August Issue 2013

Multi-brand outlets are becoming increasingly common in Pakistan and after the likes of Ensemble in Clifton and Brands Just Pret in Dolmen Mall, we now have Designer’s Lounge in Ocean Mall. The outlet was officially inaugurated earlier this July and the spacious store was filled to capacity with women of all ages as they rummaged through the racks.

The clothes stocked in the store are by a mix of well-known and not-so-well-known designers such as Nighat Tariq, Shaiyanne Malik and Ruby Shakeel — Shakeel in particular would be familiar to fans of talk show host Shaista Wahidi, who often wears her creations. Featuring semi-formal and formal outfits, as well as a section on designer abayas, the clothes were reasonably priced and many were in the Rs 6,000-9,000 range. Although affordable when compared to other designer outlets, most of the clothes, with their rhinestones and bold prints, are on the glamorous side (read: borderline tacky) and some amount of sifting is required to find outfits that are actually wearable.

Striking flower arrangements of gladiolas and tuberoses were placed around the double-storey store while the red carpet area set up outside was decorated with colourful balloons, which seemed a bit incongruous with the chic, sober interior of the store. The launch also featured a mini-fashion show as models, dressed in outfits by the various designers on display, made their way around the venue.