- A conversation with Karachi designer Mahwish Mughal
Sri Lanka’s position within South Asia is famously strategic – we are a hub not just for the region but for the whole world, and have been since, well, forever. Traders have been making their way to our shores for millennia. This was also how we were discovered by the colonial powers that came to make us their own. As such, Sri Lanka is a melting pot of different influences, cultures, and traditions.
Sri Lankan clothing is one brilliant example of this inextricable intertwining of different traditions – our cultural exchange between different countries and cultures comes through in the sarong, a garment of Indonesian origin; the saree, which is Indian; the kurta that forms part of men’s national dress is also Indian, drawing from the style of Nehru; one of our iconic heritage crafts – beeralu lace – is Portuguese in tradition; and the list goes on.
One aspect of South Asian style whose influence the Sri Lankan mindset tends to overlook is Pakistani, not in the sense that it has formed the root of style that we now consider inherently Sri Lankan, but in that Pakistani style does have a lot to offer to the Sri Lankan client and not just for the Muslims in the country who have Pakistani heritage.
This was what guided our conversation with Pakistani fashion designer Mahwish Mughal when we sat down with her for a quick chat during a recent exhibition she held in Colombo. Mughal began her label “Mahwish Mughal” in 2013, and over the years, it has become a mainstay of the Pakistani fashion industry.
Presented by Farah Meezan, Mahwish Mughal’s one-day-only exhibition and sale took place last Thursday (24) at the Women’s International Hall and featured a wide selection of Mughal’s trademark pieces of short tunics, linen tops, embroidered caftans, and full suits that use a variety of Pakistani techniques like exclusive block prints, chikankari, and foil work to name a few.
“Each piece is delicately handcrafted and developed by our experienced artisans known as ‘Karigaars’ who have honed their skills to perfection, giving face to sophisticated and complex designs,” Mughal explained, adding: “At Mahwish Mughal we also bring your vision to life, by offering you a bespoke service which enables you to customise our already unique pieces to meet your preferences.”
This is Mughal’s second visit to Sri Lanka, with her first visit taking place in 2019. Of course, since then, the pandemic has changed much of how we live and work, which is why her next visit has taken place three years later. As a Pakistani designer who is used to a very different market, Mughal shared that she did careful research before making her visit. “I personally surveyed the market, looking beyond only Muslim women to see what the other communities in Sri Lanka prefer in terms of palettes and styles.”
What has Mughal’s research shown her about the Sri Lankan customer, especially when compared to the Pakistani client? In a nutshell, they are looking for something unique, which is where Mughal believes Pakistani style comes in. “They want to spend and buy beautiful clothes. In Pakistan, we have a lot of competition; every other person is a designer, and everything is very easily available,” Mughal said, which often leads to difficulty finding unique, good-quality fashion. The Sri Lankan market, however, is different because there are very few people doing Pakistani designer wear, which allows designers exploring the market here to truly showcase the quality, variety, and beauty of Pakistani style.
Reflecting on why Pakistani fashion is not something that has had a bigger impact on fashion, Mughal shared that this may have to do with Pakistani designers treating Sri Lanka as an afterthought. “Whenever designers from Pakistan come here for exhibitions, they’re often very confused about what to bring and what not to bring, and a lot of the time, they just bring the dead items from Pakistan hoping it will sell here instead.”
Mughal’s philosophy, when selecting clothing for the Sri Lankan market, is the opposite. “I’m a designer, and I have my own creativity; why should I take the same thing as other people? I want to sell my style and I don’t like selling things that I would not like to wear myself. I feel there is a very good market in Sri Lanka for Pakistani products like clothing, jewellery, and handicrafts, and a huge potential for clothing, especially when it comes to the different fabrics that Pakistani fashion can offer. It’s a very big potential market.”
For more information on Mahwish Mughal, please visit:
Facebook: Mahwish Mughal
Instagram: @mahwishmughalofficial
