KAPRAY SHAPRAY: 5 Kurtas I have Fallen in Love With This Summer

The summer heatwave has hit London in full blast for the past weeks - so you know what means? Pulling out the kurtas! I've been meaning to get a few new pieces for summer which are casual kurta that I can mix and match, so have been browsing to see what catches my eye. Unfortunately I have been a little out of touch with the latest collections in the Asian Fashion World, so some of these below might not be part of the lastest releases!

1. Sana Safinaz Yellow Kurta

This is from the Ready To Wear Dresses Collection 2018, which is part of the silk kurtas collection. Unfortunately this has sold out, I've been looking for this online but so far no luck! I'll be keeping an eye out for more of this collection as I really like how cool and comfortable it looks.

2. The floral outfit by Zaha Online

This collection is a new one by Zaha Online, which was released on 1st August  acclaimed fashion designer Khadijah Shah - I love the prints and the feminine feel to the whole look, although the company is Pakistan-based so I'm not sure how good the shipping is to the UK!

3. These lace overlay Agha Noor Kurtas
I recently visited the Agha Noor store in Westfield Stratford, and had a quick browse (during my lunch hour at work!). I loved the collection I saw - light pastel colours, embroidered lace and and pretty cuts which are perfect for the summer. I really liked these two below which were on display - the lilac kurta was a really pretty pearl embellished piece, while the pink kurta on the right has a lovely asymmetric hem that I really liked. Both of these are around £55.00 which I thought was really reasonable, and would look great paired with plain white trousers!

4. These embroidered kurtas from Amelia Boutique
I came across this company on Instagram a few weeks ago and loved the pieces I saw - they're beautifully embroiderered and look great for formal occasions. I haven't found out the prices for these yet (I do have a few bookmarked though!) but will be contacting the company soon.

5. The Sania Maskatiya Eid Collection
I've always been a fan of this brand, although it is a bit pricey for me - that doesn't mean I can't ogle at their designs though! This is part of Sania Maskatiya's Eid collection, which I really liked as they looked pretty classic but very wearable. These kurtas are longer than the usual and are also available as 3-piece suits, with prices ranging from £129.00 up to £600 for the heavier formals.

I'll be keeping an eye out for more outfits and kurtas, especially with Eid coming up, and will try to post my finds! If you have any companies you can recommend, do let me know so I can look these up too!

Eid Outfit Inspos!

We all have this struggle every year - what to wear for Eid? My sisters and I always make a trek along the local high streets and either get lucky in finding something we love, or look online and in shops for ages before we finally settle on something.

It's a little cheeky to be looking for Eid outfits before it's even here, but the one thing I've learned for myself is that the earlier I look, the better deals I find and the more happy I am with my outfits!

I thought I'd post a few outfits I've seen recently which have caught my eye as Eid outfit inspirations - even if I don't buy them, treat them as inspiration!

#1 - This Amber Gohar pearl outfit
I saw this online, which is currently being stocked by UK vendor Hina Rasim on her instagram page, and loved the look - pearls, trendy bell sleeves and a gorgeous border on the hem. I quite liked the outfit in white, which would look great as a summer piece. My husband also loved this piece too, but it's slightly more pricier than my budget allows at £250.00, so I'm still thinking about it!

#2 - This Sana Safinaz Luxury Eid Collection piece
Pakistani brand Sana Safinaz released their Eid Collection recently for pre-order, and some of the pieces look really dreamy. My favourite is this pretty piece, a mint and peach ensemble with gorgeous embroidery. It's different from a lot of pieces I've seen in that it's a longer kameez style, but I think it looks pretty chic, and at Rs. 12,500 (that's about £95.00), that's not bad. The only issue is being to actually get it before it sells out, and as these come unstitched, getting a tailor on time!

#3 - This cape-dress from RDC London
RDC London is one of stores, so we always take a look in the shop whenever we're in the area. The black cape-dress on the left caught my eye last week - I loved how elegant the cape looked. It's a little dressier than my usual embroidered kameezes that I go for, but I have a few weddings coming up so this could be handy! I wouldn't pick the black shade (my family tend not to go for black when it comes to Eid these days), but it does come in cream as well. I also saw the red outfit on the right a few weeks back and it looked quite funky to me - a little Russian-inspired to me! Not sure I could pull it off  but it's an interesting idea.

