There was plenty of conjecture surrounding Bakhtawar Bhutto’s
engagement-not least what she would be wearing on her big day. There were no
clues; no hush-hush images released from a designer’s atelier and no BTS
videos. And yet; when Bakhtawar uploaded her engagement portrait with her
fiancé; under a glorious pink bougainvillea tree; fashion aficionados were
quickly able to discern that her tea pink outfit; with an ornately embroidered
shawl draped over it; was the work of designer Nida Azwer. The shawl; particularly;
was quintessential Nida. The designer has always had a penchant for luxurious
shawls with miniature Mughal scenes etched out on them with the daintiest hand
embroideries. Nida’s shawls are her best sellers; coveted by a discerning
clientele that recognizes their worth. Bakhtawar had her own particular vision
regarding how she wanted her engagement shawl to be, taking it beyond Nida’s
usual Mughal scenery. ‘It was all very exciting for me as a designer because I
was creating a detailed bespoke piece;’ says Nida. ‘Bakhtawar particularly
wanted her mother to be a part of her day and we sat and decided how she wanted
the shawl to be. I had to research a lot and look at the pictures that she
provided me with; creating detailed sketches before translating them with cloth
and thread.’ Describing the shawl; Nida says; ‘The shawl has two pallus;
telling two different stories. One side is embroidered with images from
Bakhtawar’s past; her parents’ wedding day with her mother sitting on one side
and her father on the other; she and her siblings playing in children’s push cars;
an image of her grandmother; a desk with Pakistan’s flag on it; a study with
books on the shelves; Bakhtawar with her cellphone and McDonald’s fries and
nuggets perhaps because she and her siblings used to like eating them! The
other side of the shawl captures Bakhtawar’s current life and her future; how
she met her fiancé; how he proposed; her home; her garden; her pet dogs.’ ‘And
then; the central panel is etched with the sun and the sky; with beautiful bids
flying on it; holding together the two sides to Bakhtawar’s world.’
How long did
it take for the shawl to get made?
‘It did take some time;’ Nida
admits; ‘because it is entirely hand embroidered. Bakhtwar wore it over a tea
pink peshwaz with tone on tone embroidery. It was very understated but classic.’
How did Nida end up dressing Bakhtawar Bhutto on one of the biggest days of her
life? ‘She approached me;’ she states simply. ‘I have dressed her sister
before. It takes a certain kind of person to forego bling and opt for a design
that is entirely based on craft. I think Bakhtawar is like that; she enjoys
fine detailing.’
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