Pakistan Today Paperazzi issue 3, September 22nd

meet the yocas

Zara PeerZada for studio s

Bright. young. talented.

the great gats by

crash landings

#hottestpartieskhi

mis ha lak hani in the spotlight

# isfandyarzamankhan

wild

at heart new trend now!

ins tafas h . . .

Issue 03, 22-28 September, 2013 www.paperazzi.com.pk

our weekly roundup of fashion inspiration from trendsetters

around the world.

Issue 03,22-28 September, 2013 www.paperazzi.com.pk

38

08

contents 08 The Great Gatsby Shiraz Riaz and Marium Ghani’s wedding party 10 Monsoon Wedding Feeha Jamshed and Nadir Zia’s Wedding 12 Farid’s Supermarché Karachi sees the launch of a new supermarket 16 Colours of Brazil Islamabad: Fashion extravaganza by Kamiar Rokni 22 Dubai Festive Couture Launch of Pakistani designers at Anjalee and Arjun’s Fashions 40 Instafash...

Find out whats new in fashion through instagram 42 Crash Landings

By Isfanyar Zaman Khan 48 Bridal Trends

By Seher Tareen

36

32

26

Publishing Editors: Samina Khan & Meher Tareen l Contributing Editor: Ali Nizami l Contributing Features Editor : Laaleen Khan Contributing Fashion Editor: Amna Salman l Art Director: Abdullah Khan l Creative Director: Muhammad Asif Marketing: Zahid Ali 0301- 8479758, Saad Malik 0321-4466100, Sohail Abbas 0300-4652194, Turab Shah 0300- 2018217 Photographer: Irfan Younas l Printed at PTPRINT Press, 4- Shaarey Fatima Jinnah Lahore.

Paperazzi is a project of Paper Magazine and Pakistan Today. l Contact Details: papermagazine2010@gmail.com Publisher Arif Nizami

Saira Noorani & Maha Burney

The Gang

the great Gatsby

Nomi Ansari & Ayesha Omar

3 Marium Ghani, Shiraz Riaz, Sylvia Qureshi & Pernia Qureshi

Shiraz Riaz & Marium Ghani continued their wedding festivities by entertaining friends and family Gatsby style. Amina and Anisa Rashid of RAKA were responsible for transporting everyone to the 20’s with their fantastic decor.

The night was filled with glitter and glamour.

Anushey & Ahmed Hasham

08

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

Syra & Shehroz Shazwari with Palwasha Yousuf

Madiha, Anusheh & Mazia Adnan Chinoy & Hunain Khaleeli

Maira Pagganwala & Qassim shah

Pernia Qureshi, Sylvia Qureshi & Nikhar Riaz

Nabeela & Adeel

Mikeal Habib 2013

PAPERAzzi Magazine

09

monsoon wedding

Karachi: Feeha’ and Nadir’s Wedding, Feeha wore Umar Sayeed and looked stunning!

Saqib Zia,Nadir Zia,Feeha Noor and Saba Zia

Mariam Azmi & Nida Butt

Meher Jaffri

10

PAPERAzzi Magazine

Zeba Bakhtiar

2013

ee W v Lo

Mahirah Khan’’’’’s baby brother!

Hassaan Khan & Sana Ansari

Mahirah Khan Sanam Saeed

Hafsa Alam & Nida Khan

Poladdokt Hamzeloee

Maham J Raza & Sharmane Sayeed

Feeha Jamshed looks stunning in an Umar Sayeed, paired with vintage heirloom jewellery.

Zamin Zaidi & Salina Taqi

Tariq Amin 2013

PAPERAzzi Magazine

11

Tapu Javeri Sarwat Gillani & Aamna Aqeel

Sadaf Malaterre & Maheen Hussain

farid’s supermarché Farid’s is a supermarket with all your needs covered. Located at the Lower Ground floor of the Ocean Mall, Clifton and spread over 45 000 square feet, Farid’s has one of the widest varieties of groceries and food, dairy and desserts, cheese selections, cold cuts, fresh fruits and vegetables at competitive prices.

