[Lahore: 1st April 2014]: Following the launch of MARIA.B.’s
pioneering Mbroidered collection and trend setting range of Arabi lawn
prints the designer label is set to showcase a collection of luxury/pret
wear at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week [PSFW] in April 2014. MARIA.B.
will also be hosting a special exhibition stall at PSFW, commemorating
the brand’s 15 years in fashion. Inspired by the designer’s own
ancestral Kashmiri roots, the collection will be retailed across 25
MARIA.B standalone stores in Pakistan in July 2014.
Based in a
range of pure karandi, silk organzas, silk chiffons and digital prints,
the collection’s colour palette draws equally from Kashmir’s natural
beauty and aristocratic heritage as it does from its ravages of war.
The collection reflects a modern take on the rich Kashmiri tribal
culture with an emphasis on interpreting vintage Kashmiri craft and
silhouettes into a modern, wearable collection.
Speaking about
her brand in general and her specific inspiration for the “Ladakh
Connection” collection, Maria Butt, CEO MARIA.B. said, “This year marks
the fifteenth year of the MARIA.B label which I first launched with a
vision to revolutionise and make accessible, women’s retail in the
country and I am proud to have upheld and expanded on this vision.
Having first started with one small stitching unit in Lahore, today the
brand is among the most diverse in Pakistan with prêt a porter, couture,
formal wear, lawn, embroidered fabrics and cottons all within one
affordable label with an extensive retail networks of 25 standalone
outlets in 12 different cities1 across the country, while also exporting
to 6 international destinations2. I am particularly excited about the
“Ladakh Connection” collection I am showcasing at PSFW as it is a
manifestation of my emotional attachment to the fabled land of my
ancestors, Kashmir. It was while researching that I discovered that my
paternal ancestors came from Ladak in Northern Kashmir, where the art
and cultural influences are significantly Central Asian. I’ve played
around with silhouettes paying predominant homage to the ‘firil’ – an
oversized Kashmiri kurta, mostly worn knee length.”
For
further information on MARIA.B. brands, please log on to:
https://www.facebook.com/mariabdesigns or visit the brand’s website
http://www.mariab.pk/. The brand can also be followed on Instagram:
mariabofficial.