Striking the right balance between the growth of established brands and nurturing and introducing new talent to the fashion industry is our motto, says Sehyr Saigol of Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC).
Lahore: Striking the right balance between the growth of established brands and nurturing and introducing new talent to the fashion industry is our motto, says Sehyr Saigol of Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC).
“We work very closely with emerging designers and several mainstream brands to help them improve their collections for the runway and retail alike," Saigol, the chairperson of the executive committee of the PFDC, said while talking about the ideology of the ongoing PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week (PSFW) platform.
“The idea is to help more established brands grow their markets and also to introduce entirely new talent to the industry,” she added.
PSFW started here Thursday and Saigol said that the “PFDC pioneered the entire concept of a new designer program precisely to work closely with burgeoning talent in the country and then provide such talent the production and retail support through the PFDC’s own stores”.
Some of the young and emerging designers who made their presence felt on the first day of the four-day fashion gala were Amina Malik, Hammad Sadiq, Hira Ashfaq, Sarah Awais and Seher Tareen.
The PFDC, a non-profit organisation, was established in September 2006 to help facilitate Pakistani designers.
In line with the PFDC’s vision for the next five years, the Council wants to strengthen the domestic retail ability of its members and it has introduced dedicated training cells within the Council to help strengthen their production and retail prowess.
In these workshops, PFDC board members start work six months in advance of each fashion show with a selection of designers. For each collection, they help the designers with sketches, fabrics, construction, edits and retail.
Designers involved in the process include names like Saira Shakira, Teena by Hina Butt, Zonia Anwaar, Sania Maskatiya, Ali Xeeshan and Mohsin Ali.
Upcoming talents are not left on their own. They work under the guidance of PFDC from start to finish.
“As we approach the 10th iteration of our critically acclaimed fashion weeks, the PFDC shifts gears, bringing the momentum inwards, recognising the even greater need to work with brands to build market access and visibility within Pakistan,” said Saigol.
“To this end we embrace an approach that focuses on building and institutionalising the strength of designers and brands through national retail prowess and accessibility.
“To further this, the PFDC institutes a clear mandate on designer accessibility, not accepting any applications from established brands to participate at the PSFW unless they demonstrate a visible commitment to retail presence and accessibility,” she added.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.