Frieha Altaf with Mr & Mrs. Zaheer Abbas

Shehrezad Rahimtoola & Sayeda Leghari

Farah Zia Qadir & Farid Virani

Anoushay

Maheen Khan & Aamna Isani 12

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

Zeba Bakhtiar Sara, Marium & Mona

Arjumand Rahim

Adnan Siddiqui

Nausheen & Hasan Rizvi

14

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

Bilal

Nabila

Saira & Ammara

2013

PAPERAzzi Magazine

09

Ainoa

Adil & Sam Chinoy

colours of brazil

Amelia & Rene-Michei

Colors of Brazil – an exclusive fashion extravaganza by Kamiar Rokni inspired by the Brazilian culture. The event put together by Verve saw the diplomatic and social elite of Islamabad in full attendance, celebrating the bold and vibrant culture of Brazil in Pakistan

Ansa & Tariq Amin

Cristina & Attila

Arsalan

Ducler & Philippe

Dianet

Cybil & Juju 16

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

Sara

Ruby & Rabia

Nooray & Mahira

Aabroo & Jaffer

Fahad Hussayn

Arjumand

fahad hussayn’s

print museum

Lahore : Premiere of “fahadhussayn’s Print Museum” was recently held presenting an exclusive range of digitally printed silks and chiffons.

The event was managed by Bilal Mukhtar Events & PR.

Bilal Mukhtar & Sahar

Fia

Ali Xeeshan & Mohsin Ali

18

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

Munib & Rabia Nawaz

New york avenue

NY

I

Recently Mehreen Faakhir and her partner Faiqa launched New York Avenue, a multi label designer outlet at The Forum. With a great range of designer labels like RALPH LAUREN, TOMMY HILFIGER, NAUTICA, MICHAEL KORS, TORY BURCH, DKNY, CK, COACH and GUESS. PR by IDEAS EVENTS PR.

Samina, Mehreen & Samia

Tapu Javeri

Mahirah Khan

Sarah & Wajeeha

PAPERAzzi Magazine

Erum & Mubeena

Nageen

Abdullah Kadwani

20

Faakhir & Nadia Hussain

2013

Aijazz Aslam

Mr & Mrs Shoaib

2013

PAPERAzzi Magazine

09

Kanwal Hashmat

dubai festive couture

Myra, Neha & Meera Pagarani

Rashid & Sahar Ahmad Khan

Anjalee & Arjun Kapoor Fashions on Jumeirah Beach Road celebrated the festive season with the launch of SOBIA NAZIR, RIZWAN AHMED, NAJWA IMRAN & CHEZ UMXAVI from Pakistan. The evening was enjoyed by the fashionistas of Dubai. The event was managed by Savvy PR & Events.

Maha, Fatima & Zulekha

Alina Asif

Nisha Pagarani Gunjan & Dino 22

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

Aly Munir, Beenish Ayub & Sarah Munir

Mona & Aamir Mazhar

2013

PAPERAzzi PAPER PAPERA Azzi Magazine Azzi

09

28

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

Happy brides, make tHe most beautiful brides Studio S by Seher Tareen’s exquisite bridal line consists of timeless heirloom pieces with modern chic cuts.

2013

PAPERAzzi Magazine

29

30

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

2013

PAPERAzzi Magazine

31

32

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

info@studiosdesigns.co Ph: 04235741895 93-Y street 18 DHA Lahore.

2013

PAPERAzzi Magazine

33

PaPerazzi

Mahirah Khan

looks super in a charcoal grey Mango jumpsuit, embellished Zara box clutch & Charles and Keith peek-a-boo pumps

Fauzia Mong & Maheen Khan look fabulous in crisp white shirts paired with dark pants.

We love their minimalist style and very hip pixie cuts.

h s ' o h w

e e w s i th

Sanam Taseer

spotted looking better than ever. We love her orange cap-toe Mango pumps.

t o h

ek!

Ayesha Noon

adds oomph to a monochrome outfit with matching red lips and nails.

Facebook or Twitter, pakistan is pakistan Talia Shahbaz writes about the things that piss us off, from worldwide tragedies to display pic panic and the arduous battle between our expression, exhibitionism and the urge to tell everyone to go jump into a lake.

How could Miley do what she did on the Video Music Awards 2013?

"Is a slut-over a genuine make- over?", one innocent former Hannah Montana fan is now forced to ask another.

The Hannah Montana generation missed Madonna's frequent slut-overs in the last half century, actually. They have no idea a slut-over is either legitimately feminist or wrong, as in you-didn't-get-it-right-you-wanna-be. Is what Miley did any more slutty than Pink's similarly aggressive dance moves, Beyonce's frequent (excellent) twerking, or Eminem's misogynistic song lyrics ("Ass like that" etc.)? (For the sake of censorship and basic decency, we will refrain from any implicit or explicit references towards Nicki Minaj here.)

