By Jai

Given the ongoing discussions about niqabs, burkhas and so on, along with some of the scaremongering caricatures of Muslims which are being promoted in some quarters, this may be a good time to mention Fashion Pakistan Week.

It’s a major annual event involving Pakistani designers and high-end fashion shows in major cities such as Lahore and Karachi, where such fashion shows occur on a regular basis.

Originally published on Pickled Politics

The most recent Fashion Pakistan Week was held last autumn, and was partly motivated by a deliberate decision on the part of the participants to defy the recent attempts of Islamist extremists & militants to “Talibanise” the country. Hopefully the information below should further challenge stereotypes about Muslims in that part of the world, at least where the more affluent and/or progressive sections of Pakistani society are concerned.

Along with the designers, all of the models are also Pakistani.

A short documentary segment by CNN:

And a slideshow by Time magazine.

Interested readers can find detailed articles about the event here and here.