THIS summer, there was a mad rush of women at the launch of branded lawn at an outlet in Lahore. Most of the women at the store came from well-to-do families as only they would be able to afford to shop at this exclusive store. The sight, as featured on social media, looked like a battlefield. It had no resemblance to a market frequented by the elite.

They were all there to get their hands on the lawn… to have the distinction of being the first to wear and exhibit it.

A recent survey should that about 65pc of people think that this obsession with lawn is ridiculous. Then, one wonders, why was there a stampede?

Textile moguls and traders take full advantage of the fairer gender, in exploiting their weakness for clothes. They use different sales gimmicks to promote their product.

I was wondering if lawn was sold simply as lawn, without the branding -- how much cheaper would it be for the customers as well as the retail outlets who would not be under compulsion to exhibit the same in expensive show rooms and market it in fancy packaging? This way many a womenfolk could afford and benefit across the country.

Muhammad K. Sufi

Barcelona

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2019