34

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

A friend posts an article about the recent VMA awards, asking the poignant question, "I wonder what her dad thought when he saw it? ". People wonder away in horror, Miley's latest stunt now reinterpreted in desi cultural mores. They denounce Miley, who is obviously on drugs, our formerly innocent girl next door (really? Our?)

Thousands of posts, statuses, images vie for your attention on facebook everyday.

Facebook is a telling arena; now you will know for sure if anyone really cares. Or not. Scarily enough, all of this is recorded in the Facebook database. If Mark Zuckerberg wanted to give a million dollars to the most popular person in Pakistan, he actually would be able to find that person. It's kind of like the web version of a pretend funeral just to see how many

people will show up because you mattered to them. Except instead of a funeral, we're talking statuses, display pictures (Dps) and personalised posts sharing the news of the day.

There is finally a way of tracking and keeping a record of what people really care about.

In Pakistan, that would be Miley's debut as a slut-let.

A recent meme shows Obama on the phone, saying, "Just to be crystal clear Miley, your VMA performance needs to be so slutty, no one realises that we are about to bomb Syria without approval from Congress or the public".

Social media usage seems fraught with all manners of evil.

Serious issues get ignored everyday for outrage over Ben Affleck being the new Batman. Cynics would say Facebook (the most personal and revealing social medium) reveals the inherent shallowness of human nature. Bitter patriots would claim it is not human nature, it's Pakistani nature and we are downright stupid. How dare we be a third world country and then not focus obsessively on the sad, bad things that are happening all over the world, including our region?

Starving orphans, beggars, Syria, the injustices women bear.

Adamant housewives are shocked more than most at this accusation as they watch Humsafar, Mera Saeen and now it's glam version with good-looking actors, the Turkish TV serial Mera Sultan every day. How dare we accuse them of not caring? Just the other day my naani, an otherwise stoic woman of 60 plus years, admitted to being moved to tears every time she watched 'Mann Kay Moti' (a symbolic title in which three children who are forcibly separated from their mother are known as the mann kay moti).

Miley's twerking aside, it's this DP maelstrom that will bring the country down. Grown men are now taking selfies. Sodom and Gomorrah are twisting and turning in their fabled graves (much like Madonna over Miley's getting it so wrong, probably).

The latest holier than thou articles going around Facebook suggest a proportionate link between the number of selfies you take and your potentially psychotic and sinful narcissism.

This just in:

phone, according to a new University of Michigan study exploring how social media reflect and amplify the culture's growing levels of narcissism.

The study, published online in Computers in Human Behavior, was conducted by U-M researchers Elliot Panek, Yioryos Nardis and Sara Konrath.' (apparently both Yiorvos and Sara were listening to 'Cooler than me' by Mike Posner while they conducted this study, thus the title) The stress of living in Pakistan with the load-shedding and crime rate and everything else, and here I am, feeling like a hero one day just because I had the guts to put up a display pic with a duck face. Or I changed my DP after two days just 'cause I felt like it, 'cause you know what? YOLO. You only live once. One chance, one moment... I did what my heart said. No matter what people say, what kind of snarky comments they hereafter leave on my DP, I will take it.

Is it just me or did living in Pakistan just get doubly difficult ever since we all created secondary web lives?

Facebook ho ya twitter, it's still Pakistan, apparently.

On a far more serious note, is it really that bad to give introverts a safe platform to clearly express their opinions? The housewife whose voice is usually trampled over by her husband's or relatives gets to exist as an entity in her own right, making her own decisions... at least on facebook. Is this not somehow an aid to the evolution of our desi culture? On the other hand, are you cool if you upload a new status everyday? A crucial question that everyone ponders over yet no one dare admit out loud. There are some Facebook darlings though and for some reason they can never go wrong. Until you do the same thing they did and it results in a Facebook war between you and your oldest friend.

'You're So Vain: Study Links Social Media Use and Narcissism June 11, 2013 — Facebook is a mirror and Twitter is a mega- Poor Miley and Ben 2013

PAPERAzzi Magazine

35

Breakfast date with Bilal Barket at a restaurant in Meatpacking District

Ali and Omar Shah’s brunch at the Haveli with the twins.

Sasha Salahuddin

life on paperazzi

Hanging out in Soho

New York state of mindSummer 2013

Brunch with Zainab Shaukat, Farrukh Shafiq and Mahnum Kabir

Post Mehndi chilling with my sister Shahzay 36

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

Prepared enoughChloe’ our family’s little pug

Abu and Mama at my engagement dinnerApril 2013.

