I never heard of this lady or her line, but apparently she is well known in the fashion circles.. She was hired y PIA to design a new uniform for their stewardes’. About time if you ask me…
Two years back, Tahseen Ali Khan had no problem with her name. The ‘Ali Khan’ fashion products could be spotted at the US’ prestigious department stores like, Bloomingdales, Macys, Saks Fifth Avenue and Dillard’s. Tahseen herself could be seen at exhibitions at the Metropolitan and Guggenheim museums. She was present at other classy places whose guest lists included the heavy metal of global society such as Prince Sadruddin, Begum Yasmin Aga Khan and Kofi Annan. And then came September 11, becoming a point of reference for everybody of life before and after the tragedy. Tahseen also became part of the huge tide. She was forced to change the brand name of ‘Ali Khan’ to ‘Mystique’ for one of her buyers.
“Sept 11 didn’t affect me too adversely because there was no open hostility towards me. But I can’t say that there was no reaction at all. I’d worked hard to become recognized as Ali Khan and then it had to be changed. There are still a few stores which use this name because of the instant quality recognition of my product,” reveals Tahseen. The fashion designer added ‘Mystique’ to her brand of products, which stamped the market stronger than before, giving little time to Tahseen to dwell on the loss of name.
Earlier this year, Tahseen, the president of Ali Khan Designs Inc was shortlisted by PIA from 36 countrywide hopefuls to redesign the uniform of its stewardesses. Tahseen Ali Khan’s menu card was already full. Since 1990, Ali Khan Inc had been servicing major retailers in North America in craft-designing silverware, art objects for interiors, table-tops, picture frames, bookmarks and a host of other exquisite accessories and giftware. The entrance to product and fashion designing, guarded heavily by western designers, was forced open for her. Some of her designs, she explains, were being ‘knocked off.’ “I find that healthy for recognition. It means your designs are popular enough to be copied by others.”
The call from the PIA had her team at Fifth Avenue and Long Island City spinning around her in nervousness. It was a bad time to leave the US. Ali Khan Inc was in the thick of preparing for the market week held annually for US retail buyers in New York. But picking up the PIA’s outfit for women from where Pierre Cardin had left off in the 60s was too great a temptation for Tahseen to ignore.
“Pierre Cardin was the last designer hired before the uniform was changed to what it is today,” continues the graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She came to Pakistan for a few days to meet the PIA officials. What with flying between Karachi and Islamabad, Tahseen could only spare a day to spend at her family home in Lahore.
“I fly off tomorrow for New York at 4am to prepare for my market week’s presentation.” Taking a gulab jamun from the tea-trolley she places it delicately in her mouth. While wiping her crimson coloured nails on a tissue she says: “You see, it’s not like here where a designer chooses to fix a date for a show. In the West, if you want to stay in business, you have to have two shows each year for ready-to-wear and five for accessories.”
Tahseen crosses her legs to recline comfortably on the sofa. What is evident is her perfect poise in not slouching her body, not even for a brief period of comfort! Little space for sloppiness is left around a woman who comes packed to the limit with elegance and sophistication. If her own outfit is to be set as a standard to determine her designing skills, then PIA’s air hostesses can once again become the rave of aviation.
The future attire of these flight attendants will be a shalwar kameez with a cowl serving as a dupatta. “The PIA chairman said that the stewardesses needed to feel comfortable in what they wore. So, I have thought of giving them something which may not be a heavy duty fashion statement, but it’s definitely a dressed up uniform.” Using a blend of wool-polyester, known as ‘cool wool,’ the uniform will be an all season’s wear.
“I’ve used cool tones of blue, midnight blue, turquoise and lilac. The tones are peaceful, calming and harmonious.” The cowl, which will be substituting for an oversized dupatta, will work both ways in providing modesty and style. “You know, a dupatta is like a shackle for a woman. You are always wondering whether it’s properly covering you or not. She is fussing with it all the time which is extremely impractical for a working woman,” reasons the designer.
But the challenge for Tahseen is not getting recognition for PIA’s outfit, but trying to get the Pakistani body type logged. “It’s never been standardized before. We are logging the size of every stewardess and taking an average. It’s like turning the Titanic mid-water,” confesses the lady.
If the bureaucracy stays committed, the stylish figure of a PIA air hostess will be airborne some time early next year wearing the Ali Khan label.
But still, let’s be patriotic ok. After all, it IS Pakistan’s own national airline! :k: