A proud moment for Pakistani fashion industry! Designer Mahpara Khan styled none other than Queen Maxima of the Netherlands at the recent Jordanian Royal Wedding.
A local media outlet spoke to the designer about her stunning gown and the amazing process behind the scenes.
“The design was completely handcrafted,” Khan said, adding that “It took a team of 20 people, rotating in shifts, around 100 days to complete the surface design (embellishments, handwork), while the toile (rough silhouette) took around a week.”
Even though the designer had not met the queen for fittings and measurements, she still managed to amaze everyone.
“In this particular design, there was added complexity of tailoring this to precise measurements without being in physical proximity to the Queen (who resides in the Netherlands),” the designer told Images.
Revealing that it took her “over 90 days” to finish, Khan said, “We had to go back and forth with her stylists for over 90 days to get the fit and fall right.”
Khan revealed how Queen Maxima’s visit to Pakistan in 2019 became the driving force behind the unexpected collaboration. The production house and the royal stylists got in touch later.
“The Queen had seen a few samples at our studio and understood the level of detail and intricacy that would go into each design. This led to several months of coordination and design,” Mahpara said.
Khan recalled the Queen’s visit to her studio in 2019 and how “incredibly genuine she was” and how “her security staff and the people coordinating the visit were down to earth and humble.”
“The challenge was to design a silhouette that was global while keeping the motifs and patterns traditional, as an ode to Pakistan,” explained the master behind the gown.
Diving into details, Khan said that “The outfit created for Queen Maxima was white with silver Mughal patterns fused with traditional dapka, naqshi, resham and gota work.”
The designer also detailed how the “challenge” was to make the dress light enough to carry while still having its ornate and intricate details.
“I feel Pakistani bridal and formal wear is truly unique in that it truly is handcrafted in every sense of the word. The techniques used are ancient, and passed down from generation to generation. When everything is said and done, each dress has 50 different artisans who have worked on it,” she said.
Taking to Instagram, Mahpara wrote, “I had the privilege of designing a custom crafted formal for Her Majesty Queen Maxima of the Netherlands. The design features Mughal patterns fused with traditional dapka, naqshi, resham and gota work.”
“Queen Maxima wore this dress on the wedding reception of Jordan’s Crown Prince Hussain and Princess Rajwa of Saudi Arabia,” the caption further read.
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“I take immense pride in the fact that the craftsmanship and creativity of Pakistan and its artisans was represented on a global scale alongside of the likes of fashion giants such as Elie Saab, Jenny Packham, Prada and others,” she added.
“Here is hoping that more of our artists are featured globally this year – Pakistan Zindabad!” she hoped.
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