Big sister’s little brother- Hussain Salahuddin

2013

PAPERAzzi Magazine

09

In the Spotlight Misha Lakhani talks to Paperazzi!

How would you define your personal style?

What is your greatest fear?

An ever-evolving mix of both the classic and eclectic.

Losing people I love.

What’s your favourite holiday spot?

What is your biggest strength as a designer?

Hopefully always the next.

I obsess over details.

Who do you look up to?

How would you define the fashion scene in My father.

Pakistan?

Who is your favourite hero in fiction?

Varied.

Harry Potter and Dobby.

How would you describe your childhood?

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

Magical.

What do you value most in your friends?

I’d be more patient.

Honesty.

Who is your go to person for uncontrollable laug hing fits?

What’s your nickname?

Mish.

Who are your fashion influences and inspirations?

My husband, Mustafa.

What’s your favourite TV show?

Downton Abbey, Modern Family, Homeland…

I draw inspiration from all over the world, history, and char- Where would you like to be in five years? acters out of movies / novels, film.

Doing what I’m doing now.

38

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

wild at heart Victoria Beckham

Spearheaded by Christopher Bailey at Burberry. This season wear your heart on your sleeve and any where else you want!

Taylor Swift

Iqraa Mansha

Charlotte Olympia Love Me heart appliqued suede pumps $1,250

Jennifer Lopez

Justin Timberlake

Lana Del Rey

Uth Oye Jinnah T- shirt Rs. 1,750

Zara heart sweater $59

Gildakoral Flora wears the Urania Gazelli clutch

Markus Lupfer Heartbeat sweater $377

Fatin Gondal

Sienna Miller for Burberry

Sadaf Malaterre & Anjum Alix Noon Burberry Autumn Winter-2013

2013

PAPERAzzi Magazine

39

Iqraa Mansha finds a spot on quotation on a window display in Bangkok

Iman Pasha wears sneakers, distressed jeans and a burgundy Chanel Mademoiselle.

Instafash...

All eyes on baby Harper at #SS14 Victoria Beckham show #NYFW

Our weekly roundup of fashion inspiration from trendsetters around the world.

Slumber party- Sophia Webster’s fabulous garden presentation #SS14

Maira Pagganwala and Qassim Shah’s chic place.

Lei Van Kash gives a first peek of the Fortuna Collection #SS14Amethyst & pearl hand cuff

The super hip Zainab Tariq in denim and mirrored shades. We love her soft ombré highlights and big smile.

Miroslava Duma wears Charlotte Olympia’s Alice in Wonderland clutch to New York Fashion Week

Anushey Hasham in Bunto Kazmi & Nikhar Riaz in Sabyasachi at their brother’s wedding reception

40

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

coming out of Egypt splattered across and my mind wanders away. It was 11th February 2011 and there was a sea of jubilation across Egypt as Mubarak was forced to relinquish power. I joined in by cheering at the Egyptian embassy in DC which is right to the Pakistani one. I always viewed Egypt as the beacon which once guided the Muslim world with its rich history of theology and education and there was hope that now modern Islamic thought can be revitalised. Facebook feeds were full of hope for the country itself and Egyptians felt proud.

crash

landings

isfandyar zaman ‘‘it probably is better not to take off, if one is crash landing … but then you will never fly.’’

It is 9 pm Eastern Standard Time and I settle into 3A from Washington D.C to Reykjavik, donning the socks from the stylised grey herringbone amenity set and putting on some L’Occitane’s hand cream, while I think about how much I love these kits. The plane itself leaves much to be desired. Firstly it is named after an active volcano and secondly it is a bit run down like the economy of Iceland was a couple of years ago.

In any case it is a short 5 hour hop, enough to watch a movie and catch a little shut eye. As I play with my blackened Arctic char, which borders on being delicious, I go through the comprehensive movie selection and settle on watching the “Bucket List”. Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman star in this drama in which both having found out they have 6 months to live, make a list of things they would like to do before they hit the bucket.

Fast forward 28 months and things don’t seem that rosy. Hope has turned into despair and peace with the other a fallacy. We all know what happened with the elections and we all know how the Muslim Brotherhood overplayed their hand. Though a liberal at heart I firmly believe what happened with Moorsi was wrong. There was a reason he was elected in power and if he does not do what is good for the nation there will be a chance to vote him out. Let us take a step back and look at the history of this great nation. It has one of the longest histories of any modern state, having been continuously inhabited since 10th millennium BC and a unified kingdom was founded in 3150 BC. Given all this does one really think Moorsi would have really made a dent in the direction of the country in a span that covers just a few years? What disturbs me now is how some Facebook feeds paint the brotherhood as devils and the danger is once the cloths are stitched any amorphous organisation will shape itself to fit it. I do think that things have gone too far and everyone in Egypt made a mistake in overestimating their own power. It is really a time to press the restart button. Egypt and my Egyptian friends (Kareem, Ismail, Gamila, Teymour), I wish that you take your rightful place in the world and not have more bloodshed.