#4 - Agha Noor outfits by Kurta Kouture
You can't go wrong with Agha Noor, it's reasonably priced, easy to wear and looks pretty. UK-based Kurta Kouture stocks a range of Agha Noor and has a few pretty pieces online - I quite liked the pieces below, although I haven't decided on anything yet!

I'll be keeping an eye out for more pieces (watch this space for a Part 2 of this post!), and will post any more ideas I find, whether it's online or in the shops!

I'm also looking to go to a Ramadan souk (bazaar) called The Exhibit at The Bulgari Hotel, Knightsbridge, which is happening in two weeks. This will be a multi-brand trunk show showcasing a range of brands, which I'm hoping to find something at - so more about this soon!

Pakistan Fashion Week London 11 - 2017

Last week saw the 11th Pakistan Fashion Week London, which showcased a range of Pakistani designer's latest collections. I loved the last one which took place last year, and it was interesting to see how a lot of the designers who have returned had gone for a different look.

The event took place at the beautiful Lancaster House, which involved an exhibition for people to buy clothes and accessories, a two-day catwalk show and a ceremony with the Pakistani flag being sent to Pakistan's first ever embassy at Lowndes Square in London.

I wasn't able to attend the event, but was luckily able to get pictures from the official event photographer Shahid Malik and get a glimpse of the outfits! I won't be posting all the photos, but you can see more here and here.

Agha Noor
These were lovely metallic shades of gold and nude - I liked most of these, very wearable!

Aisha Imran
These were in a range of lengha styles - short and long tops, peplum tops and flared out skirts. Some of them are a little busy for my liking but I did like the colours used.

Amour Faith Hope
A range of summery prints, these look ideal for daytime wear, for a more Western look. I'm not sure I'd wear all of these but I did like the summer/holidays vibe to them.

Aminah Badar
A gorgeous nude and neutral-coloured collection, with a good mix for formal pieces and heavier bridals. I do like these, but they just feel too similar to designs already done - Faraz Manan, Elan and Farah Talib Aziz have all done these kind of styles - maybe it's just me? I did like the first two pieces though, which look a little different.

Asaaleh
Apart from the first piece, which is not bad, I didn't like any of the pieces in this collection. Nothing feels original or pretty, although that may just be my own personal tastes.

Ayesha Aejaz
This was an interesting black and rose gold/nude collection, where the designer played with shapes and hem-lines - some of them work, some of them don't. I do like the fact that these can be worn as formals though, and don't feel overloaded with work.

Cheena Chapra
I really liked how colourful this collection was - rich silks, bright colours and beautiful statement dupattas. I think these would be perfect for a mehndi event, and love how they seem to be inspired by the older periods like the 50s and 80s.

Diva by Sana Rashid
I'm not usually a fan of two-toned fabrics, but it works here. I love the mix of the colours with the intricate embroidery here - and how nice are those headpieces?

Gogi by Hassan Riaz
This is pretty wild - a bright red and black collection which seems pretty dramatic and high fashion. Maybe not so wearable, but it does showcase the designer's imagination!

Hamna Amir
This was a jewellery collection, which the focus being on longer-hanging necklaces. I do like the fact that you can layer these though, and loved the earring and necklace set on the end right.

Khaas
This was a collection for formals and everyday occasions, which I like because it's nice to see something on the catwalk which is wearable (and doesn't need alterations!). There wre a lot of floral embroidered pieces and simple cuts, which you can't go wrong with, really.

Khushboo by Qazi
This is a pretty, colouful collection ranged ranged from formals with heavy work, and lenghas with colourful dupattas. I thought some of these were pretty, and can imagine these being worn at weddings in Pakistan as well as the UK as well.

KJ Jewellers
This was another bridal jewellery collection, althoughI will say some of them were a little much for me - I did think the diamond sets were lovely though.

Lajwanti
I thought these were nice, but not amazing - the work doesn't stand out to me, and the outfits feels a little similar to the brand's designs from the last few years.

M Couture
While I like some of the designs for these, I really didn't like the colour combinations, I feel like there were some colours which were slightly mashed together. I did like the first outfit though, which looks lovely with a cape.

