak Tree Road or visiting Eid Mela’s there was one consistent theme- New Jersey had a special charm. New Jersey had the opportune luxury of being able to experience the Dulhan Expo. In the past few months there have been more than six planned in the Greater New York/New Jersey area. I knew if Thaakat wanted to get places- being a part of a successful troupe was necessary.

Dulhan Expo I thought, It’d be a dream to get a booth there. I mean besides being a part of an event that was all glitz and glamour- it would be an honor to be a part of the wedding arena’s newest tradition.

I sent Sumit a casual message not knowing if I should expect anything and lo and behold a few weeks later I was awarded a booth. It was a wonderful show, we gained many contacts and we finally met the mega planner.

Since then, Sumit has been wonderfully amiable and has reached out to Thaakat several times. We are honored to have been provided the opportunity and are ecstatic to see what the troupe conquers next. From RDB shows, to modern mandaps, freebies and food tastings, Dulhan expo is a production you don’t want to miss. Visit www.dulhanexpo.com for more information!

This Little Light of Mine, I’m Gonna Let it Shine

Pakistan Hosts First Ever Fashion Week despite tumultuous circumstances

Uzma Bawany/Thaakat Foundation/Exec Director

I was getting ready to write my articles this morning when one of my buddies rushed into the room and said, “Yo, did you know Pakistan held it’s first ever fashion week?”

I wasn’t sure what my reaction should be. I have always known Pakistan to be a very fashion forward country. Yeah some people, when they think Pakistan, they think Taliban, threat, bombs, dangerous. What do I think of Pakistan?

Color, patterns, sugar cane juice, fancy shoes, grand shaadis, seaside..Fashion! I know many of you have heard of HSY and Mehmoona Manan- how about Nomi Ansari? I’m not going to lie, I personally can’t afford many of these decorums and neither can 98% of Pakistan’s public but then again isn’t that what grandiose fashion is about? The type of fashion that you can only touch on magazine paper and whose thrill you can only enjoy if you’re there at PAKISTAN’S FIRST EVER FASHION WEEK!

The majority of the Pakistan public enjoys the browsing of silk markets and clothing bazaars. The fun of taking your masterpiece cloth to your favorite “darzi” and getting it sewn in whatever crazy elegancy you wish upon it. Though we can’t afford the grandiose fashion, I’d say many of us clothing desperados are definitely influenced by the pictures they paint in our imagination.

Let’s face it guys, India borders Pakistan. Bollywood is Universal, Indian beauty became a phenom after watching Frieda Pinto in Slumdog Millionaire and dosas- Just wait till we start finding them ready made in grocery stores. So why is Pakistan lagging behind in the arts? It’s dying film industry has been done with for some time now and fashion shows were a no go until a few weeks ago.

Sometimes people need that little light to shine in order to exercise their talent and reach for the stars. Models graced the runway with the likes of the biggest fashion designers in the world. Surging violence in the country did indeed grab headlines and cause many security scares. The fashion show had to be rescheduled twice, but then enough was enough and Karachi decided that the show must go on.

The four day event helped boost an industry that Pakistan SHOULD indeed get recognition for. Unfortunately, it’s the tumultuous persona of the country that gets recognized. Don’t be afraid to embrace our country for all of the good people, colorful culture and talent that it holds!

Let us cheer for better times with some sugar cane juice.

thaakat@gmail.com

Puppy for Parminder’s New Baby

http://www.usmagazine.com/news/er-parminder-nagra-welcomes-baby-boy-2009275

Interesting choice of name, no?

I love the blend of cultural heritage….

Haute Couture: A Fine Art Explosion In Pakistan

By: Ammara Bokhari

Within the past few decades, Pakistan has transformed itself within its fashion industry, breeding incredible new talent and paving way for a design revolution. In the likes of painting, sculpture or architecture, fashion design is certainly an art form. Employing creative minds to produce new designs, it invokes a sense of style while influencing the world. If fashion is an art form then haute couture is certainly its finest form of art.

Pakistani fashion is an industry at its peak, set to flourish only further. With the popularity of design schools on the rise, Pakistan has harbored a breadth of talented designers. These designers create ready-to-wear collections- garments produced in mass with standard sizes, which can be tailored to customization and the ever-popular bridal collections- elegant wedding dresses customized to your suiting. In recent years, many young and well-known designers in Pakistan have been creating haute couture collections as well. The term haute couture is a growing phenomenon in Pakistan among designers, particularly young designers, who have acquired great fame within the past few years.