Speaking of blood, the roof garden commission at the Met in New York by our very own Imran Qureshi is really to die for. He has transformed this space which overlooks the Central Park into something that is jarring to the core. The red acrylic resembled the aftermath of a bomb blast yet at the same time he has pained foliage in the cement which blends in with the green in the park and makes the whole space very inviting. He has taken his miniaturist techniques and exposed them onto an architectural space yielding results that do shock the system.

Personally I felt very proud yet deeply saddened by viewing his work and can’t wait to get my hands on one of his pieces.

Okay, the movie is now over as is the crème caramel (the crunchy biscuits made it tasty) and it did turn out to be a slight tear jerker, if you At we hit some turbulence at 10000 feet, Jack and really want to see something about people dying I preferred 50/50 Morgan are checking off one of the items off the list and do recommend it, also for your travel reading I would say pick up which is a magical view of the pyramids. The clip shows the short stories by Jorge Borges for someone who can mix the real the sun setting on the wonders of Giza, it looks serene with the fantastic like no other. As we land, the forecast over Iceland and majestic. Ironically right below my TV screen is the looks gloomy as do the coming weeks in Egypt. A visit to both the Blue latest Herald Tribune with the news of the bloodshed Lagoon and the Sinai is likely to be postponed for sunnier days.

42

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

2013

PAPERAzzi Magazine

11

meet the Find out what YOC’A stands for and the philosiphy behind the designs and this exquisite furniture house.

44

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

yocas

How did the three of you come up with the idea of starting a home couture brand?

Growing up in an environment surrounded by art and design, designing furniture came naturally to all three of us. Our education from Rhode Island School of Design and our experience heading a 30+ year old architectural practice all nurtured our creative instinct. As practicing architects, we were always looking for pieces of furniture when designing interiors of homes, but found a lack of furniture in the Pakistani market that appealed to our sensibilities. In the beginning, the pieces we designed were tailored to our project. As our pieces gained appreciation and the demand grew, our innate passion for designing was further fuelled! That mixed with the fact that we were very particular about what we wanted for our interiors, it seemed like the most natural progression then to vertically integrate our practice into a complete design house. Our objective was that a client can come to us and get a complete solution; the architecture of their house, its interior and furniture, down to the napkin ring. It works well because we can absolutely exercise our aesthetic.

Style is a statement and contrary to popular belief it is not effortless-it comes with tedious observation and meticulous attention to detail. That is something we have learnt by observing our fathers and we have incorporated those habits in our practice. Also simple principles like quality over quantity and absolutely no compromise on quality are all lessons we have learnt and are ingrained in our design principles.

YOC’A is a very unique name, what does it mean and why did you choose it as the name that represents your brand?

YOC’A stands for Young Collective Artists. It extends beyond just Zayd, Ahsan and myself. YOC’A embodies the synergies between different artists, artisans, designers and philosophers to create combinations of inspirational creativity .The idea behind YOC’A stems from our educational background, we are well versed in ideas resulting from creative interface between differing talents. You are usually left with something enriched and exciting. We are so fortunate at YOC’A to be immersed in a think tank of people who eat, breathe and live design; whose varying ideologies manifest in the wonderful diverse furniture, fabric and tidbits we produce. Our think tank is so inspiring we like to think of it as our own little treasure box.

What are some of the challenges you face or have faced in the past with different clients?

Initially we faced different challenges with some of our clients, gladly these issues have faded away with time and experience. Now, our clients understand our design sensibilities and vice versa.

What is a normal day at YOC’A like for the three of you?

With an early start in the day, our mornings are generally set aside for design reviews and other meetings. As YOC’A is mostly about designing furniture pieces, fabrics and interiors, it is important we take the time to review all the designs thoroughly. Because we fluctuate between YOC’A and NBCL (our architecture practice) our day depends really if it is a site visit day, a client meeting, a design charette or a factory visit, sometimes all three can happen in a single day! It helps that it’s all in a single building as we interact many times over the course of the day, for creative dialogue or detailing a project or just inspiration. Each of us manage our studios independently but usually design together. So it’s a lot of shuffling between studios! Each day is really quite exciting as one day we could be designing a detail of a chair or choosing colour threads for a fabric and the other day a multistory building.

