FASHION VIBE

Sheep: Following the Herd?

                     

     To say that the concept of ready-to-wear revolutionised and propelled the fashion scene in Pakistan would be an understatement. What it did was render the traditional shalwar kameez extinct and create a whole new business model for convenience clothing for women. Sure, Teejays needs to be credited for heralding the concept, but it is brands like Khaadi, Ego, Daaman and Sheep that took the risk of introducing separates an essential prerequisite to fashion retail world over and created a huge market for off-the-rack clothing.

The pressure from pret was such that even fashion designers had to succumb to lowering their prices, streamlining their production and cost and selling off-the-rack rather than selling only through appointments. The two brands that posed serious competition were Daaman and Sheep, which catered to the chic, working professional, offering style savvy options with reasonable pricing. Yet, while Daaman grew, building upon its simple structured design ethos, Sheep, the brand that claimed to distinguish one from the herd, succumbed to following market dictates diluting their design sense quite visibly.

However, Aalia Jafar, Business Director at Sheep, is unfazed by the criticism: “We’re a young and growing brand. We experiment and learn; this means that there will be days when we will be loved and days when our things will not be liked,” she says candidly.

Despite the fact that many Sheep loyalists now feel that it’s losing its edge with its myriad new lines, Aalia astutely asserts, “What would not be good is if we remained the same. With that said, what we never compromise on is our finished product quality and that is how we are building trust within our target segments.’’

Change in design philosophy?

The change in direction can be attributed to the faster movement of the slightly heavily worked pieces, suggests Ayesha Jafar, Brand Communication Specialist. She admits that while there have also been changes in the design team, the brand has certainly succumbed to consumer pressure. “You sometimes end up steering to satisfy customer demand,” says Ayesha highlighting the increase in demand of more embellished and embroidered work. Another instance that she quotes of catering to consumer demand is how shirts with full sleeves became a must after garnering impressive revenues off of these, especially at their store at Dolmen Mall Tariq Road.

Meanwhile, Sheep has also gone through some structural changes. Prior to opening their expansive outlet at the new Dolmen City, Sheep made a brief sojourn to Labels in Karachi and the PFDC store in Lahore, however both have now closed. “Logistically it wasn’t making sense, especially since we are opening our own stores,” explains Aalia. “That’s the only way we can live up to our brand promise of giving our customers a comfortable, indulgent and fantastic shopping experience. For us, the brand sells because of the customer experience tied in with products people can relate to and enjoy. And the experience can only be maintained at our own stores.”

Yet, with more and more entrants in the pret game, how does Sheep view this heightened competition? “We’re loving it,” adds Aalia. “It’s challenging and has brought life to the business. What’s even better is that the whole industry will be upgraded and will move towards gaining some structure.” Although she acknowledges that fashion weeks have also become integral to the game, she confesses, “We’re not yet ready for it and we don’t want to do it half-heartedly”.

Courtesy: www.hanitaha.wordpress.com

 Fashion Accessories: What They Include

When it comes to fashion accessories, you will find that a number of different products are included. Fashion accessories, like fashion clothing pieces, come in a number of different sizes, shapes, and styles. There are fashion accessories that are designed for children, teens, men, women, petite sized, and plus sized individuals.  A few of the many fashion pieces that you may want to examine at one of you local fashion stores or online are outlined below.

One of the most well known fashion accessory types is that of jewelry.  As it was previously mentioned, fashion accessories are designed for all different types of individuals, regardless of age or gender.  For teenagers and children, fashion jewelry pieces that are popular often include colorful pieces, as well as charm necklaces or charm bracelets. In terms of men, a popular piece of jewelry often includes large pendant necklaces, many of which display a cross or another popular or meaningful symbol. As for women, popular pieces of fashion jewelry include earnings, rings, necklaces, bracelets, pins, and so forth.

                               

Another type of fashion accessory that you may be interested in owning is a purse or a handbag.  Teens and women most commonly own purses and handbags.  A purse is often used to describe a bag that is smaller or compact in size and handbags are often a little bit larger.  Handbags and purses come in a number of different styles; therefore, it is common for many women and teens to own more than one purse or handbag.  In fact, many individuals out there like to match their fashion accessories, including their purses and handbags, with the clothing that they wear.

In conjunction with handbags and purses, travel bags are often considered a fashion accessory.  Travel bags are similar to purses and handbags, but you will find that they are often designed for both women and for men.  A travel bag may include a small bag that can be used as a carryon bag for an airplane ride, a diaper bag, as well as a laptop carrying case and so forth.

 Shoes are also considered a fashion accessory, although many do not necessarily consider them to be.  Most often, women’s shoes are associated as fashion accessories, as opposed to men’s shoes.  One of the reasons for that is due the large selection of women’s shoe types that you can find available for sale. For instance, it is more than possible to find athletic shoes, casual sandals, elegant sandals, flat dress shoes, high-heeled shoes, and so forth. As with handbags and purses, many women own multiple pairs of shoes and many try to coordinate their shoes, especially for work, with the rest of their ensemble.

  Another one of the many different types of fashion accessories available for purchase are that of belts.  For many men and boys, belts are not necessarily considered a fashion accessory, as much as they are a way to hold pants up; however, the same doesn’t really ring true for women. Women’s belts come in a number of different sizes, shapes, and styles. That is one of the reasons why women’s belts and belts that may be designed for children and for teens are often referred to as fashion accessories. There are belts out there that are designed for wearing with a casual pair of jeans, as well as a pair of traditional kaki pants for work.

Belts, handbags, purses, travel bags, jewelry, and shoes are just a few of the many fashion accessories that you may be able to find for sale at one of our local fashion stores or even online.  As a reminder, fashion accessories are a great way to spice up any wardrobe, especially one that could use an updating.

Courtesy: www.fantop.org