Right Fit

Films,in general,though,he says,does not excite him as much as working on collections that draws from local traditions. “How does a little black dress work in a country like ours or yours? I want to export the shalwar-kameez to the West,work with our Phulkari shawls and the Bhagalpuri silks,make it work for the middle-class,but contemporanise it in a way that it blends in a global setting. Fashion is no longer about the elite having access to it. It’s about making the middle-class aspire to have a distinctive style of their own,” he says.

Despite his concern for the middle-class though,contrarily he pitches for the more expensive,flamboyant couture,than the easy-to-sell-pret that has come to be such an essential part of the global fashion world. His clothes on display are rich in embroidery and block prints,and have versatile cuts that lend them easily to glamourous evening outs. “Pret sells in the West because they don’t have a tradition of hand crafting,like we do. Mass production is easy when you have access to good machines and people who are adept at using them. Handicraft takes a lot more than that. In a way,that’s what makes the fashion of the sub-continent so luxurious and fascinating,” he shrugs.

One of Pakistan’s leading contemporary designers,Beyg has shown his work across the world,including on the runways of Milan Fashion Week last year. In India,he says,his plans are to exchange notes with friends Tarun Tahiliani and Rohit Bal for a more fruitful cross-border association,and explore retailing opportunities in the country. “I love the utterly gorgeous way they approach fashion. There’s a lot we can do together,” he says.