September Issue 2010

With Gulabo, Maheen Khan seems to have come full circle. As a young designer, she played with “kitschy casuals.” Over the years she progressed into more demanding formal wear and the painstaking world of bridals. Today, she is revisiting the casual market, with a line the designer’s team says, “Serves the young at heart.” It serves the proud Pakistani too, as the new label is a tribute to one of the country’s cultural treasures: truck art.

“Presented in their typical bold colours, Gulabo’s designs exemplify the creative spirit of the country. T-shirts and casual eastern wear such as kurtas are adorned with vibrant images that typically deck the trucks of Pakistan.”

Maheen Khan is a pioneer of the Pakistani fashion industry. And after over three decades in the business she not only remains an icon but also continues to blaze trails, leading an industry that should be dominated by young, fresh talent. At her launch, the well-respected designer displayed her inventiveness by opting to forgo traditional mannequins in the store window and instead use live models.

But she made clear that her new label, unveiled at the September opening of the Gulabo flagship store at Park Towers in Karachi, does not represent individual accomplishments but rather collective strength. “We are proud of who we are and we are trying to highlight the good that this country has to offer. Through efforts like these, we have to highlight that despite the odds, Pakistan has a thriving community of creative thinkers who are working hard.”

At the launch, a special flood relief fund was also initiated. The proceeds from the sale of specially designed handbags are to go directly in to the fund, which in turn will direct the money towards aid organisations working in flood-affected areas.

Click on any photo to begin the slid show:

The launch of Gulabo was organized by Catalyst PR & Marketing.