Teacher by day, designer by night, Iqbal started her fashion business our of her Richmond Hill, Ontario home just 15 months ago. Catering to Pakistani women, her basement boutique is among a new wave of underground shopping for fashionable kameez.
The women at the basement boutiques know exactly what’s in season thousands of miles away in their homeland. In Lahore and Karachi, flowing A-line and embroidered kameez tunics, large prints on long chiffon scarves, and culottes-style shalwar pants are in. Here in Toronto, basement boutiques is where they can find it all.
"The young crowd is fed up with getting clothes from Pakistan, and relying on their mothers or aunts for new clothes. They want to take control now of what they wear," says Nazish Khan, who runs Naz Fashion Bug, a ‘basement boutiques’ out of her Milton home.
Your next colourful kameez shopping experience should start at one of these basement boutiques. See a full list via URL.
NOTE: Featured images are from Karachi Fashion Week.
Basement Boutiques
Iqbal's Underground Fashion Trends from Lahore, Karachi
Trend Themes
1. Underground Shopping - The rise of basement boutique businesses presents opportunity for disruptive innovation in retail and online sales strategies.
2. Ethnic Fashion - There is potential for disruption in the fashion industry by catering to under-served ethnic markets with authentic attire and style options.
3. Empowerment in Fashion - More people are seeking to take control of their fashion choices, opening up opportunities for customization and personalization services.
Industry Implications
1. Fashion Retail - Fashion retailers can explore alternative business models that cater to niche markets, such as ethnic minorities.
2. Online Marketplace - The rise of underground shopping presents an opportunity for online platforms to connect niche boutiques with customers.
3. Custom Apparel - The trend towards consumer empowerment in fashion presents an opening for custom apparel and accessories providers.