Are people buying clothes while the threat of a deadly pandemic persistently looms over them? With the government sequestering them into lockdowns, urging them to resist physical human contact, are they inclined towards buying that designer outfit advertised on social media, its price slashed down in a sale? Even if they do want to engage in retail therapy, are they rethinking it: should the money be spent on clothes or set aside for groceries or medicines? With the economy crumbling under the burden of layoffs and pay cuts, are sartorial inclinations no longer a priority?

And in a post-pandemic world, will people have enough money to celebrate by splurging on designer-wear? For the layperson, these may simply be budgeting decisions ensuring survival at a time when cash liquidity will be at an all-time low. But for fashion designers, around the world, these are questions that hang their future in the balance. Fashion, after all, is a luxury. And as the world revives, slowly picking up the pieces scattered so decisively by the coronavirus, spending on luxuries is veritably going to decline.

Even once the coronavirus gets reined in — and we still wait for this to happen — the economic after-effects will likely be felt for many months to come. It’s going to be a tough few months for every business, across the world, including the business of Pakistani fashion. The local industry may not be a behemoth but it has been growing constantly, strengthening its customer-base with retail stores, regular seasonal collections, fashion week showcases, clever marketing strategies and e-commerce. But a single apocalyptical virus called Covid-19 has now shaken these carefully placed building blocks.

But perhaps it was time to rebuild fashion anyway. For some years now, far too many fashion events were littered through the year, allowing mediocrity and replicas on to catwalks. Designers switched loyalties from one city to the other, one fashion event to the other, sidelining genuine creativity and originality and replacing it with flash-and-bang shows that relied on celebrity appeal to gain mileage. The high-street, on the other hand, was also expanding breakneck, catering to a clientele with a taste for fast fashion. If this meant plagiarising designs off the internet or not caring about sustainable, ethical production means, then so be it, seemed to be the mantra.

The fashion industry, like others, is helping out in any way it can in these troubled times. But the question that looms is: with the economy crumbling under the burden of layoffs and pay cuts, how much of a priority will sartorial inclinations be?

Fashion’s old guard — the ones who had laid the industry’s first foundations — reminisced about the creative, exciting days of yore. Present-day fashion, in contrast, was a circus. The coronavirus, for all its harrowing consequences, is possibly forcing the circus to call it a day.

Saad Ali, CEO of the Lahore-based Pakistan Fashion Design Council, astutely observes, “Perhaps the fashion industry needed to evolve to the next level. Perhaps it is time anyway to reinvent fashion and fashion weeks.”

Designer Maheen Khan, Chairperson of the Karachi-based Fashion Pakistan Council, says, “We will be living in a different world now. And fashion, just like everything else, will have to adapt. I think, eventually, we may all be designing matching face masks with every outfit. And I’m not joking here!”

Fashion helps out

Couture masks, though the notion seems ridiculous right now, may really be part of the future of fashion. But at present, in Pakistan’s hour of need, with their businesses having slowed down, there are designers who are trying to give back to the country.

In fact, major labels all over the world have been stepping up to do what they can. Ralph Lauren, Gap, Burberry, Dior, Prada and Emporio Armani are among the many who have set aside their productions and diverted their manufacturing units towards making protective gear for healthcare workers. The priority is to create gear that fulfills PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) standards so that doctors dealing directly with Covid-19-infected patients remain protected. Unfortunately, as the virus continues to run its course through the world, the material required for PPE is becoming harder to procure.

In Pakistan, designer Asim Jofa was the first to initiate the creation of PPE gear for medical personnel and was able to import some of the fabric at the right time. “I managed to obtain enough fabric for the creation of 5,000 suits which are being distributed for free to hospitals,” says the designer. “The suits have been approved by Dr Seemin Jamali, Executive Director at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC). My team and I have worked very hard, trying to do the best that we can. I feel proud that no one from my team asked for any extra pay for working long hours on the development of the suits.”

Similarly, designer Deepak Perwani has relegated his production units to the creation of PPE gear. “Right now, I’m not really looking at profit and loss,” Deepak points out. “I have always believed in fighting for my country and trying to do what I can. This is what I can do right now.”

Fledgling brand Lulusar is manufacturing a wide range of protective gear: reusable and disposable suits fulfilling PPE standards and three-layered fabric masks. The brand has also imported in surgical masks and N-95 masks that maximise protection. Similarly, high-street brand Outfitters is manufacturing disposable as well as reusable suits that have been approved by hospitals and are being distributed to hospitals in major urban centres as well as those in smaller towns and cities.

Nevertheless, the limited supply of PPE material means that some brands can only opt to create thick cloth masks. High-street and textile export heavyweight Sapphire has been manufacturing masks that are being distributed for free. Nabeel Abdullah, CEO at Sapphire, explains, “The three layer fabric masks and protective gowns that we are creating can’t eliminate the risk of the virus altogether. But they can reduce the risk.”

Maheen Khan, also creating fabric masks particularly for the Indus Hospital, says, “Some protection is better than no protection at all. And I intend to upload a tutorial that teaches people how to stitch these masks themselves, in their homes.”

With factories in Karachi shut down, other major brands are hoping to assist in the fight against coronavirus once the lockdown is lifted. Khurram Koraishy, the Head of Commercial at AlKaram, explains: “AlKaram Studio initiated remote working even before the lockdown was imposed by the government. Prior to this, the company manufactured 20,000 cloth masks that were distributed to employees and their families. Now, once production is reopened, we are willing to help the government however we can — with the creation of masks, protective overalls or even providing clean bed linen to hospitals.”