Hence each day we look forward to going into work.

Has your work been influenced by the legacy left behind by the Najmi Bilgrami Collaborative Ltd (NBCL)?

Najmi Bilgrami has a rich architectural history spanning thirty plus years.

We are very conscious about the weight that kind of portfolio holds. It is something we treasure- as it not only defines our heritage but it clearly dictates our aesthetic language. In this merger we have a grave responsibility to uphold those design paradigms set before us by our fathers and their respective practices. We constantly strive to create innovative and inspiring designs.

We belong to two very distinguished design houses and all our work, be it designing architecture, interior or a piece of furniture is reflective of that.

How difficult is it for you to live up to NBCL’s legacy because you have big shoes to fill in?

We must live up to their design values when taking on any project. Both of our fathers have shown distinguished aesthetics that have been refined over the years. They have always had good work ethics, and have been very principled in their practice. We believe that these qualities have passed down to all three of us. We take the core values of our fathers, and apply them to today’s world. You can definitely see a relationship between the two generations, however at the same time we are very different in our designs.

How would you define the Pakistani taste in home décor and architecture?

We are extremely excited to see that today’s clientele appreciates diversity in aesthetics and more people are aware of the need for design guidance.

Pakistani people are definitely home proud and they are re-defining their lifestyle constantly with the guidance of interiors. We have helped a lot of clients redefine their spaces entirely, ranging from bridal suites to chic lofts and large exotic homes. People approach designers with preconceived notions of design sometimes but it is the designer’s responsibility to guide them.

We bring our extensive research and adapt it to each client’s lifestyle! We take care to educate our client to a YOC’A aesthetic, which is an understated elegance. It takes a lot of editing and manipulation to achieve that clean crisp aesthetic with the right amount of glamour! At YOC’A we indulge in this exercise every single day and it never gets less invigorating! Because when Style is akin to your lifestyle … that is our mantra.

What are some of the most glaring mistakes that you interior gurus have come across while working in Pakistan?

One of the gravest mistakes that we have noticed that sometimes, interior designers demolish structure without consulting an architect or structural engineer. One should be extremely cautious when altering a structure, especially in a place where original digs are scarce.

Other mistakes are easily redeemable – one being the misuse of colour and maybe trying to have too much in a single space with disregard to tonality, textures and the fact it is a home and not a studio. We believe colour has to be respected and used intelligently without overkilling it. When someone creates a Spanish villa with a Zen feature! That is another lifestyle faux pas! These are two very different sensibilities, which should be developed independently.

Who are the artists, internationally or domestically that aspire your work?

Internationally our work is aspired by Philip Starck, Toshiko Mori, Tadao Ando, Calatrava, while domestically we like like Zahoor UlIkhlaq, Shahid Sajjad & Rashid Rana.

2013

PAPERAzzi Magazine

45

46

PAPERAzzi Magazine

2013

Do you feel Pakistani architects have the capacity to compete with international standards in the architecture world?

Absolutely! International standards have certain pre-requisites and certain being more stringent than others as the west treats architecture as everyone should. It’s a public safety profession, they begin by looking at your qualification, your exposure in the field and your license to practice. They also study your ability to adhere to public safety rules.

As far as the aesthetics hold, good work is appreciated any where! So in that respect yes, Pakistani architecture can compete and we would go further by saying that we are competing with the world in all of the architecture that we produce. Every country comes with its own set of challenges.

It all comes down to how creatively you address them in creating good architecture, which counts.

What are some of the most memorable projects/ works that YOC’A has executed in the past?

Some of the most memorable projects that we have worked on would definitely include designer Sania Maskatiya’s retail outlet in Dolmen Mall.

For Sania’s outlet, we actually designed chairs in which the fabric used was from Sania’s own collection. The pieces received widespread appreciation from all patrons. The unveiling of our trousseau collection in March this year was also were memorable. Apart from this, we did outlet for Crescent by Bahuman in Lahore and numerous bridal suites for our clients.

Which project, taken up by the three of you together, would you claim as your favourite?

In terms of furniture, we created a series using sketches of our Father, “Misbah Najmi”, which are beautiful. The first piece, a dewan, has just arrived in store and it’s really exquisite!

In architecture, we are currently doing the master plan of The IBA campus and of the seven buildings.

