Latest news with #AmirAdnan
Arab News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Arab News
Pakistan's leading fashion designer Amir Adnan expresses interest in expanding to Arab world
KARACHI: Pakistan's leading fashion designer, Amir Adnan, says he is eager to open stores and manufacturing facilities in the Arab world, praising Saudi Arabia's evolving openness and deep cultural sophistication. In an interview with Arab News this week, he hailed the Arab world's appreciation for tradition and detail and expressed a desire to re-enter the Middle East market with a more immersive presence. Adnan shared his observations about the Middle East at a time when Saudi Arabia is undergoing a cultural transformation under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030. The initiative has opened the Kingdom to global music acts, fashion events, cinema and high-profile platforms like Riyadh Season and the Red Sea International Film Festival, as part of efforts to position it as a regional hub for arts and tourism. 'The Arab world is brilliant, and I'm so happy that it is opening up,' the Pakistani designer, who has previously operated stores in Dubai, said. 'Given the opportunity, I would love to go and open up stores over there and have a whole setup over there. We would love to have an office.' Born in Lahore to a bureaucrat father and a mother from Dhaka's royal Nawab family, Adnan launched his eponymous brand in 1990 and is credited with modernizing the traditional sherwani. His designs have shaped Pakistani formalwear for more than three decades. Reflecting on his experience of doing business in the United Arab Emirates, he said Arabs had a distinct appreciation for craftsmanship. 'They appreciated every stitch, every cut, every patch, every fabric, every color combination... they're very keen observers.' He also appreciated the historical and intellectual legacy of the Arab world. 'They introduced medicine. They had the first hospital. They gave us algebra, calculus [and] astronomy. So, where did that come from? It's their sophistication.' The Pakistani designer, who studied at Karachi's Institute of Business Administration, said that despite globalization, Arabs remain deeply rooted in their culture. 'If they had given away their culture and, you know, become totally somebody else, I would not feel so good about them. But I love the Arab people because they hold on and they respect their culture.' Adnan said the fusion of Pakistani craftsmanship with Arab tastes could lead to meaningful collaborations, ranging from fashion to social development. 'They love our fabrics. They love our stitches. They love our handicraft. All we need to do is just convert our garments to blend into their culture,' he said. 'I would go there and mix my ability to suit their requirements.' Beyond commerce, he also envisions joint creative workshops and cultural exchanges. 'We would like to work with their artisans, learn their skills and teach them ours,' he said. The Pakistani designer believes that fashion should be seen beyond economics. 'Besides just the work and the economics of it, it is also liberation of mind,' he said. 'In fact, we'll be able to incorporate a lot of their craft and their skills into our mainstream work.' Looking ahead, Adnan said he hopes to establish a full-fledged base in the Kingdom. 'Hopefully, one day, we'd be able to do that — set up an office over there and a whole workshop over there and even start manufacturing there… and take care of all the Arab world.'
Arab News
22-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Fashion and family: Amir Adnan heiress takes father's legacy forward with sustainable vision
KARACHI: The name Amir Adnan has been synonymous with menswear in Pakistan for over 35 years. Adnan launched the eponymous men's fashion wear brand in 1990 and several sub-brands since, and is widely credited for glamorizing the long-sleeved sherwani outer coat in modern times. Now, it's time for his daughter Parishae Adnan to take the helm of Adnan's fashion empire as CEO and transition the company, Shapar Private Limited, into a future rooted in climate sustainability and cultural integrity. Last week, Parishae, a 30-year-old managerial economics graduate, launched the company's summer collection, Nakhlistan, which means oasis, a show she has conceptualized and that she exhibited as a formal celebration of her appointment as CEO in May 2024. 'It absolutely feels incredible, I feel a lot of gratitude, taking the legacy forward,' Parishae told Arab News in an interview last week. Adnan said it was always clear that his children would take over the business. 'My children were raised while we were working in the workshops, and they've been seeing this all along. My eldest daughter, Parishae, she worked with me for three years and now she's become the CEO of the company,' he told Arab News. 'It's not common, especially in this industry that we are working in, the fashion industry, to see legacy go on from one generation to another.' And Parishae has plans for her father's company, with her major aim being to introduce and integrate environmentally conscious practices into its operations. 'We need to do anything, even if it's a little small step,' said Parishae, who explored fields like acting, hospitality, IT, and supply chain before finally embracing fashion designing. 'One of the first things I did was I changed our packaging material, making it recyclable.' In 2021, she launched the 'House of Parishae,' a collection grounded in sustainable couture, with her debut show featuring 35 pieces created entirely from upcycled clothing, extending the life cycle of garments and promoting conscious consumption. 'The idea that couture, high end couture luxury can come out of upcycling or recycling, it's not an idea that was digestible to the public in Pakistan,' the designer said, pointing to inspirations like Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen. 'People here usually don't go for that concept for their event wear. They don't want to spend so much money if it's going to be recycled or upcycled.' But Parishae is resolved to take her vision forward — all the while staying true to what she has in common with her father: a deep connection to Pakistan's cultural identity. The designs of Adnan, who was born in Lahore to a bureaucratic father and a mother from the royal family of Dhaka, often draw inspiration from the sartorial heritage and timeless attire of South Asian nobles. 'If I go back in time and I look at my forefathers, photographs or paintings, they actually wore what I'm making right now, literally,' Adnan said. Parishae too sees cultural identity as central to her vision, especially in an increasingly globalized and digitally connected world. 'As globalization is on a rise, it is even more important in this day and age to understand where your roots are coming from and it's even more important to keep an identity, a cultural identity, in order for you to realize who you are and where you belong to,' she said. 'I wanted to be a pioneer for change, not in the West because they already have that. It's actually trying to help us here because you never know, there might be a next generation that looks at this story and gets inspired by it and says, 'Let's go, it's been done before, we can do it better'.' And her father is proud. 'For every parent, whether you're a father or a mother, it's always your dream to see your children outdo you,' Adnan said. 'For me to see my daughter excel in my lifetime ... is one of the best gifts I could have asked from Allah.'
