The trailer to Disney’s upcoming film adaptation of the fairytale ‘Cinderella’ has left fans worldwide in a state of awe and excitement. But it looks as though Pakistani fans in particular have more to be excited about than just the film’s release… According to the latest reports Maheen Khan, one of Pakistan’s most notable fashion designers known for her modern silhouettes and channeling her love of truck art through her popular shop ‘Gulabo’, has given the people of Pakistan yet another reason to hold our heads up high. Khan’s innovative designs will reportedly feature in the film sported by none-other than Cinderella’s male lead.
Khan has long been appreciated for her attention to detail and the way she incorporates traditional embellishments in her creations. This was brought to life with the formation of Embroidery House — a collaboration between Khan and BAFTA-award winning costume designer Diane Holmes, based on reviving different forms of traditional apparel embroidery.
Khan met Diane when she started assisting her for the creation of Ratti Jinnah and Fatima Jinnah’s wardrobes for the film, ‘Jinnah’. It was then that Diane saw the potential of embroidery work in Pakistan and through House of Embroidery, started commissioning embellishments for costume and set-designs all over.
They came together as a team for the first time with costume embellishments for the BBC serial ‘The Aristocrat’, and later for Catherine Walker & Co design atelier’s seasonal collections. More recent projects include embroidery work for ‘Alexander’, ‘Snow White and the Huntsmen’ and Angelina Jolie’s ‘Maleficent’.
“The coats for Cinderella are all hand-crafted. Although there are some jobs that have required machine embroideries,” said Khan in an interview published in the Express Tribune. “Their workforce is gravitating towards design houses rather than the creation of the actual embellishments. This is where countries like ours stand to gain, with our authentic handiwork,” she said while speaking about the demand of our traditional handiwork in the international apparel market.
While many local designers have yet to explore the international market through their design eccentricities, Khan has set the stage for young and experienced designers alike to come forward and promote our traditional crafts on a global level!