The interior for The Standard Chartered Head Office we are particularly proud of, as for this project we received the Excellence in Interior Design award from the Institute of Architects, Pakistan.

What advice would the three of you like to give someone who wishes to revamp their home?

For those who wish to revamp their home, we would recommend doing thorough research into trends, so that your designs are up to date. Make a list of what you need as an individual, or what your family needs are, and plan accordingly. Do your homework in terms of what designer should work on your home, professional advice can make a world of difference when redoing a space. Be cautious with colour, be sure that you do not over do it!

How have you decorated your homes? What is your favourite spot or room in your house?

Our homes all have a personal touch to them. I would say my home is elegant and understated with moments of glamour spread throughout. I love entertaining guests, and our entertainment room has been tailored to that.

Our dining room would be another favourite for hosting dinner parties. I have a variety of silverware, crystals and personalised monogramed napkins. Another favorite room in the house would be my children’s room, where we have used furniture from our YOC’A’s Children’s Collection. The rooms are like mini-adult rooms, with a high-end feel. In many of the rooms in our home we have created an interaction between the indoor and nature.

There is greenery both outside and inside, and this is something that I love!

You recently designed Outlets for designers Sania Maskatiya and Nida Azwer, how was the experience?

These projects were actually completed by Najmi Bilgrami Collaborative Ltd, which is essentially the same people but a different business. YOC’A produced the furniture for both of these projects. Both the projects were great experiences. We gave an International feel to the Sania Maskatiya’s store, keeping in line with our style of work, it was certainly elegant and understated. Nida Azwer’s store although smaller but had lots of fun designs incorporated into it. We experimented by embedding 3D prints that belonged to Nida Azwer into one of the wall while on another wall we did one of her design laces in concrete.

Apart from Sania and Nida’s outlet, what other outlets have been designed by YOC’A? We have done several outlets in Dolmen Mall Karachi. We designed Yellow’s store. For Yellow, we particularly love the brick wall, and the use of greenery in an indoor setting. Yellow’s outlet is definitely one of our favourites as it projects an industrial look, which is very sleek and clean.

Koel is a restaurant that we designed, we believe that it is the first ever restaurant that does not have an electronic shutter. To go along with the natural philosophy of the restaurant, we had used the old wooden shuttering style, as well as a lot of greenery inside and outside the restaurant.

We also did Daaman’s outlet while keeping in mind the modern woman. For Daaman, we took a Daaman’s thread and broke it into its different parts and used those parts in the architectural elements of the store.

Is designing fashion outlets something that YOC’A loves to do?

Retail stores are popping up now more than ever in Pakistan. For the past couple of months we have been very busy doing different retail stores, and we feel it is definitely something that is a part of what we do, and what we will be doing in the future. The retail market is booming!

We believe that YOC’A is endeavoring a collaborative series with leading names in the fashion industry? How did decide to initiate this campaign? Tell us more about it.

YOC’A’s philosophy stands for Young Collections Artists. Collaboration between artists from all trades happens world wide, but not so often locally.

We are very open to working with designers whose work inspires us. We love the concept of creating something that has more than one element of design. Fashion and home can be brought together, which is what we are doing in the future with the Designer Series. Our academic years gave us the opportunity to work with people who did every aspect of design, and we greatly respect and admire people who have creative minds. We found there was a dearth of collaboration in Pakistan, and so we approached people who inspired us.

Who are names YOC’A plans to collaborate with?

We will be collaborating with HSY, Bunto Kazmi, Sania Maskatiya, Maheen Khan, and a few others as well. These collaborations will be spread across a two year period.

What are your futures plans regarding YOC’A? Expansion! YOC’A furniture is available in Dubai at The Designers store.

We will also be stocking online in the near future. We also have some exciting shows coming up for 2013-2014; more will be revealed on that front in the future.

2013

PAPERAzzi Magazine

47

bridal trends

The collection focuses on the use of tissue, velvet,antique embellishment and innovative designs. The Studio S bridal line offers a range of lehngas, shararas and ghararas- most paired with shirts with shorter hemlines. A trend Seher predicts is sure to stay.

Heavily embellished sea green jamavar coat, with blush/nude brocade borders and emerald green sleeves, finished off with a bottle green velvet sharara.

PAPERAzzi Magazine

Sheer blush/nude organza dupata with two-sided emerald green worked border. Sheer dupatas work best with bridal ensembles as they compliment instead of overpowering the bride.

