Saleeha Kashif remained a household name up till now but her upcoming luxury pret exhibit in Lahore is about to put the designer’s name on the fashion radar.

Fascinated by experimenting with new colors and styles on herself, she quickly grabbed the attention of friends and family. Right out of college, she began designing clothes based out of her house and business flourished. Today, she has a large clientele in Lahore, Karachi and North America, mostly by word of mouth.

Now, her main focus is to build Saleeha Kashif brand and take it to the next level. Her upcoming collection titled ‘Feathers & Ferns’ takes inspiration from nature and bird species. The dainty designs have lots of intricate embroidery appliquéd onto sheer fabrics like silk, organza and net.

Perfect for summers, the semi-formal line entails muted and neutral tones that work beautifully with her subtle yet chic and stylish signature looks. The cuts are Western and on trend- we saw capes, peplums, kimonos, short shirts, cigarette and boot cut pants and jackets. Prices vary between RS.10, 000 to RS. 35,000.

Most designs can be adorned on special occasions like Eid, pre-wedding functions and other formal occasions.

“My effort is to give the best impression, a unique yet wearable one,” Saleeha stated. “We will never compromise on fabric quality or our colors won’t fade. Our focus is to retain our customers.”

Stepping in the fashion business now is not easy, as the market dynamics have changed. It is highly competitive and saturated and Saleeha agrees that every designer has pret to offer. But she’s always had a penchant for fashion and only those who have the talent, skill and inborn flair for it can survive this cutthroat industry.

Apart from semi-formal wear, the brand deals in heavy formals and bridals as well.

“Bridals are my favourite bit and I love doing them. I love combining intricate details and there is larger scope of showing my creativity through them.”

Although her pret looks are subtle and subdued, her bridal collection one can call is ‘Mughal-driven’- which are gaudy, over the top, loud with sudden pops of colour and absolutely regal.

She likes to use mukaish, kamdaani and reysham colors, incorporating gems, crystals and mirrors that keeps things interesting.

For now, Saleeha Kashif plans to enter the fashion game field with her launch of ‘Feathers & Ferns’ on Saturday 23^rd April at Cosa Nostra. We at Brides&You wish her all the best.