Extemporaneous statements and incorrigible behaviour are two factors that are starting to define Pakistani fashion designer Maria Butt, popularly known as Maria B, instead of her signature haute couture. The designer’s untoward stints every now and then are not only putting her brand in jeopardy but also offending millions of other people.
With yet another blood-boiling, skin-crawling, exasperating incident instigated by Maria, the internet is disgruntled, to say the least, including Musaddiq Malek, an actor associated with the Bahawalpur community who believes that is crucial to preserve cultural heritage and the significance of ancestral properties, particularly in a country like Pakistan which has a rich cultural history.
For background context, Changez Khan, grandson of Sahibzada Mohammad Daud Khan Abbasi, son of the last nawab of the Abbasi family from Bahawalpur — who were once the nawabs of the princely state — called out the brand for its misuse of their private family graveyard to shoot for the designer’s new collection ‘Roohi,’ with pictures initially posted on Facebook on Thursday.
When Khan lambasted the brand on his Instagram account accusing Maria B of an unauthorized photoshoot where a model twirled in her dress over his “Nana’s grave,” all hell broke loose.
In response to the backlash, the fashionista apologized for the “unfortunate incident” and stated that “the shoot was edited and published without any prior knowledge” however, the internet isn’t buying Maria’s implausible story. The Facebook page also deleted the pictures and videos from the campaign.
Alike many others, Malek condemned the designer for showing blatant disrespect towards the cultural and historical significance of the burial ground and the community’s sentiments.
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The incident since sparked a debate about the use of private properties for commercial purposes and the need for sensitivity towards cultural and historical heritage. It highlights the need for brands and individuals to be mindful of the cultural and historical significance of private properties and to act with sensitivity and respect toward them.
The place is discussion is an old Royal Graveyard in Ahmadpur Sharqiya Tehsil of Bahawalpur where Abbasi Nawab family heads have been laid to rest while only members of the Abbasi family and people who come to pray at the graves are allowed in that area.
