10 Fashion Designers from Karachi You Should Know

Also known simply as HSY, he has become somewhat of a household name in the country. Pakistani fashion cannot be talked about without mentioning the exquisite and regal work of Hasan Sheheryar Yasin. A graduate of the Pakistan School of Fashion Design and a member of the French La Chambre Syndicale De La Couture Parisienne, HSY is synonymous with traditional techniques perfected on contemporary silhouettes. Numerous VIP personalities adorn themselves with the brand’s glamorous creations. HSY also produces premier jewelry, soft furnishings and home accessories.

A name equated with popping colors meshed seamlessly with sombre looks, Nomi Ansari’s work is unique and yet fit for any Pakistani celebration. His mastery of craft is evident in each piece. A Nomi Ansari dress is always top notch in quality and luxury but never boring. His is a style in a league of its own.

Ethereal, elegant and exceptionally beautiful, Sana Safinaz is a luxurious retail brand that suits the tastes and lifestyle of modern women. One of Pakistan’s premier ready-to-wear brands, their creations fuse avant garde cuts with high street thread and bead work to create sophisticated yet on-trend fashion. Always standing out, a Sana Safinaz piece exudes class and ingenuity.

Young and highly successful, Zainab Chotani has worked her way to the top of the country’s fashion industry. Her stunning designs are a work of art and exhibit intricate embellishments on luxuriant fabrics in bold and soft colors. Her childhood passion for fashion has grown, and has catapulted her into international recognition. Zainab’s work is proof of her natural flair and endless dedication to the art.

Contributing to the industry with her stellar creations since 2005, Tena Durrani’s brand comprises formal, luxury pret, couture, and pret collections. She draws inspiration from the royal era of the Mughals that has shaped the region’s aesthetic to a great extent. She uses vibrant, rich colors, fluid designs that retain their own individual appeal and versatile patterns and embroidery work.

Among the original masters of fashion since the birth of the industry in Karachi and Pakistan, Deepak Perwani creates fabulous designs and his menswear collections remain unmatched. The designer is multi-talented, with an enviable acting career, and he also holds the honor of being’s Pakistan’s cultural ambassador to Malaysia and China. Additionally he also designs accessories, holds many awards and even a Guinness World Record for the largest kurta!

Sania Maskatiya graduated from the prestigious Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture with a degree in Textile Design. She went on to become the fashion innovator and connoisseur that the industry knows and admires today. Her brand is known in the industry for its versatile prints on superior fabrics enhanced by graceful embellishments and embroidery. Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Sharmain Obaid Chinoy graced the red carpet in a Sania Maskatiya ensemble the year she won.

Misha Lakhani creations are all about a blend of ethnic aesthetics and modern sensibilities. Eclectic yet sophisticated, Misha’s style has something that appeals to everyone as she contrasts old craft work like Jaali, Zardozi, Tharkashi and Aari with contemporary concepts of design. Other than couture and ready-to-wear collections, the brand also has its own accessory line.

Mina Hasan’s brand focus is on revealing the grace, poise and femininity in the women who wear it. The designer believes that, more than the clothes, it’s the way that a lady carries the dress. Her work exudes a romantic softness that only a woman of impeccable taste could balance with femininity and sexiness.

Maria B is one of the most renowned names in the country, and her mass appeal shoots from the brand’s design philosophy of improvement, change and originality. A graduate of the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design, her finesse and command on colors, textures and fabrics is incredible. Maria is among the country’s first cluster of creative designers who made high-end pret and retail a possibility first, and than a norm at a time when couture ruled.