Faraz Manan is to Pakistan what Manish Malhotra is to India. His designs are fresh, with a Pakistani feel but a global appeal. Perhaps that is what makes him the preferred choice for Indian celebrities. His popularity in India was evident when a host of celebrities, including Alia Bhatt, Hardik Pandya, Shloka Ambani and sister Diya Mehta Jatia, wore his designs at the Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant wedding. It was in 2023, when Pakistani actor Mahira Khan wore a dreamy Faraz Manan outfit for her wedding, that a massive demand for his custom bridal couture was born in India, which was sourced through his store in Dubai either online or offline. Affordable prices, a different appeal, and his signature touch made the bridal couture popular in India.
While Manan remains a top pick, Pakistani designers Iqbal Hussain, Baroque and Mohsin Naveed Ranjha, too, are finding Indian takers. The country’s struggling economy has not weakened its soft power, from art to fashion, in India. This obsession with Pakistani designs goes back a decade. Back in 2014, when Pakistani serials started streaming in India, its fashion also percolated through. The long, loose kurtas, exuding comfort and class, became an instant hit here. Their palazzos made the salwars go out of fashion. Mahira’s simple, traditional look in the popular show Humsafar became iconic.
Pak appeal: Designs by Pakistani fashion designer Sania Maskatiya (right)
A decade later, the trend continues. While several Indian brands have drawn from Pakistani designs, the demand for the original remains. Even if that means taking the Dubai route, because there is no direct access to Pakistani e-commerce websites.
Devangi Nishar Parekh, director of Aza Fashions―an Indian platform to shop exclusive labels―agrees that there has been an uptick in the demand for Pakistani styles on their platform. “While we currently do not stock Pakistani designers, we have noticed an increase in demand for Pakistani styles, which are admired for their intricate detailing and traditional aesthetics,” she says. “We have seen Indian brands incorporate elements like intricate embroidery and flowing silhouettes, which are often associated with Pakistani fashion.” While they do not deal with Pakistani designers at the moment, Parekh says that they are open to meeting their customers’ evolving preferences. Their existing collection has already been upgraded to incorporate elements of Pakistani fashion.
To cater to the demand, Pakistani designers like Manan and Sania Maskatiya are shifting their base to Dubai for greater accessibility to Indian customers. “India has always been a land of rich traditions and diverse cultures, much like Pakistan and Dubai, and we are thrilled to see how the Indian market has embraced our designs with open arms,” says Maskatiya. “There is a growing demand for our styles in India, especially for our signature fusion of traditional craftsmanship with contemporary silhouettes. The cultural similarities and appreciation for intricate embroidery, luxurious fabrics, and artisanal techniques make our collections resonate with the Indian audience. It has been a wonderful journey to see our brand find a home in India, where fashion continues to bridge borders and bring us closer.”
Apart from her Dubai store, one can find Maskatiya’s designs online, with retailers becoming the bridge between the two countries. Nainpreet The Collective is one such Indian retail platform that stocks Pakistani couture by the likes of Mysie by Tahira, Sadaf Fawad Khan and Baroque. Similarly, Ensemble Dubai is the largest multi-brand store in Dubai selling Pakistani fashion. Several such platforms have come up with a promise to deliver Pakistani designs to your doorstep.
In India, Rashi Dongre Khetwani and Simran Shetty’s The Pop Up Story is bringing Pakistani designs home. A startup established last year, they hold pop-ups of global brands in Mumbai and Dubai. “When Sara Ali Khan wore [Pakistani designer] Iqbal Hussain at the Ambani wedding, people immediately recognised it,” they say. “This means that the world is becoming smaller with social media. Pakistani brand Lajwanti’s recent campaign was shot in Jaipur.” They say the competitive pricing of Pakistani designs is what attracts the customers. Their cuts and embroideries are different and look elegant, they believe. “Everyone wants to wear something unique, and that is where the demand stems from,” they say. “There is something for everyone in Pakistan.” At their recent pop-up, the response to Maskatiya’s designs was so overwhelming that they now plan to bring in more Pakistani designers and expand to other parts of the country.
While women’s fashion from Pakistan is highly popular here, men’s fashion is yet to catch up, barring a few celebrity exceptions, with distance and availability being the main hindrances. Still, the impact of Pakistani soft culture is here to stay, whether in art, music, or fashion.