Maheen Khan
I thought these were very stylish, with a East-West fusion that made them look simple but elegant.

Maria B
I thought this was a fun collection, which mixed colourful prints and embroidered pieces well.

Mazz Jee
I don't usually post about men's clothing (because I know nothing about it) but though this was an interesting collection - the designer paid tribute to founding father of Pakistan Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah with his pieces.

Miral
This was a luxurious, dark-coloured collection with lots of gold and glitter accents. I thought these were nice as formals, and can imagine wearing these.

Moazzam Abbasi
I thought this was a pretty, summery collection, with lots of cotton and white shades which I can imagine being quite comfortable!

Nihaan by Amna Bibi
This was a really stylish abayah and modest-wear collection, which I liked because I haven't seen many abayahs on the catwalk when it comes to Pakistani fashion. I also liked the mix of jumpsuits with wraps, which I can imagine wearing myself.

Noor By Sadia
I thought these were pretty, but none of the pieces stood out for me particularly. There's a lot of light colours and shorter kameezes which look nice though, and look pretty as bridals.

Rizwan Ahmed
This is another collection which looks pretty, but doesn't stand out amazingly to me, although I did like the theme of gold and red in this collection.

Sana Safinaz
This was a pretty bright colllection with black beading and embellishment, but I think it worked well, giving a fusion East-West look ideal for parties or weddings.

Shamaeel Ansari
This was quite a boho-chic, summery collection - I can imagine these pieces in Zara or Mango! I liked the floral prints and accents on these, and thought it was an interesting mix of rich fabrics and softer colours.

Shazia Kiyani
I quite liked some of these pieces, and the collection had a very royal feel to it which I thought looked good.

Shirin Hassan
Another colourful collection, these would look great as mehndi bridals. I like the fact that there's a range of lenghas and wrap-style angrakha dresses, which are lovely for mehndi and dholki events.

Sonia Mahajan
I thought this was a fun collection, and really liked these pieces - there's a of fun colour and rich fabrics which works well.

Umar Sayeed
This collection had a very 70s, hippie look to it which is different from the designer's usually heavy pieces, although I'm not sure whether I'd wear these.

Umsha by Uzma Babar
This designer's bridals has become pretty popular over the years, with a lot of brides going for the layered look. The designer continues this theme with this collection, with a lot of gold and silver embellishment involved.

Zeshan Bariwala
This was another bridal collection which ranges from gold and red bridals, to the softer shades of grey and pinks. I liked some of these, but didn't think they would be pieces I would wear as a bridal myself.

Credits:
Event Directed by Riwayat
Commissioned by Pakistan High Commission, London
Head Stylist - Nabila
Consultant Advisor - Maheen Khan
Hair and Make up - Saima Kiran
Choreographer - Hajira Ahmad of EBH
Official Photographer - Shahid Malik
PR - Enigme Internationale

My Eid - Day #2

Eid day two was a quieter affair, which was spent at my mum's house with the sisters and the nieces and nephews. My parents are currently getting work done to their house, so there wasn't much opportunity for anything fancy, but it was a nice opportunity to relax with the girls after a busy Eid and enjoy the gorgeous sun.

I opted for something comfortable to wear for this day, which was a comfy embroidered outfit by Sana Safinaz which I purchased a couple of years ago from Dubai, and which is in my favourite shade of purple. I kept the look simple with white flats and simple jewellery, with a plain white clutch.

This is how I wore the outfit, which felt quite pretty on. The kameez for this was originally a longer length, which I altered by cutting to a shorter length and moving the hem-piece higher - more about this in a separate post! 

My older niece and nephews were looking quite smart on the day too - my niece wore a pretty, flowy batwing dress with a sparkly statement necklace and bracelet, and the boys wore matching shirts and chinos whihc were perfect for the summer weather.

And of course the baby nieces wore pretty summer dresses which looked lovely - I loved the maxi dress on the older toddler, and the boho-chic summer print dress on the little one!

I didn't get to take pictures of the food, which were mainly the same from the day before (plus more cake and chocolate!) but it was a lovely day. We also got some very cool presents from each other - I think I agree with my sister that this one was the coolest one though, check her post out and let me know what you think of the candle idea!