This morning, as the Met Gala images rolled in with SRK making his debut, Kiara Advani in sculptural Gaurav Gupta, and the usual internet frenzy over theme hits and misses one thought kept circling in my head: South Asia is finally getting its fashion moment. But where’s Pakistan?
Not in a tokenistic way. Not for diversity points. But meaningfully, creatively, deservedly.
And no, the conversation isn’t about putting a Pakistani celebrity in a Western luxury label for token diversity. That’s been done. The real conversation, the one worth having, is: why isn’t Pakistani fashion being showcased on one of the world’s most visible fashion stages? Why can’t we see a Faraz Manan or Hussain Rehar look paired with dramatic flair and Met-themed imagination? Why can’t we see a Pakistani model walk in something unapologetically local embroidered, vibrant, handcrafted and be given the space to be loud about it?
We’re not short on talent. Our designers from Elan to Sana Safinaz to Mohsin Naveed Ranjha have been creating pieces that marry tradition with drama for years. These aren’t just any bridal designers. They’re storytellers. Textile whisperers. They’ve built an entire visual language grounded in culture, history, and innovation. And quietly but surely they have crossed borders.
Pakistan isn’t just a country with great food and hospitality. It’s a nation draped in centuries-old textile traditions, painstaking hand embroidery, and silhouettes that marry grace with drama. Our artisans create magic with gota, zardozi, tilla, mirror work, and block printing crafts that are slowly being erased or miscredited on international runways.
If the Met Gala is about storytelling through fashion, imagine the narrative a Pakistani designer could deliver. A sari-inspired gown reimagined through a couture lens. A sherwani tailored into a red-carpet suit with exaggerated shoulders. A lehenga merged with tulle for dramatic flair. The possibilities are endless and overdue.
Indian designers like Sabyasachi and Manish Malhotra have already had their Met moments but South Asia is not a monolith. Pakistani fashion is distinct in its subtlety, its elegance, and its blend of East-meets-West.
Raastah has been worn by a lineup that includes Zayn Malik, Timothée Chalamet, Riz Ahmed, Sonam Kapoor, and most recently, Seth Rollins. Faraz Manan continues to dominate Bollywood wardrobes, with regulars like Kareena Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in his designs. Sonam Kapoor has also stepped out in Hussain Rehar.Over in Europe, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands was recently seen in a look by emerging designer Mahpara Khan, while Kate Middleton herself once wore Élan, reaffirming that Pakistani fashion has already passed the ultimate litmus test of international elegance. Sundus Shaheryar’s footwear, designed for Marc Jacobs’ Fall 2024 runway was featured in Vogue USA’s historic December issue, styled by Grace Coddington and photographed by Steven Meisel, worn by Kaia Gerber. And of course, we can’t ignore the Ambani wedding, the fashion Olympics of 2024, where numerous Bollywood celebrities chose Pakistani designers over homegrown ones; proof that even within India’s most exclusive circles, Pakistani fashion is impossible to ignore.
The list doesn’t end there Shehla Chatoor, Kamiar Rokni, Nomi Ansari, Republic by Omar Farooq, Sania Maskatiya, Zara Shahjahan,HSY, Ali Xeeshan the talent pool is deep and diverse. If representation is about storytelling through fashion, then Pakistan has a lot to say and more than enough designers to say it with.
It’s kind of wild when you think about it – how much Western fashion owes to South Asian aesthetics. The beads, the motifs, the layering, the drape — they show up on runways all the time, repackaged as ‘exotic’ or ‘boho’ or whatever the trend of the season is. And yet, when it comes to spotlighting actual South Asian designers, especially Pakistani ones, the biggest platforms go quiet. The Met Gala, for all its drama and grandeur, keeps missing that beat.The Gala claims to celebrate influence, history, and identity, yet somehow skips over a country whose fashion is drenched in all three. The MET Gala should catch up!
