Anhad crosses border with ethnic fashion

The borders between India and Pakistan might be unsurmountable for a lot of things; fashion is not one of them. Bringing a large variety and variations to the salwar suite from across the border is the new multi-dimensional designer store Anhad, which recently opened in DLF  Place Saket.

Kiran Chaudhry, the store curator, starts by explaining the name Ahad, “It simply means limitless, something that cannot be bordered.” “We bring you the best of Pakistani fashion, with regards to design, trends and material. That was our aim when we thought of opening a store,” adds Chaudhry, when asked about the specialty of the store. “We have also very cautiously priced our clothes. The collection on display shows a range of daily wear and couture,” explained Chaudhry.

She feels that due to the advanced stage the Indian retail market is in, it only has space for new and unique products. “The clothes displayed in our collections have been contributed by designers from across the scale. Some of them are really established like Elan and Faraz Manan and the rest are growing popular now. We even have designers who already have a clientele in India,” says Chaudhry.

The collection which is a burst of colour and designs at times goes beyond your expectations when of a salwar suite collection. Anhad opens shop with a largely bridal and couture collection keeping in mind the demands of the current season but Kiran insists that their signature product are the basic daily wear kurtas and the several variations of the pyjamas or pants that they will show next season. Some of the unique products the curator says Indian public would really value are the lawn fabric garments, made from the finest cotton counts.    

 The collection showing designs from 26 designers is not just an image of the urban Pakistan but lot of the designers have brought in their personal regional specialties into it also. “There are designers from the Pathan regions in the north and the rural areas of Sindh, who have learned their art in the cities, but they retain their rural character and so does the product which makes it unique and remarkable among a lot of other pieces,” Kiran explained.