Designer wear from across the border is hot and Pakistan is the next shopping destination.Shaheen P Parshadchecks out the trend

Boundaries may have divided the population of India and Pakistan, but the common culture that binds the diverse sub-continent together continues to act like an invisible glue. And for those of us who forget this fact, a Pakistani woman sporting a Banarsi sari or an Indian woman emitting sheer grace in a Pakistani salwar kameez is a ready reminder. Take for instance Aroosa Alam and Peenaz Masani flaunting the best of Indian art and Shabana Azmi flaunting her beautiful Pakistani drapes. The trend is getting more pronounced, with traditional clothing from across the fence flooding Indian markets and vice-versa.

India’s Ritu Kumar and Pakistan’s Nadia Lakdawala are some of the most sought after designers being approached with lucrative orders by customers from the other side of the border. The rich and the fashion-conscious form a majority of their clientele, who mainly look for what is unique to the other country. As a result, there is a growing demand for Indian Silk saris and ghagra cholis in Pakistan, while in India, it is the zardosi and meenakari-studded dresses and Peshawari juttis that are much in demand. The prices match the status of the clients, with prices ranging between Rs 4,000 and Rs 25,000 (INR).

Gita Sud, an Amritsar-based designer, who has been dressing up Pakistanis for quite sometime now, attributes this trend to a thirst for “the different”. Apart from Amritsari cut-work and embroidery, a large number of people from Pakistan also came to India to shop for Banarasi saris, she says. “The craze is more among the Pakistani youth, especially girls, who are known to go ga-ga over Indian pashmina silk saris and come with their parents to India to shop for their weddings,” she says.

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