Women’s Clothing and Fashion Blog

Pakistani fashion is making waves in the West recently. The reasons are two-fold. Number one, the abolition of quotas on Pakistani textiles has opened America to the treasures of Pakistani fashion. This has enriched both cultures tremendously and encouraged an exchange of talent. The second factor has been the resurgence of modest clothing in recent years. Americans are increasingly finding tight and tiny clothing to be impractical, uncomfortable, and actually uncool. TIME magazine highlighted the emergence of tunic tops for instance.Pakistani fashion scene is expanding rapidly in all dimensions. For one, the Pakistani fashion model pool is growing and is capturing international attention. The number of Pakistani boutiques and Pakistani fashion magazines, including Visage, Women’s Own, and Rivaaj is a testament to growing womens fashion world. Elegant salwar kameez and kurtas are in every magazine. Photographers like Deebees, Jimmy, and Ather Shahzed are shooting amazing mag folds. A talent pool of fashion designer such as Hasan Shehryaar, BG, and Nikki n� Neal has arrived. Akif is a double threat who combines photography skills with makeup artistry and has done the work for Zarmina.

Womens clothing is getting an ethnic makeover! That’s right. The western woman has far more choices than just 3 to 5 years ago. If you haven’t noticed, imported fashion is painting a new fashion landscape that has affected the choices of tween to grandmother alike. The recent ethnic fashion fad, also known as bohemian, or boho chic, is sweeping the country. These women’s outfits are from the Caribbean, Africa, and mostly South Asia. Elegance and comfort are prime in this style. The tight and tiny fad of Britney and her groupies which so dominated womens clothing for years is now expiring in favor of these modest outfits. Let’s explore the origin of this womens clothing revolution. The womens dress designers and craftsmen of India and Pakistan have been producing striking outfits for decades. Until recently, these treasures of Eastern designer houses lay hidden from the West. The expanding global economy has unleashed a flurry of cultural exchange that has exposed western women to ethnic clothes of South Asia. The prime example of South Asian womens suits that has impacted western tastes is….read more

The Sari is enchanting women’s fashion. Some top A-list Hollywood actresses like JLo and most recently Angelina Jolie sporting beautiful saris! Some department stores at the local mall may be carrying them, and more will very likely join the parade for this lovely Indian and Pakistani clothing. Let’s discover more about the sari from Pakistan and India.The sari is sometimes mistaken for salwar kameez which is actually quite simple. It consists of a top known as the kameez, which is essentially a tunic shirt with long tails in front and back. The bottom half is the salwar, a rather loose pant. The stole, which covers the chest and drapes across the shoulder. The online sari shop brings the national dress of South Asia to you. It is also known as Pakistani shalwar kameez, salwar suit, or kurta salwar. Although traditionally loose and modest, urban fashion designers have given this bohemian clothing a makeover in many ways.To learn more, read about sarees and indian sari.

Indian fashion is taking over America! Okay, we may be exaggerating, but not by much. I was surprised the other day while watching a Firefly DVD. One of the main characters is wearing a sari, sometimes a kurta, and sometimes a lehnga! Indian fashion goes mainstream FOX TV. Turn on Fit TV and the fitness gurus are touting Indian fashion yoga wear. Every third commercial has the twangs of the Indian sitar and the actors in Indian clothing or jewelry. The big screen is obviously not immune to the Indian fashion invasion either. Watch the hit movie Serenity and you will see for yourself. The trend has shifted away from tight and tiny to the elegant and flowing (read more about indian fashion…)

Bohemian clothing is all the rage these days. The pendulum of womens fashion turned to the wild and exotic 1-2 years ago. Why? Well, every extreme has a reaction to the opposite extreme eventually. Gone are the tiny tight tunic tops and jeans sparked by the Spears revolution 5 years ago. This fact is not lost on the department stores in the malls that are building up sizable supplies (that don’t last long, mind you) of bohemian clothes. In particular, the tunic top has grabbed the attention of many an American woman. The interested crowd range from tween to 80 year old. What exactly is bohemian clothing? Bohemian clothes signifies gypsy or hippie clothing…(read more about bohemian clothing)

