The critically acclaimed and famed Mohsin Naveed Ranjha is loved for his diverse and eclectic taste in fashion for menswear. He’s been not only in the news for bagging the eccentric Ranveer Singh to wear his clothes, but also for his craft as a designer who is willing to pull out all stops when it comes to his love for fashion. And now he has bridal wear to his credit also.
So, we recently caught up with MNR because he’s going to be showcasing at PLBW 19 and we wanted in first.
How do you feel the Pakistani fashion industry has evolved over time?
I believe that the industry has gotten out of the trivial race for looking the most west-inspired and burlesque, I love how everyone has started to understand their style and they know what they want and where they want it from. The involvement of many talented and fresh designers has not only given a lot of options to people but also has left them with the contentment of catering to the desired target market that they want.
What inspired you to create this collection for PLBW 19 and how has the journey been for this so far?
True to our identity, at MNR we value tradition and always aim at taking inspiration from age old techniques and historical south asian artforms. For this collection we explored the beauty of flora in south east Asian miniature paintings constructing each piece of fabric together carefully to emote glamorous silhouettes that startle in signature MNR hues. With this collection we want to propagate the beauty of our heritage by showcasing heirloom pieces that would be fit for a queen and generations to come.
How you incorporated the creative vision of your brand for this particular collection?
We always have had the expertise of eastern fashion, our vision has always been essentially creating couture that project the raw beauty of our region. We try and work around extremely traditional elements and silhouettes and we are doing that this time around aswell.
What can we expect from this collection in terms of the designs, silhouettes, and the over all feel?
The collection is a dreamy play of silhouettes essentially worn by south-asian royalty. We have played around more forgiving cuts, layers of fabric draped to depict old age grandeur. Both Abubakar and I have been extremely invested in each minor detail of the collection.
Do you think that PLBW 19 will be different in terms of the deliverables?
PLBW this year seems promising because more fresh talent is participating. In regard to models and the designers that are participating, it’s encouraging to see how more and more people are working hard to produce great fashion. Also the involvement of new set designers, choreographers and organizers and an overall mood of diversity has been developed which feels great.
Whose collection in particular are you looking forward to seeing the most at PLBW 19?
It would be biased if I take one name because I realize how everyone is working so hard for their collections and am always excited and enthralled to see how everyone presents their work. Wish them best of luck.
They say it’s harder to create bridal couture due to limitations of structure and traditional elements? What do you think? Is it more difficult to design bridals than high fashion luxury Prêt?
While designing bridals, I have always been in love with how people around me carried the most modest silhouettes in utmost glamorous way. The women I have known greatly value the importance of looking good and feeling good. Designing bridal couture for Abubakar and I have always meant expressing ourselves through the bridal by putting in signature elements and staying true to what we have seen, what we have loved through the years.
What is the typical creative play and process that you follow to create each piece in the collection?
The design process is fairly similar to other fashion businesses but the fact that each team member is personally involved in bringing life to a piece of fabric, one thing I share with my team who I call my family is that they all work so passionately and tirelessly and each one plays an important role in shaping a garment and design pieces that makes our clients look beautiful and feel beautiful.
Our brand is multi dimensional, Abubakar deals with all the creative play and process, we make sure things are done and they’re up to our set standards.
What is the name of collection that Mohsin Naveed Ranjha will be showcasing at PLBW 19?
The name and theme of our collection this year is Chahar Bagh, it has played an important part in Islamic art and architecture since centuries. We are trying to present our version of the chahar bagh, a collection that is a marriage of beautiful raw colors with surreal flora elements.
What is next and upcoming for Mohsin Naveed Ranjha?
Both Abubakar and myself have been restless the past year as we are trying to expand the business in different dimensions, we have recently launched a bridal collection in acknowledgement to us completing 5 glorious years in the business of fashion. We’re striving everyday to bring something new and innovative to our capacities.
