What Inspires Ali Xeeshan To Re-invent His Collections Everytime!

So I thought I will start my first blog with glimpses of my thoughts and the many inspirations I surround myself to deliver collections that satisfies the designer in me. If I wasn’t a designer, I would have been a designer – no two ways about that one.

In general I love history and culture, royalty, retro,  colors, intricacy, gold, beauty – while all elements need to come together as one design ultimately, I like to have a universe embedded within them.

Starting with my last collection Daastaan is made of some extremely enticingly royal, yet very wearable pieces for both men and women reminiscent of kings and queens (Maharaja’s) of the Monarch era. The use of new colors and florals help make this collection a runway and runaway hit (pun intended), as described in several tabloids.

But the one question I’ve been getting asked is – What inspired Daastaan ?

Due to the many unfortunate events that have happened recently, I aim to promote the cultural and very yet colorful side of Pakistan. My endeavors have been to showcase the Desi rich cultural background and I hope that’s reflected in these bridal collections. “Daastaan” from the ramp of TBCW 2014 was contemplation to the iconic movie “Mughal-e-Azam and to the golden era of the Mughal Empire.

References from Mughal-e-Azam are evident in the Daastaan collection in decorative headgear, the long veils and flowing silhouettes that were noted in most of the pieces showcased.

Most of the time, I love the art and aura of films. I am inspired by the charm and magic of the Silver Screen (particularly the casts and characters of the typical Old School 60’s and 70’s cinema). I recently showcased my Spring/Summer 2014 collection titled “Trouble”.  This collection in particular, commemorated the golden days of Pakistani film industry.

One very difficult to miss aspect in my designs is the South East Asian touch to each of my creations, whether it’s in my  couture wear, the wedding planning or the event management skills. I’ve often been written about as setting new parameters in the field of design. In hindsight, I think the fact that I draw inspiration from other beautiful canvases helps my creations turn out the way they do.

My recent collection “Baghawat” was inspired by Roman warriors and the idea of defiance itself, and was showcased at the second day of PFDC L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week 2014 (PLBW) which as expected came up to the mark.

Fashion Pakistan USA held its second annual fashion show featuring some of the top designers from Pakistan, in November 2014 where critics greatly appreciated my work and saw Pakistani culture and fashion with a new lens.

Currently, I’m also preparing for the Lawn collection as well as the upcoming showcasing at Sunsilk PFDC Fashion Week 2015.