As Bollywood fashion goes, so goes South Asian designer fashion. For the past decade, the designers of the largest film industry in the world have been shaping the fashion of Indian and Pakistani women’s clothing. Recently, Bollywood fashion is transcending and making a major impact on Western style as well. Things weren’t always this way. Let’s learn more about the cultural phenomenon that is known as Bollywood. Until the late 1980s, Hindi films demonstrated limited sense of style. Clothing was either everyman clothing or way over the top garish. Bollywood designers came to the limelight ever since Manish Malhotra did those catchy numbers for Urmila Matondkar in Rangeela. It was all upwards from there. Bollywood womens fashion became a force to be reckoned with. When Sushmita Sen appeared in flowing saris in a recent hit, this traditional dress got a big boost into urban style. Read more about bollywood fashion

The Tunic Top

Women with narrow shoulders and wider hips know that many long tops actually make them look more pear-shaped than they are. But the tunic tops of today can actually elongate your body and make you look leaner. To get this effect, choose a womens tunic that’s loose, but not baggy. Go for a tunic that falls to your upper to mid thigh, and wear with a pair of straight-leg trousers in a similar color.

from MSN Spring Fashion 2006

A Pakistani designer’s unique style of branding captures customers’ imagination, and their business.

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) September 7, 2006 - Aruba and Cozumel are not just vacation hotspots anymore. A Pakistani designer is betting they will be among the hottest designer tunics this year.

“Our branding adds extra zing to our collection,” explains Safia Ahmed, owner of Zarmina.com.

The getaway theme tunics are designed for breezy comfort and are embellished with exotic turquoise and gold embroidery.

“Our clients get a Caribbean vacation feel when they put on a Cozumel or an Aruba,” says Ahmed. “These silk blouses are great summerwear because they provide comfortable elegance.”

Another design is the Mohave, an earth tone piece with amber-colored stonework. Its inspiration is Southwestern and Native American. The Moonstone is an ivory piece embroidered with aqua stone work.

“‘Nature chic’ is trendy and the Mojave and Moonstone cater to that market,” adds Fawad Ahmed, Safia’s husband.

Safia began retailing her designs 7 years ago in Karachi, Pakistan. After immigrating to America in 2004, she took her products online to capitalize on the ethnic fashion fad of the past three summers. Her imported kurtas) fit the bill perfectly. But it wasn�t smooth sailing early on.

‘When we started online in 2004, we realized quality alone could not set us apart,” explains Ahmed. “We had to capture the customer’s imagination. So my husband and I sat down with our outfits and brainstormed names that defined their essence. We launched the new concept with Zarmina.com in mid 2006.”

Sales have never been better since the name game began. Although branding is quite common in traditional western fashion, only a handful of ethnic chic retailers take advantage of it. One benefit of branding is clear for merchants: a designer premium. Zarmina tunics range from a modest $69 up to $109.

“Branding appeals especially to our American clients,” explains Safia. “It adds a department store touch which is attractive to them.”

Safia Ahmed has also spiced up her salwar kameez collection with catchy monikers. The Vaneeza, named after the first Pakistani supermodel, and the regally embroidered Empress, are two of her favorite creations.

So will the name well eventually run dry?

“The key is to have fun with it,” Ahmed says with a smile. “We’re limited only by our imagination.”

Safia Ahmed’s silk designer tunic tops and shalwar kameez are produced exclusively in Karachi, Pakistan, by her family owned company, Zarmina International. For additional information and to view Safia Ahmed’s collection, visit www.zarmina.com.
Contact: 321-221-0785

New resource page at Zarmina.com for women’s fashion magazines, fashion news, articles, blog, and more! Visit Zarmina women’s fashion page today.