With so many new lawns coming in, we sometimes forget that its not a mechanical process of churning fabric in a factory, it is mostly the passion of some creative people that gets translated on to fabric. One such Lawn this season which was inception and passion of a very talented woman was Shahbano Lawn by Bashir Ahmed. We caught up with her to hear more about her venture and passion!
What is your educational background?
I am a Graduate from the well reputed Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design (PIFD), carrying a degree from LAchambre Syndicale in Fashion Design.
What made you think of launching a alwan brand despite there being so many established brands in the market.
Having work experience with several dominant Lawn Brands of Pakistan, lately, a thought came to my mind to come up with my own aesthetics of designing by refining and redefining the traditional concepts. My fascination and love for the colors, geometrical patterns, tropical trance, and floral textures floating in my mind mesmerized me to dip my toes into an entire different world of Shahbano Lawn, which is a roar of my ideas and aspirations for the profound and trendy clothing.
What are the gaps you see in the market?
One of the biggest loophole in the market is the sale of low quality fabric that ruins all expectations of the customer. To me, real lawn is about Rotary and Flat-Bed Printing while the Digital printing has made life easy for the designers. I believe every designer cannot be a Lawn designer and it can be easily judged from their designed articles, which is another flaw of the market that is, giving entry to such products that ultimately suppress the real quality designs.
What is your point of differentiation?
Shahbano Lawn by Bashir Ahmad stands out due to its original art work and hand paint designs as none of other popular Lawn brands are offering this. In real terms, the premium quality fabric which is heavenly comfortable to wear is another point of differentiation for Shahbano Lawn.
What was the single point of focus when designing the lawn?
To come up with my best in the world of Lawn that look soothing and pleasant to wear, while ignoring the complicated compositions.
Do you think lawns are over priced?
Well, being a Lawn Designer, I think the prices of Lawns justify the amount of work and efforts that are required to prepare an end product for the customers.
Do you think there is so much room in the market for more and more lawn brands and what is your future path?
Yes, of course, as long as the designers will come up with new lawn fabric design by not repeating the same old patterns, I think there is stoppable room for innovation.
What is your day like during lawn season and now after your launch?
Before the launch, days and nights were equal for me and especially the night just before the launch was actually unforgettable. However, I am pretty much relaxed and happy now due to the overwhelming feedback of the people towards my collection that is already sold out, making me sure that it was the best lawn of the season.
Who is your toughest competitor?
All the designer wear lawn brands are happened to be my competitors and especially Khaddi.
What would you improve on next year?
For my upcoming collection, I am planning to come up with more reasonable prices, new fabrics, different print techniques and ultimate love for embroidery.