Haute couture [pronounced awt-coo-tour, with the h being silent] is a French term that directly translates to “high fashion”. It refers to a designer’s creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing and is made to order for a specific customer. What differentiates this from your local bazaar tailor in every city of Pakistan? Well, haute couture is particularly made using high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish. The designs are hand-made with utmost quality, precision, and not to mention beauty. It can never be copied and therefore, holds a one-of-a kind distinction, not to mention one hell of a hefty price tag, adding even more to its appeal and exclusiveness.

Pakistani designers have rolled out with haute couture collections alongside their ready-to-wear and bridal collections, instantly claiming praise and transforming their status to elite. It seems to be an almost marketing tool. When I come across designers and learn of their haute couture collections, I instantly recognize them as one of Pakistan’s best, their couture line only adding to the glitz. These designers certainly have an eye for fashion and create beautiful pieces. However, I begin to wonder, a term of such high exclusivity in Paris, has been used so freely in Pakistan- what claim to these young designers have in proving they have reached the position and level of expertise in fashion to call themselves masters of the art of couture? Many of these young designers have only recently, within the past decade, graduated from fashion design schools in Pakistan, albeit some with degrees particularly in couture. Does a degree, alongside with fame, constitute the couture label? Having an haute couture wedding dress in Pakistan has turned into a trend with young bride-to-be’s.

But there is a huge difference with the world of haute couture in Pakistan and the world of haute couture in Europe, particularly Paris where it originated. In France, the term is protected under law. A special chamber has laid out specific rules a designer must follow in order to use the term haute couture. These rules include: having a workshop in Paris, presenting an haute couture collection in Paris twice a year, each collection having at least 35 designs, for both daytime and evening wear, and designing made-to-order garments for private clients with multiple fittings. I recently watched a one-hour special on haute couture and the secret world behind it on BBC and was surprised to learn that if clothes aren’t handmade in Paris, they cannot be called haute couture. As of this year, there are 12 official members of the trade union of haute couture, all European, with four correspondent members, including Elie Saab from Lebanon, the only designer outside of Europe, and several other guest members.

Haute couture houses include but are not limited to: Chanel, Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Giorgio Armani, Valentino, and Givenchy. You may recall some of these names, and recognize that these design houses are the crème-de-la-crème of European fashion. Their names have been engraved in timeless fashion since WWII. Granted, I realize Pakistan is still a young country. And yes, it has immensely flourished in its fashion industry with young designers tastefully ruling the market. But I wonder- have these designers truly reached the status and experience to create haute couture lines and claim to have “couture houses” like Chanel, Armani, and Dior have respectfully been doing? Perhaps the term has simply been transformed into a trend in Pakistan- an exclusive marketing tool- to appeal to the elite who can afford to indulge in this fine art. A fine art- that will only continue to thrive…

Chicago Welcomes ZARA!

By: Ammara Bokhari

Dreams do come true. I realized this when I heard the news that Spanish fashion chain Zara has recently opened its first Chicago-land store at Old Orchard Mall in Skokie! And in 2009 it plans to open one on our very own Magnificent Mile at Chicago Place at 700 N. Michigan Avenue. I was sitting in class when I received the news from a friend over a text message. Tears nearly came to my eyes as a sudden rush of excitement filled within me. I felt like jumping out of my chair! I couldn’t sit still. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs! Zara’s highly anticipated arrival in Old Orchard mall has made fashion lovers state-wide very happy. And with news of a store opening in downtown early next year, you can expect quite a few smiles from the urban shopping crowd.

Headquartered in Spain, Zara’s designs consist of high-fashion clothing for the middle-class urbanite with both a men’s line and a women’s line. Ultimately trendy and sophisticated, their styles vary from having a classic edge to some bohemian flair. I first stepped into a Zara two years ago (a little late considering they have been around since 1975) when I was shopping on Queen Street in downtown Toronto. Upon entering, my eyes became fixated on the very first item I saw- a black winter coat with a prominent collar and belt. I immediately fell in love. It was heartbreaking to come back home that summer, realizing I wouldn’t be coming back to Zara anytime too soon. But I kept my navy paper bag as a souvenir- the easily identifiable trademark bag shoppers receive their purchases in.

