Fashion in Pakistan has truly come into its own over the past few years, moving away from bridals to high-street brands and daily wear. This marks the industry’s shift into an exciting adolescence where there’s inspiration, exchange and experimentation galore. Cosmopolitanism reigns the day and global trends define the way people dress and think about dressing.

If the social pages of our leading newspapers and magazines are anything to go by, the glitterati are taking on global trends head on. Top designers are now taking their cues from the Paris, London and New York catwalks. Fashion shows by local designers, here and abroad, are getting edgier by the day: grungy and experimental looks are on display alongside more traditional designs, which is certainly refreshing and exciting.

Many top designers are getting inspiration from foreign climes, western or eastern, for their latest ranges, some of which feature faces of celebrities, Buddha-figures, etc. Ayesha Khurram, a designer who just launched her boutique in Lahore, says, “I believe that every culture has something unique to offer in terms of fashion, and therefore I also try to infuse different trends into my own work to make it stand out in the crowd.”

Besides high fashion, the burgeoning high street in Pakistan, with brands like Stoneage, Levi’s, Crossroads, Outfitters, Mantra and others becoming wardrobe staples, caters to global trends as well. Designers’ like Hassan Shehryar and Maria B. have ventured into these brands, showing that fashion is not only for selected occasions, but a lifestyle in itself. The high street may still be a little out of the price range of the average young person in Pakistan, but given Sunday Bazaar, warehouse outlets, and a little bit of thriftiness, a little can go a long way, and no fashionista has an excuse to be off trend.

Global fashion means not only that the hip, trendy crowd is wearing skinny jeans, but also that we’re taking a look at global trends even when choosing shalwar kameez, which are indubitably still the most common work-wear for women. The advent of capris, collars, empire-waists and modern cuts, means that we are up-to-date with global trends in the office. With maxi dresses all the rage abroad, our own designers are coming up with ranges of dresses, and the long kurta trend sees no end in sight.

Casual wear and party wear have evolved in the opposite direction. While for more formal occasions, long, A-line kurtas are in, young people at parties are rocking the ‘tights’ craze.

Last winter, all you could see was long blouses atop tights, and fashion proactive stores started coming up with their own interesting variations on these, from argyle prints to sequins. Considering that even the latest lines feature tights, even worn under shirts, one expects that the flattering and fun trend, one which allows Pakistani girls to dabble more comfortably in skirts and truly get creative, to continue into this winter.

Breaking out from the monotony of ‘formal equals button-downs and trousers, casual equals tees and jeans’, boys are getting with the programme, albeit slowly. Skinny jeans, coloured jeans, patterned T-shirts, brightly-coloured formal shirts, scarves, funky ties, waistcoats-as-casual-wear, hats, Rastafarian caps, daring shoes, earrings and even eyeliner have appeared on boys: whether the look appears grotesque or interestingly daring depends on the wearer’s confidence and aura, his sense of striking a balance, and of course, the eye of the beholder. In any case, kudos to the boys for getting comfortable with the trends, expressing themselves and putting in the effort.

In some cases this cosmopolitan approach in the cities means a loss of culture: no longer would most people be caught dead in mehndi or choorian, while our brands seek inspiration not from the local but from foreign pop-culture, music and lifestyles.

However, taking on the spirit of trends can also mean a celebration and glorification of our own national culture—the Tee Factory’s Quaid T-shirts, inspired by the pop-culture worship of Che Guevara, is a step in this direction. Other examples are local brand FnkAsia, which took on fusion fashion successfully, and Gulabo, whose clothes featured rickshaws and truck art. Heralded in with the ‘kurti’ a few years ago, fusion fashion is an important concept.

The transformation certainly goes both ways—‘ethnic’ prints and jewellery dominate in shops like Monsoon, and even on the catwalks in New York, and what are ‘harem pants’ if not shalwars? Interestingly, the harem pants trend abroad has not caused the resurfacing of the obsolete shalwar in Pakistan: everyone from 16 to 60 is happily wearing trousers, which are far more flattering.

True style is never about cookie-cutter couture. Icons push the boundaries, not merely by adopting the risqué but also by making their outfits into works of art. If one is to plunge oneself headlong into the world of fashion, one must be willing to embrace the cycle of inspiration and reinvention and have the guts required to be a trendsetter. Pakistani designers are certainly pushing the bar to come up with catwalk-worthy looks. Could this be the beginning of a glorious new age of couture in Pakistan? One hopes so!