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The granddaughter-in-law of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif recently grabbed the headlines for selecting Indian designers over their Pakistani counterparts. But when new bride Shanzay Ali Rohail, who married the son of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, wore designers Sabyasachi and Tarun Tahiliani for her wedding, she was only doing what most of her subcontinental peers do: Picking her trousseau from the topline bridal couturists in the world.
As visuals of her outfits for the mehendi and nikah ceremonies went viral, critics at home panned Rohail, saying the new bride of Pakistan’s ruling family was sending out the wrong message with her choices in these politically charged times. At a time when Indo-Pakistani relations have nosedived after Operation Sindoor, Rohail chose Sabyasachi’s modernist green lehenga for her mehndi. But it was the rich red Tahiliani sari, complete with kashida embroidery and a red veil over her head, on her wedding day that invited criticism of an overtly Indian look. Some said a lehenga and a sharara would be closer to Pakistan’s identity. Others wondered how she squandered a “Made in Pakistan” moment to boost a “Made in India” bridal economy. Some progressive voices, however, defended the bride’s right to look the way she wanted to on her big day.
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Rohail has made her choices from a free market place that’s guided by individual choices and economics. If that space is restricted, then global fashion labels and their business as we know it would collapse. The subcontinental groom wouldn’t be wearing Armani and the bride wouldn’t adorn herself in Elie Saab gowns and a Bvlgari neck piece. So why not a Sabyasachi or Tahiliani? Fashion, thankfully, continues to be an unbounded space that allows creativity a free run without being shaded by the politics of the day. It still speaks to everyone and continues to be a universal, non-verbal language that allows individuals to express their identity, emotions, aspirations and values.
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Couture is by nature bespoke and, therefore, offers the comfort of self-expression in any social, political or cultural environment. Fashion is a malleable tool, its inherent inclusivity allowing for the embrace of gender fluidity or a pivot towards sustainability as concerns over climate change intensify. In a world of performative activism and manufactured polarities, where endorsing one viewpoint would potentially mean losing the other half of the spectrum, fashion can occupy a happy middle.
That’s why brands with Israeli-Jewish connections, that were boycotted in selective markets over the atrocities in Gaza, continue to do business. Consider the lastability of Ralph Lauren, who democratised style for the working man, Donna Karan, who revolutionised the working woman’s wardrobe, and Michael Kors, whose luxe accessories are a must-have for women around the world. It is in this sense that fashion allows people to explore and appreciate other traditions and reflects a connected, modern world. It creates a global conversation where ideas are worn, seen, and understood by all.
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Both Sabyasachi and Tahiliani have been able to have that conversation. About 40 per cent of the former’s business comes in from the diaspora-rich US and UK, as well as a strong presence in the Middle East with Dubai as its pivot. The latter has a similar trajectory. In fact, even before the domestic boom, Indian designers depended on the Dubai/Arab market for their ceremonial collections. Pakistani fashion designers are gaining significant traction too, particularly in India, the UAE, and the UK, given their delicate craftsmanship.
At an everyday level, the demand for Pakistani lawn cotton suits has been high on this side of the border since the 1980s, when Pakistani TV shows found an audience via rented video cassettes. Similarly, the sari has featured in Pakistani TV shows as well. In fact, Pakistani singer Iqbal Bano defied a government ban on wearing saris in public on February 13, 1986, famously wearing a black sari at a concert at the Alhamra Arts Council in Lahore, as she sang Faiz Ahmad Faiz’s protest poem ‘Hum dekhenge’.
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Fashion has held its ground despite the Indo-Pakistani drift, primarily because of the cultural contiguity of the Subcontinent. Shared histories, aesthetics, textiles, and craftsmanship continue to shape design sensibilities on both sides of the border.
That’s why Indian celebrities, including Alia Bhatt, Sara Ali Khan, Kiara Advani, Ranbir Kapoor, and Hardik Pandya have recently worn Pakistani designer labels like Faraz Manan, Iqbal Hussain and Mohsin Naveed Ranjha. Pakistani celebrities like Mahira Khan and Hania Aamir have adorned labels like Sabyasachi, Tahiliani and Manish Malhotra. So let fashion be. Or as Coco Chanel said, “Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live.”
The writer is senior associate editor, The Indian Express. rinku.ghosh@expressindia.com
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