For many Chicagoans, a trip to Zara wasn’t possible unless you were traveling to a different state or country. With chains all over Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America, Zara has become the ultimate shopping destination for fashion lovers.

So what is the secret behind Zara’s success? It primarily lies within their design theory and globalization model. From sketch book to store shelf within a short number of weeks, Zara’s design theory is impressive. The company is able to design a new product and have finished goods in its stores within a matter of two to four weeks. If certain items are not selling well, they are immediately pulled out and replaced with new designs. This cycle of garments sets them apart from your typical retailers which don’t replace their styles as often. Zara’s impeccable design team has quite a niche for keeping up with trends and understanding their client base. Because they design and produce themselves without outsourcing to third-world countries, Zara holds a competitive advantage in how their clients’ wants can be met with the utmost quality and ease. Millard S. Drexler, president and chief executive officer once mentioned in an interview, “We are focused on offering customers the newness they expect when they shop at our stores.” It is this very newness that keeps us coming back to Zara.

Adding to its success, Zara has recently overtaken Gap as the world’s largest clothing retailer. Its strategic global expansion deal now boasts nearly 3,900 stores in 70 countries worldwide. And despite the recent hit retailers have been enduring due to the economic crisis, Zara reported a 9 percent increase in sales for its first quarter of the financial year. Its worldwide success is a tribute to the idea that national borders are no impediment to sharing a single fashion culture.

Between the stresses of one’s personal life, ever demanding work, the economic crisis or keeping up with classes, a ray of sunshine has finally dawned upon the fashionistas of the Chicago-land area. Chicago has finally been blessed with a flagship Zara store and we welcome you, Zara, with our arms and wallets wide open!

(Note: I finally got a chance to visit this store at Old Orchard after writing this article and shoppers be warned: It’s not that great compared to the one in Toronto/NYC… I was dissapointed!)

Who Says Short Can’t Be Powerful?

By: Uzma Bawany

Being South Asian, I’d long ago accepted my fate. Mom is only 5’1 and dad, well when Mom is that short, Dad’s height won’t make much of a difference.

We can’t label and stereotype, but we also can’t deny that most of us have been gifted with the common genes that accommodate South Asian women—being short.

To me, height always meant power. If you Google the term height to power—you’ll get a bunch of scientific jargon about Doppler velocity and power spectra. To me, growing up, I felt the taller you were, the more powerful. Basketball players, my favorite teachers, great politicians, they were all able to tower over a crowd; their height demanded that they be heard.

Maybe I had always attributed one to the other because I knew every time the school bells rang I’d have to make sure I made it through before the herd arrived. I was always trampled on in the halls. I gave up. I knew I wasn’t going to grow anymore. Though over the years I learned that I wasn’t trampled on because I was short, it was because of the way I carried myself!

Confidence is key! If you showcase your “short” comings, this can be on any front (personality, attitude, height, skill set) then people will take notice of it. Don’t walk into an interview and tell them you stink at something—then apologize before hand. Don’t drag your feet through the halls and make yourself a target for a trample–

Talk and walk with confidence! You’ve got to be comfortable in your own skin!

And don’t think that just because you don’t fit the supermodel physique you can’t pull off the latest fashions. Here are some clever fashion tips that give the illusion of length.

Go Monochrome: When you wear a different color top than bottom, you visually cut your body in half Instead try wearing a monochromatic outfit in a single shade of shirt and pants or shirt and skirt. This creates a long, lean line that adds the illusion of height to your figure.

Black is Back: Dark colors, add the illusion of height. A black top and slim black pant with some carefully chosen accessories and moderate to high heels, gives a long, lean sophisticated line that’s perfect for a variety of occasions.

Long/Straight Pants: You’ll appear to be taller if you wear a pants length that covers the shoe. Avoid Capri and flare pants—which make you appear shorter

High-waisted is no longer 70’s: High-waisted pants can add the illusion of height and greater leg length. Avoid hip pant styles if you’re shorter in stature.

Toss the Fat Belts: Thick, bulky belts tend to cut the length of your body. Opt for a thinner belt if you wear one at all. Also avoid belts with too much detail or color. You want to maintain a clean, simple line.