Gold tissue plunging neckline shirt worn over a magenta jamavar choli- paired with a gold tissue lehnga with worked, multiple borders of orange, magenta, jade green, emerald green, and plum. Rich red chiffon dupata with a thick worked border and dull gold net with large mesh and jade, emerald and plum borders on the paloo. The gold tissue kameez can alternatively be paired with a bright churidar.

It’s fun to play around with the different combinations and the possibilities are endless!

Navy blue velvet coat, with heavy dabka work, with fuchsia charmeuse lining, over a short gold tissue shirt, with a worked jaal deep turquoise and blue jamavar gharara, and gold tissue dupata with a surprise orange border. The coat can be worn with a pair of cigarette pants for a more modern look, with equal effect.

48

Seher Tareen & Bisma Ahmad

Seher Tareen believes in the importance of separates. This way the bridal ensemble takes on a life of its own and the bride can wear it over and over again, instead of locking it away after the wedding.

2013

Happy Haider 22 September - 28 September

horoscope

Our fab astrologer Zahid Haider, styles up your stars. find out what’s in store for you this week!

21-A, DHA Phase 1, Lahore.

For your in-depth weekly forecast call 0322-262-1175

aries

taurus

gemini

cancer

This is a great week for you, projects are doing well, money is coming in partnerships are great, however you are feeling burdened and stressed and cannot believe that good things are happening, don’t worry and don’t stress as the stress can lead to illness.

Focus on the positive and stop imagining the worst, everything is going well!

You are feeling a bit low early this week, if you give away charity you will regret it, you are accident prone. Your depression or worry about something is making you very antisocial. However later on this week you will start to appreciate the good things in life, and there will be some good news coming in, you will tend to make smart decisions and gain respect in whatever you do.

You’re having some trouble this week, so much so that you’ll be worrying all the time work wise relationship wise. You just want to run away from all your problems, might be a good time to take that vacation and take your mind of things. As you need to go out and do whatever makes you happy. Try to find peace however you can, as you can always run but you can’t hide!

Time to sort out your financial issues, someone maybe making pessimistic noises about your collaboration with others on an ambitious venture. Do not take this seriously. You have made the right decision and you should stick to it. Even if you don’t succeed, sometimes the act of taking on a challenge is far more important than the outcome.

leo

virgo

libra

scorpio

Romance is in the air for you, if you are in a relationship you will begin to appreciate your partner.

Your Ex may show up, and this is not necessarily a bad thing. If you are not in a relationships chances are you will meet someone new, financial worries are also over!

Have fun this week Leo!

Look after yourself this week, as you may be coming down with a sore throat or some other health concern may come up. However your friends and family will pay you a visit and reassure you that you are ok. Later in the week you are doing great and something great is about to happen, however as you are more successful there will be more eyes of envy on you, be careful and seek out help if need be.

You may feel very angry this week, wanting to scream and shout, this may not be such a bad thing let it out so you can move on. But try to talk about your issues rather than completely losing your cool.

Your anger and frustration is being unleashed upon others, and you may not be in complete control of your emotions. Try and wear white this week, it may help you get through.

You’re worrying yourself silly over financial affairs or working life, even though everyone is trying to reassure you.You may be in tricky areas, but they seem more serious than they actually are. Others around you are able to take a more distanced view.

So listen to their opinion of events taking place. If you calm down, you’ll see that you’ve got more resources than you have insoluble problems.

sagittarius capricorn 23November/21December

22December/20January

aquarius

pisces

You have fabulous stars where love is concerned this week. There is an element of surprise and as you thrive on all things new this is what adds spice to your life. You do need to look out for hiccups where money is concerned now, though, as at times you can be over generous or just lose track of your spending.

All the gentle words in the world can’t make something right if others are involved refuse to co-operate. You may need to use a little tough love now to get the answers you need, particularly in a close relationship, and there’s a delicate conversation to be had in your life. Do your research and ask away, but don’t go in all guns blazing. Firm but fair is the way to go.

You are feeling very socialble this week, invite friends over and entertain as much as possible.

It is a good time to make that commitment, make your decision already! Life is too short to hang on to something, and you know exactly what to do, go with your gut and do what feels right.

Try and control your emotions and stop being so sensitive, you’re lucky this week and the decisions you make are in your favour, if someone is trying to bring you down realise this, and let go of any bad energy that is trying to come in your way.

Time to move on, and look to the future.

21March/20April

24July/23August

21April/21May

24August/23September

22May/21June

24September/23October

21January/19February

22June/23July

24October/22November

20February/20March