The line-up listed for February 17 in the official online schedule for this month’s London Fashion Week (LFW) has slots for Rastah’s SS23 collection, evening event, menswear and womenswear.
For those of us in Pakistan – especially those interested in Pakistani fashion – this special episode of the program is exciting. Rasta, homegrown, homespun, at a young age, is about to touch the lofty heights of one of the most spectacular events on the international fashion calendar. It is a first for a Pakistani brand.
Of course, we’ve had other brands participate in international fashion weeks; Placing capsule lines in joint exhibitions or being part of special initiatives dedicated to highlighting South Asian crafts. Some mischievous brands have tried to show off the Pakistani media by paying to be part of sub-shows in cities like the main fashion weeks in Paris, Milan and the like – a claim that can be easily disproven with a quick Google search.
To be a part of the world’s biggest fashion weeks that are seen twice a year and to be registered in the official schedule is a very different achievement. It speaks volumes for Rastah’s credibility, quality control and also the vision behind the brand. While other Pakistani streetwear labels might be thinking of opening a new store in a big mall in Karachi, Lahore or Islamabad, the creative minds at Rasta were dreaming of London.
“It’s very planned,” says Zain Ahmed, Rastaf’s creative director. “We worked for a long time to create a collection that would be the right sound for LFW. After we were selected, we were asked to pay a large participation fee. Fortunately, they liked our collection so much that they gave us a deal.
Quality control was a priority as the collection was to be inspected by LFW officials. “At Rasta, we work with a group of artisans and this time we could not send the fabric to them. All artisans are gathered in our studio, from weavers to hand embroiderers and tailors. Quality control is always a concern but this time we had to be more strict,” Ahmed said.
Rasta has always been a cool brand, the kind that makes you sit up and take notice, but the LFW line had to push the boundaries in dangerous new ways. “Volume IX” on the wall was designed with this in mind. Pictures of the collection are available on Instagram and it definitely goes off the beaten path; From color to texture and embroidery mix to unexpected images, this is not a fashion for the faint of heart. Fashion is not what most of the typical customers in Pakistan buy.
“We may have sacrificed business issues with this collection,” Ahmed said. “In terms of craftsmanship, it’s very, very detailed. Eighty percent of the collection is made from hand-woven fabrics, and the traditional embroidery of our region’s indigenous people has been translated into the brand’s signature narrative. You see daar, zari, gota, stone and bead work but it can be on a leather jacket in a modern abstract composition. We always employ several hand printers in our collections.
The collection will be on display at a special exhibition at LFW on the 17th of this month and will be part of a pop-up open for public viewing until February 21. What does Ahmed think being a part of LFW can bring to the brand?
I think it’s amazing at building brand credibility. Hopefully it will get us to show on the LFW runway or maybe at New York Fashion Week. One day, we hope to have pop-up stores in cities like New York or London and then open a flagship store in Pakistan,” he said.
“It’s important for us to develop Rasta as a Pakistani brand that works outside of the closed echo chamber of Pakistani fashion. There are many brands in Pakistan who are happy to profit from the local market. But the world is changing. Fashion is becoming global and if brands don’t think beyond instant access, they will eventually become hot.” They will be in the water.
Following this train of thought, while most local brands are investing to expand in Pakistan, Rastah has managed to pump its budget and gain international reach. The brand has been worn frequently by Academy Award-winning actor Riz Ahmed, who was featured in Disney’s Hoster last year. Ms. Marvel series and has been endorsed by major Bollywood names like Karan Johar and Anil Kapoor. In Pakistan, select celebrities and social media influencers are seen wearing the rasta – among them Shehryar Munawar, Asim Azhar, Hasan Rahim and Khaqan Shahnawaz come to mind. Local media may have appreciated the brand’s upward spiral, but so did major international publications. Vogue And Forbes.
Strategically, Rasta has been redefining ‘cool’ streetwear for Pakistan and beyond.
The transaction seems to have worked. Ahmed told me that currently 45 percent of their total sales are from the Pakistani market. “We really did not expect this. We knew that the local eyeballs would be attracted to us but we were not sure if paying customers in Pakistan would be attracted to high priced streetwear. All we had to do was convince them that the brand was worth their money. Designer casual wear customers are more willing to invest in a rasta hoodie or jacket if they believe they like the brand.
True, most of the time Rasta merchandise is seen at ‘it’ events worn by the young crowd who like to make fashion statements. Rasta, with its retro feel, is their choice of delicate details, a mixture of textures, colors and patterns, bought at great prices and then saved for special occasions.
It is this people who form the primary market for rasta, a diaspora not suited to the heavily embroidered creations favored by their mothers, who appreciate the detailed yet universal designs created for Pakistan.
The world is shrinking and the beauty of fashion is layering and fusion. Rasta has placed itself in the middle of this design revolution. LFW can make it stronger.
