LAHORE: Prêt and couture brand Asifa & Nabeel have been around for decades, successfully creating a humongous market for themselves in both semi formal and bridal wear. Competing in a market that survives on trends, the label keeps up with the hot and the current by maintaining a signature appeal to their designs, which is that of subtlety, elegance and poise. In 2015, Asifa & Nabeel brought forth their debut lawn collection, rich in subdued prints of subtle greens, pinks and yellows fused in digital printing and minimal embroidery. A spring/summer collection that experienced sky-rocketing sales, saw the brand take a year’s break in coming up with a lawn collection. We wonder why. “Last year, we were focusing on our prêt and semi-formals in stitched range and were busy furthering our game on the front. That done, and with our bridal and semi formal line all set for the ramp for the upcoming fashion weeks, we decided this year we’ll definitely bring lawn to our clientele, that missed us in 2016,” Asifa Imran said, while talking exclusively to Daily Times. “This year, since we were working on our furniture line too, our lawn prints our inspired by interior and home décor items other than floral imagery and nature,” Asifa Imran tell me. There are a total of 10 stunning designs to choose from, that have silk duppatas and heavy embroideries. The eponymous label again maintains its signature touch by refraining from any vibrant or bold hues, and sticks to subtle pinks, blues, dull greens and yellows. However, there is a standout solid print, incorporating heavy embroidery with plain black. The duppata does all the talking with vibrant colours like orange and yellow set in silk. Since the collection takes inspiration from interior and home décor, we can see light structures and furniture impressions in most prints that bring uniqueness and an edge to their designs. “The price range for all three-piece lawn prints will be between Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000. Nothing extravagant on that front, as it’s lawn at the end of the day and people would prefer quality with affordability. It took us a year to finalise all our prints,” Asifa says. Volume II of the spring/summer 2017 collection will follow as well and the lawn will be available in the three major cities of Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. “For the catalogue, we shot at the Safari Park last month and it was an incredible experience. We were looking for a fresh and an innocent face and opted for the upcoming TV actress Mahenoor Haider,” she says. Asifa makes it clear how they wanted to stick to their individuality and not team up with a textile brand. “We just thought, since we haven’t spent that much time in lawn collections, we should try and strengthen our name on that front first, and then consider teaming up with a huge textile brand.” The “utterly delighted” Mahenoor Haider also expressed her excitement and eagerness for the lawn to launch and see the response from Asifa & Nabeel’s clientele.