Pakistan: A Fashionable History

Pakistan: A Fashionable History

Journalist Duo Releases Book On The Fascinating History of Pakistan’s Fashion Industry!

Lahore, Pakistan – August, 2020: Pakistan’s first-ever non-fiction book on the creation of the local fashion industry, is the brainchild of writer/journalist Mehr F Husain and, a collaboration with the photojournalist, Saad Sarfraz Sheikh.

A fascinating study of the pioneers of Pakistani fashion who came together to form what today stands as a multi-million dollar market, Husain and Sheikh’s gorgeous coffee table book – which took over two years to document and compile is now available for purchase!

Filled with first person narratives from the trailblazing designers and non-designers, fascinating anecdotes, stunning photography and historical archives, the publication delves into the heart of Pakistan’s history. Starting from partition, the book documents the journey of a people who sought to dress and adorn a new country, giving the Pakistani nation a multi-faceted identity that has remained unexplored…till now.

Husain and Sheikh’s book goes beyond the aesthetics by gently uncovering a history, heritage and culture, and exposing the hidden beauty of a country and its people who have been maligned and misunderstood for far too long.

Highlighting the origins and the journey of local fashion – amid tumultuous phases over the decades – the book is a delicious page-turner which will appeal to a number of age groups intrigued by the role of fashion and how socio-political issues and the quest for a young nation’s identity led it to where it is today; a formidable force in the global arena of fashion.

Team

Mehr Fatima Husain – Author

Mehr is a British-Pakistani journalist based in Lahore. Born in London, she was raised in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and England. Having completed her education (secondary and undergraduate) in London, she wound up working for Barclays in the city, ran a humour blog while based in Saudi and over the past 12 years, and worked in different roles in the Pakistani media industry; as a Features Editor at The Friday Times (TFT), an Assistant Editor at Good Times (GT) magazine and as a columnist for India’s Mail Today where her column ‘The Lahore Log’ also appeared in The Daily Mail/MailOnline.

Mehr’s commentary, criticism and journalism have appeared in The Economist’s 1843, The Times of London, The Diplomat, India’s Mail Today, The Daily Mail/MailOnline, Libas, The Friday Times, Herald, Pakistan Today, The News, The Nation and Pakistan Link. She was also the Editor for ‘Multan: A Spiritual Legacy’ (a book about ancient structures in Multan) which was presented to HM Queen Elizabeth by the Pakistani Ambassador to the UK in 2013. In 2014, her short story ‘A fool’s paradise’ was published as part of an anthology that was launched at the Karachi Literature Festival and is now part of the Pakistani national curriculum. In 2016, another short story ‘The first cut’ appeared in another anthology published by Mongrel Books in Karachi.

Mehr holds a MSc. in Asian Politics from SOAS, University of London and a BSc. in Politics with Business Management (Hons.) from Queen Mary, University of London. She was also accepted into an MPhil in South Asian Studies at St. Edmunds College, Cambridge. In addition, she has delivered workshops on journalism at the prestigious Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), appeared as a guest on the hit satirical programme ‘News, Views and Confused’ and performed as the opening act for ‘Auratnaak’, Pakistan’s first all-female comedian troupe.

Saad Sarfraz Sheikh – Photographer

Saad is an independent journalist and photographer based in Lahore. His journalistic career began by working as a Desk Editor for leading newspapers in Pakistan, including the Daily Times and The Friday Times. His work involved reporting, writing, editing and supervising layouts of the newspapers. This led him down the exciting path of field reporting and photography assignments for Getty Images, Demotix and Corbis, as well as other renowned publications.

Saad’s work has been featured in Time, Al Jazeera, Esquire (Middle East), Foreign Policy, Courrier International (France), Pulitzer Centre on Crisis Reporting, Roads & Kingdoms, Forbes Lifestyle (part of Forbes.com), The Hindu, Vogue India, Verve India, NowThis, The Friday Times, Herald (Dawn), The Nation and The News on Sunday.

Apart from his prolific career, he has also conducted photojournalism workshops at festivals and journalism institutes in Pakistan, including a TEDx talk on photography as a medium in 2013.

Over the years, Saad has carved a name for himself as a well-known Pakistani photojournalist, documenting issues of conflict, politics and social issues, including local art and culture. Apart from his journalism-related projects, Saad also shot the production stills for two critically-acclaimed Pakistani films, ‘Shah’ and the ‘Motorcycle Girl,’ including the production of a poignant documentary for the Justice Project Pakistan (JPP) on the plight of juveniles facing the death penalty in Pakistan.

He is also a band member of Pakistan’s only percussion band, Quadrum, and has performed at more than 500 concerts in Pakistan and abroad. Saad has an undergraduate degree in journalism from the Forman Christian College (FCC) in Lahore and an MA in Global Journalism from the University of Sheffield.

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