Sama Arif of Nayna celebrates 13 wonderful years in fashion with a comprehensive presentation of contemporary prêt and luxury couture which depicts her high-end aesthetics. In the recent years she has been regularly holding solo shows to showcase what she believes ‘should’ be on the ramp. A solo show does show the strength of a brand and is a good marketing strategy.
Having said that, it was a spectacular turnout at Royal Palm Club and, hence, massive traffic jam was seen outside the venue. It was a fully sponsored showcase, reflecting the faith sponsors have in the brand. The graphics and display of 3D projections presentation vividly splashed on the invites made us (the invitees) look forward to the event.
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The evening, promising to be full of glamour and color, started off on time as RJ and favorite host Sophiya Anjum in glamorous apparel made the introductions.
The showcase included ethereal white Nayna bridals showcased right before the beginning of summer weddings.
Pastels rule for Summer weddings
The pastel and nude colour palette based range seems quite apt for the scorching months that lay ahead. The segmented acts lead to the finale which showcased the bridal wear. She brought back some unusual color schemes including the favorite grey/pink, green/blue orange and magenta combo. The collection was a mix of diverse textures and silhouettes; and the overall look was smart with a touch of chic.
We loved the first look of her latest prêt wear collection. It was an amalgamation of prints, organza wraps, and varied hemlines. She also managed to give each look a very different approach by adding a dash of embellishments and concentrating more on the cut.
HIP caught up with the ever-smiling and gracious designer and spoke about her abstinence from the regular fashion shows held by PFDC and FPW. We also asked her to explain why holding a ‘Solo’ show seems like a good idea to her, although so much time and money is invested into it.
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Why do you opt to do a solo show each year?
(She gave us three reasons)
Control – Since we are a relatively larger player in the market, we feel that there is a need to not only show off only a certain segment of the collection, that we create every season, but to show it ‘all’ off. We also have the added advantage that our sister concern is an Event Management company (KlockWork) and, hence, we take full advantage of the fact. They plan out the show and we provide the clothes for it and that way everybody gets to focus on his/her own responsibilities.
The best thing is that we can define our themes, concepts, guest lists, branding plans, etc. rather than be dictated by anyone else. This enables us to become the talk of the town instead of getting diluted amid other designers at council based events.
Media Presence – We are able to manage our own PR and this time Bilal Mukhtar Events and PR was also at the helm of affairs. As a result, we got a dedicated platform on which we could send our message out the way we want it, to our friends and colleagues in the media.
Council Mandate in Lahore – I have found our local council does little to promote new talent and does a lot to promote the already strong players in the market. Politics is rampant and we wish not to be a part of it.
Don’t you think that being on a broader platform would be more meaningful to you at the end of it?
I agree that we should be on a broader platform and we do look forward to being part of other fashion weeks in order to ensure brand equity. Our strategy for the next couple of years will be to do both solo shows as well as be a part of some fashion weeks.
With regards to media coverage, I think the media presence at this show was something to be reckoned with and has placed us at the top of the leader board in terms of media presence at a show. The beauty of all of this is that we can now coordinate directly with the media to ensure brand projection, rather than rely on any association. It’s all about controlling your parameters!
The collection should ideally be flying off the racks, if stocked at her flagship store in T block market area in DHA outlet well in time. The customized boleros, wraps, cropped tops, and lowers added oomph on the runway.
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Sanam Arif has been on the fashion scene for some time and caters to a niche clientele that swear by her design philosophy. Her clothes fall in the category of definitely for the “masses’ commercially viable, wearable ,and beautiful to don.
