This weekend, Pakistani designer
Saira Rizwan visited
Tehxeeb London, which is a store in East London that carries designer bridals and formals. I was fortunate enough to get an appointment to visit the store, and have a look around at the collection Saira Rizwan was bringing.
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| The store's window display |
The store was pretty busy when I got there (it doesn't look it below, but it was!) and very beautifully set out, with formals and pret-wear at the front and the bridal collection and consultation area at the back. The store was also beautifully decorated with flowers, and there was plenty of space to browse and speak to the staff.
Here's a few showpieces on display which caught my eye straight away - this gold bridal on the left, and the green formal on the left. Both of these were beautifully worked, the with a mix of embellishment, colours and fabrics. I loved the heavy formal on the left, especially the worked trousers and the heavy bodice, which gives a glamorous look.
The bridal collection itself is beautiful - I was in love with the range of vivid colours and the soft, feminine pastels. I also loved the mix of cuts, shapes and work, which looked amazing - as I'm sure you're not surprised, a lot of these pieces below got sold to brides-to be before the end of the weekend! Unfortunately it was too busy for me to get a good idea of prices for these, but you can contact Saira Rizwan's team or visit Tehxeeb London to get a quote for bridals.
There were also a lot of formals on display, which were a gorgeous mix of rich fabrics and colours. Most of these were short kameezes with embellished trousers and print/lace work on them - perfect formal wear for a wedding. I've seen a lot of these styles on Instagram at weddings being worn by guests, so would imagine these would be quite popular.
As well as these, there were also Saira Rizwan 2016 pret pieces for sale - these were unstitched and cost about £130ish each, although there is also a tailor available to get these stitched as well. I really liked some of these pieces, which look stylish, with pretty embroidery and colours.
There were also plenty of refreshments for customers, as well as sweets and savoury food - considering how busy the store was, these were needed! These were set out along tables for customers waiting for appoinments, along with beautiful flowers.
There were a lot of customers trying bridals on, which looked beautiful - I managed to get a few pictures from the Texheeb London's snapchat and insta-story on their instagram account. I love how colourful these bridals are, and how beautiful the embellishments looks - not to mention how a lot of these customers look like models!
Interview with the designer
I managed to meet Saira Rizwan at the store and have a quick interview with her - I loved how easy
she was to speak to, and how interesting her designing work is. I only asked her a few questions as I knew how busy she was, but she gave me a good insight into her work and her pieces.
What are your bridal trends right now?
At the moment, the current trends are modern cuts mixed with traditional - shararas and peplum tops, long kameezes and maxi dresses. At the moment, ghararas and peplums are very big in Pakistan, and quite popular. I also follow soft colour palettes for one collection (the Madamoiselle collection) and brighter, bolder shades for another collection (the Shalimar collection).
What is your favourite piece in your collection?
I'm not sure, of this year or last! I really like this piece (below) from my Madamoiselle collection, which is in soft greys and pinks, perfect for a walima or reception. But I also love my Shalimar pieces from 2016 because these are great for mehndis and wedding bridals.
Can you see yourself in the UK market - i.e. having your own store in the UK?
Well, I already have an outlet in Pakistan, and I definitely plan on spending more time in the UK. I don't know about an outlet yet as Tehxeeb London is currently carrying my collection, and a lot of these can be customised and changed, which can be designed directly with me via Tehxeeb London. I think I will see how it goes, but so far it has been positive. I also find that there is a bigger demand in the UK than in the USA, because a lot of clients come from other cities like Birmingham and further north to my exhibitions in London - in the US this isn't possible because of the distance, and the states are too far apart so not every one can go to the exhibitions.
Can we order online?
We already have an online website for formals and pret! But it isn't practical for bridals purely because we can change designs, customise and personalise, which isn't feasible via the website.
How long does it take to design a bridal?
It takes about 1
½ months to design the bridals - it takes a lot of time because of the colours, swatches embellishments and layout which all need to be put into place and discussed with the client.
The colour of 2017 is 'greenery' - do you think you will be using this in your pieces?
We are already using this colour! If you look at a few of my pieces, I have incorporated this shades of green, and a lot of other shades of green in my designs.
I also managed to speak to the staff at Tehxeeb London
Ordering with Tehxeeb London
I also managed to ask the staff at Tehxeeb London about their ordering processes and advice for customers who are looking for bridals or formals.
- Come to the store for a consultation - takes about 45 minutes to talk over what you want
- Bridal orders take about 4-5 months. The store can do urgent orders within 2 months if they have confirmation from the designer (they have done this in the past)
- Formals take 8-10 weeks - again, this depends how customised they are, whether you want alterations etc.
- Designers they carry - Umsha by Uzma Babar, Dastaan, Kaamdaani, Sapphire, Saira Rizwan and sometimes pret for brands like Elan. They also have their own collection under Tehxeeb London.
- Advice for brides - come with an open mind, see what is available and try things on. It's good to know what you want but if you have too specific an idea on a look, it can be difficult to find something in the store which will match what you're looking for - keeping an open mind helps you try other things.
- Future - Tehxeeb London will be at expos and fashion shows this year - will be at the National Asian Wedding Show in Birmingham in February 2017.
- Tehxeeb London will look to do future collaborations with designers, so watch this space!
You can visit Tehxeeb London at:
Address: 197 Ilford Lane, Ilford Essex IG1 2RU
You can also contact them to order a Saira Rizwan piece or get a quote for one of the outfits.