Efforts are also being made to counter the economic consequences of the lockdown, with individuals across Pakistan collecting rations to support the households of daily wage workers. When panic due to the virus first broke out, designer Nomi Ansari worked alongside radio jockey Anoushey Ashraf to collect ration bags. Retail heavyweight Khaadi has also opted to work in collaboration with Karachi Relief Trust and the Sindh Relief Initiative to provide ration bags. The brand will also be providing bed linen for isolation wards and hospitals dealing with the Covid-19 crisis.

Designer HSY says, “Everyone is trying to help out in their own capacity, whether it’s by distributing food or collecting ration.”

Bringing the focus back to fashion, however, not every brand is able to help. Fashion, after all, is facing a crisis of its own. Apparel brands are struggling to remain afloat while sales remain nil. International labels such as H&M, Macy’s and Zara have already closed down a large contingent of their stores, resulting in lay-offs. Within Pakistan as well, a large number of brands are just trying to do their part by retaining the workers in their manufacturing units despite the fact that business has slowed down or worse, is at a standstill.

Catch-22: Who is going to help fashion?

A bridal designer — who prefers to stay anonymous — lays out the problems. “A lot of bridal orders come in for the March-April wedding season and, at this point, I have all of those ready at my studio. But weddings have gotten postponed and customers aren’t coming to pick up their clothes and pay for them. They may have paid a certain percentage in advance but I don’t know how long I will be able to stretch that money in order to pay the 200-odd employees that work for me.”

The lockdown also took place at a time when designers were gearing to launch spring/summer lawn collections that tend to be big money-earners. For instance, both Zara Shahjahan and Khadijah Shah of Elan promptly postponed bringing their lawns into the market when panic began to escalate. “I’m going to wait it out until I feel that things are better,” says Khadijah Shah. “Fortunately, we have a long summer in Pakistan so it is going to be lawn weather for a while.”

High-street stores were similarly in the process of launching unstitched lawn collections and creating inventory for Ramazan and, subsequently, Eidul Fitr — a time when buying normally tends to be high. “This time, consumers’ disposable income is going to be low,” says Nabeel Abdullah of Sapphire. “We will definitely be reflecting on and reevaluating the business.”

“There will be less retail stores and I think businesses will be reinventing themselves, focusing on their core strengths,” observes Khaadi’s CEO, Shamoon Sultan.

According to Umair Tabani, the CEO at Sania Maskatiya, customers will be buying less and will want greater value for money. “More than anything else, sales will be focused on bridal-wear and trousseau,” he predicts. “People may make fewer impulse purchases but they still tend to have bigger budgets for weddings.”

Are layoffs going to be inevitable? Yes, if the lockdown and the panic due to Covid-19 goes on for long. It is heartening, however, that most designers are currently trying to retain their workforce although, with revenue nose-diving, there will be pay cuts in the near future.

Couturier Rizwan Beyg suggests that brands will have to change their production processes. “I’m fortunate that I work with craft clusters in southern Punjab. Women, sitting in their homes, have always embellished fabric for me, which is then stitched by my team of tailors in Karachi. For now, with the lockdown on businesses in place, I’ve told my tailors to take their sewing machines home so that they can continue to do their work. There will definitely be less work to do but some work — and some revenue — is better than none at all.

“Other brands that have large manufacturing units for embellishment and stitching are facing bigger obstacles,” Rizwan continues. “I think, eventually, they will also have to downsize, create smaller product lines and shift machinery to workers’ homes so that the social distancing requirements are fulfilled.”

A new world order for fashion

Interestingly, fashion marketing may also have a turnaround. High-end couturiers, selling embellished designs at several millions of rupees, are likely to find it difficult to advertise these prices on social media. With layoffs and pay cuts on the rise, it would be insensitive to draw attention to the lucky few who will still be able to splurge millions on clothes. Social media users are likely to get offended — and they will, certainly, proceed to troll these designers for weeks.

“This is a time when we have to be very careful with what we do and how we advertise,” says Shehnaz Basit, Chief Operating Officer at Gul Ahmed. “Customers will appreciate low prices and high quality control. And when all this is over, brands that have behaved ethically and sensitively will last the long haul.”

Designer HSY prophecies a positive future. “When the Spanish flu epidemic ended around 1920, the world stepped out in celebration. That era is remembered as the roaring ’20s. But the only brands that did well were the ones that had strategically planned out their business structures and had developed strong personal connections with their customers.”

Khurram Koraishy of AlKaram says, “Retail is always an early indicator of economic downturns and we know that it’s going to be a tough few quarters. But we are a resilient nation. We’ve weathered recessions before and we’ll get through this.”

But it’s going to be a new world once we do get through this. And it’s going to be a new fashion industry. There may be less fashion weeks, pointlessly showcasing mundane substandard design. There may be less fast fashion where people buy like there’s no tomorrow and give away clothes within weeks, bored of them. There may be less substandard quality and plagiarism with buyers becoming more discerning about what they buy. There may be smaller product lines catering to a customer who will buy the one lawn suit that she likes rather than impulsively buy five. There may also be greater sensitivity with brands refraining from celebrating affluence in a world weighed down by economic troubles.

And that may not be a bad thing after all.

Published in Dawn, ICON, April 12th, 2020