Couturier and prêt wear designer Erum Khan who started out from a small outlet in Pindi, seems to have gone from strength to strength with her independent outlet being one of the hot favourites for all ladies out there. In a matter of time, the designer has made her mark in not just the Lahore market but Karachi’s as well. She is a regular in prêt and couture fashion weeks both in her home country and abroad. And now, Erum Khan has launched her Eid collection titled Belladonna meaning a pretty and an elegant girl. Some of the designs of her collection speak volumes of the designer’s style and fashion acumen. They’re trendy, unique and very sexy. The cuts and embellishments stand out for their practical and marketable approach. “My Eid collection is based on elegance and beauty. I have used soft colours which would look serene in summer. I made sure that a lot of summery shades were involved,” Khan said while talking exclusively to Daily Times. Competitively priced, Belladonna could be yours for Rs 13,000 to Rs 15,000. “Mostly women have a budget of about Rs 13,000 when shopping for their stitched Eid garment. Belladonna is priced appropriately. Nothing whopping or extremely pricey. I would like to believe that it’s affordable. I deliberately kept the prices low so the clientele could be comfortable whilst purchasing. I wanted my collection to be approachable for everyone,” Khan said. So many fashion statements are trending. I seriously hope and pray that designers keep their signature cuts, designs and embroidery while incorporating different trends. “Of course, I have maintained my signature touch along with mixing trends. Firstly I made sure that the collection was not overdone. It’s contemporary meets traditional. It’s not overtly modern, neither too desi. It’s plain stylish and elegance personified. It’s an Eid day after all, totally modern outfits just won’t do. It’s a family affair. So traditional touch is dominant but at the same time, it’s very stylish and stunning,” Khan says. Khan has catered to a young age group. Belladonna is for ladies aged between 16-35. However, any person older than this age bracket is also accommodated with customised wear, according to their age, taste and style. “There are shorter shirts and flared trousers mainly,” Khan adds. I ask Erum how woman should be dressing up this Eid, to which she replies, “Woman should be wearing more subtle colours. Busy embroideries, confusing cuts and too much happening on their clothes should be given a miss. Tulip shalwars should trend more. High-waisted cropped trousers with short shirts look amazing too.” There are different variations in Belladonna. Some outfits are very lightly embellished. Some are long A-line shirts, whereas you’ll also find short shirts pretty dominant as well. Khan says such variations have only been incorporated so that a diverse mix of people could come and purchase for Eid. The collection has a total of 30-35 outfits! “There’s a pastel green floral outfit which is my personal favourite, among others. A green cape with black trousers is another I truly like and will most probably wear on Eid,” Khan says. It might seem odd that Khan launched her Eid collection during the last ashra of Ramadan, where nearly all designers had come up with their collections prior to the holy month. But Khan had it all planned out. “I don’t think anybody really shops at least during the first 10 days of Ramadan. I think it’s only after Ramadan 15, that people go out and make up their minds on what they’d like to wear. It was a conscious decision on my part to keep the launch during the last days, as people are more serious about buying during this period.” Khan’s Belladonna collection has received a positive response from not just Pakistan but from the UK and US too. “I think it’s because of reasonable prices, great quality and accessibility,” she says.