Pak’s kitsch factor

Purnima Sharma

If destiny had had its way, a child artiste from across the border — on a family visit to Bombay in the early 1980s — would have been part of the Vinod Khanna-Neetu Singh starrer Raaj Mahal. And, perhaps, stayed on. “The chances of my being in it were bright — not just because I was obsessed with Bollywood, but also because my uncle was the film’s producer. However, my father’s marching orders for me to get back to Karachi put paid to all that,” laughs Deepak Perwani, who went on to become one of the top designers of the Pakistan fashion industry. “I guess this was part of a bigger plan,” says the couturier, who did not forget his first love for acting and has some of the popular soaps like Mere Paas-Paas and Ranjish to his credit. “I do one serial every couple of years,” he smiles.

The year has been special for the 43-year-old who is celebrating not just his personal landmark of 25 years in the fashion business, but also for becoming the chairman of the Pakistan Fashion Council. And in his three-year tenure, Perwani has special plans for his country’s fashion industry. “Other than the showcasing of our designer collections, we will also be offering aspiring youngsters a chance to show their mettle on the ramp.”

According to Perwani, August 14 will see a special Millennial Show that will feature 10 promising designers. “We are still mulling over giving them all one single theme and fabric to work on.” The fabric this time could well be khaddar, says Perwani, adding, “We have plans to revive the hand-woven khadi in a big way.”

He says a number of craftsmen working on khadi with Benaras silk and jamawar are still around. “Efforts such as these will definitely bring this age-old fabric back in the reckoning,” says the designer, who has just introduced a new bridal wear line in shades of gold and silver to his personal collection.

Ask him what makes the fashion business in Pakistan stand apart from its Indian counterpart, and he smiles, “Well, on the surface of it, they may seem to be moving parallel, but the Pakistani one is extremely cut-oriented.” Discerning clients are always on the look-out for newer elements in cuts — like the petalled shalwars. “They are such a rage,” he says. And the multi-layered culottes that have been introduced to them in the last few months.

And no, fashion is not just for women but also for the Pakistani men “who have lately begun to get rid of the loose shalwars and Dhaka pyjamas to slip into trendier stuff.” For them, Perwani has just introduced a new trouser line that boasts the skinny cut. “The fashionable guys like wearing ‘skinnies’ with short kurtas or bundi,” smiles the designer whose personal favourite is the kurta sherwani and the mandarin suit.

Pakistani men are experimenting not just with silhouettes, but also with colour. “From black, grey, blue and white, they are turning out in hues they would earlier shy away from. Now yellows, oranges, greens and pinks are finding a place in their wardrobe. I guess it’s to do with the fact that that their mindset is becoming more metrosexual. They want to be in tune with global trends.”

And this fact applies to both sides of the Border. “Fashion, like sports, music and films, has worked wonders in bridging the gap between our two countries. However, there is some juvenile mindset that has put paid to the whole process of peace,” rues the designer. But despite all such bottlenecks, peaceniks continue to be at work. “Concerts and shows like our annual Alishaan Pakistan may not happen for a while, but people are still ordering and wearing our work,” smiles the Mirpurkhas (Sindh)-born, who spent his early years in Karachi before leaving for New York to study fashion design.

Having spent over seven years in the Big Apple, Perwani returned to the land of his origin. “I came back because where else will you find such inspirational craftsmanship and designs to experiment with?” he asks with a smile.

That was more than two and half decades ago, and Perwani has had no regrets. Having steadily climbed the rungs to reach the top, he often takes to the hinterlands to help empower women of the minority communities by teaching them varied crafts that cater to city tastes. “I visit them every three months to talk to them, teach them stuff like how to make Rs 100 a day by making pouches from old clothes, colour balancing, etc.,” he states.

But it’s not all work and no play for the designer whose Holi bashes are talked about through the year. “Dressed in white, everyone walks in just to have fun — and I offer them loads of colour and water to play with complete music and with a dance floor with showers, paani-puri, halwa, kachoris… and, of course, bhang,” laughs Perwani whose house is also the go-to place for card parties the day before Diwali. “One look at any of these and the cynics will understand what living in harmony is all about,” he smiles.