By Afshan Shafi
Scintillatingly glam and possessing that fey je ne sais quoi, Lana El Sahely is one of our favourite stylestars. Belonging to privilege, she is highfashion and yet never too done. Read on for some of our fav looks
In Louis Vuitton
In Elie Saab
In Nour Hammour with Roger Vivier accessories
In Valentino
In Celine
At the young age of 17, Rafay Israr caught a lucky break working on Weekends with Mahira. He catapulted to other gigs, getting hired as a backup musician for top music artists, like Atif Aslam, Ali Zafar, Abida Parveen, Edward Maya and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. Inspired by such top level talent, the ambitious young musician started writing and composing his own music. Rafay tells Sana Zehra about his recently released singles Sajni and Beliya
Tell our readers a little about yourself and how you stepped into music?
I ventured into music at the age of 16. As I don’t have any family member in the music industry, it was extremely difficult for me to convince my family. I was able to prove myself though, and they were able to accept music as a legit(imate) career. Initially, I started singing at my school functions. Then, I did unplugged performances at cafes. From there my music journey progressed and I started getting concerts. So far, I have performed in almost 300 concerts all over Pakistan.
What’s your favourite genre in music?
I cannot actually choose a specific genre by saying “I love Xâ€, but for me I love any melody that touches my heart and the tune is catchy. I think, if someone can easily sing along to your song then it’s working.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In five years, I see myself touring with my band and performing all over the world. Watching the crowd lip sync with our songs is truly the best feeling in the world.
Tell us about your latest release Beliya and who composed it?
After my debut song Sajni, I have recently released my second single called Beliya and the response has been amazing. I composed it myself just like I compose all my other songs.
Recently, an Indian record label has signed me on. I’ll talk more about it soon!
What are your upcoming projects? Any new music videos or releases happening anytime soon?
I plan to release a couple of singles this year. Last year. I stopped doing shows and recorded my music so there are a lot of different flavours. We did a lot of collaborations with different musicians, as well and experimented with different genres. The next music video is releasing on Eid ul Azha and I’m super excited for it.
Do you think the music industry is evolving and is there scope for newcomers?
The music industry is stable and evolving. A lot of concerts are now being held so there is always a good scope for new musicians. Upcoming talent can’t complain about not having a platform because there are tons of shows promoting and supporting young talent. Things that are missing right now are music TV channels and record labels.
“Recently, an Indian record label has signed me onâ€
What’s your favourite vacation spot?
Santorini, Greece is my favourite vacation spot. I look forward to shooting my music video there in the near future.
“Upcoming talent can’t complain about not having a platform because there are tons of shows promoting and supporting young talentâ€
If you were offered to work with Bollywood singers, which singer would you like to do a duet with?
Umm the wish list is long though but, to name but a few, I’d love to work with Shilpa Rao, Neha Kakkur and Monali Thakkur.
A few words for your new fans out there?
I would like to thank all my fans out there for such an overwhelming response to Beliya and Sajni. To all those who have not heard my songs, listen to them and post me feedback.
Let’s stand together and support original Pakistani music! XOXO
Who? Aamina Sheikh
Why? The actress looks classy in an embellished velvet pantsuit
Who? Frieha Altaf
Why? The PR maven has expertly paired her ankle strap sandals with her kaftan
Who? Mehwish Hayat
Why? She’s channeling Kim Kardashian-West in a grey figure-hugging dress and flat-ironed hair
Who? Daisy Shah
Why? The B-wood starlet is elegant in a beautiful nude net sari
Who? Mikaal Zulfiqar
Why? Carries his jacket with aplomb
Who? Sanam Saeed
Why? Covered and sophisticated, yet eye-catching
1. WWF Pak Aims to Make Pakistan Greener by Introducing Rung Do Pakistan CampaignÂ
Mass deforestation is an anathema for our country. Only 2% of Pakistan’s area remains forested. Pakistan has the highest deforestation rate in Asia. As per WWF estimates, every year between 2000 and 2010, Pakistan lost forests at an alarming rate of approx. 43,000 hectares, which is equivalent to half the size of Islamabad, mostly because of commercial use of wood and illegal logging. WWF-Pakistan has made its mission to encourage the growth of sustainable forestry to benefit multifariousness and communities that depend on these forests. RUNG DO PAKISTAN by WWF aims to plant 1.4 million trees across Pakistan starting from 14th August 2018 till 14th August 2019. Get involved in taking charge of the country’s future!
2. Open House Sale at ChenOne
ChenOne announces Open House Sale with up to 50% on the entire range. Get 10% cash discount on the entire furniture range. Rush to your nearest ChenOne outlet or shop online at https://www.chenone.com fo for great deals.
3. Just the right look!
Sadya’s Bridal Salon provides excellence in enhancing your natural beauty. Check out
Instagram @Sadyasbridalsalon
Facebook/sadyasbridalsalon
Contact: 03018444151
Both a necessity of life and our guilty pleasure, shoes can make or break an outfit. Here is a list of the biggest shoe trends this year as exhibited on the latest runway shows.
By Eman Bandey
Marco De Vincenzo
Mules — These pointy-toe high heeled slides are on all the most stylish feet these days, including those of the high priestess of fashion, Victoria Beckham.
Phillip Lim
Slingbacks — Super comfy, yet dressed up looking at the same time, slingbacks should be a perennial in your closet. Reminiscent of the 80s, modern iteration includes block as well as kitten heels. The colours run from good ol’ black to pretty pastels.
Balenciaga
Ugly sneakers — Aka Dad sneakers are everywhere this season. They’re big and bulky but give you height and are comfortable to boot. The trend started by Balenciaga can now be found at Zara.
Malone Souliers
Kitten heels — Aah the comfort of having a low heel that gives you an elegant high heel gait without the teetering! Going with formal attire to a daytime look, these versatile ladylike shoes are sheer bliss.
Chanel
Clear Shoes — PVC, acrylic, clear vinyl who knew high fashion was headed towards plastic. After Kim K-West started sported her Yeezy sandals a few seasons back bringing them into fashion, last year Chanel took the trend to another level with its lucite boot, worth a pretty penny. Now clear shoes come in a whole lot of variations and price points.
Céline
Curvy Shoes — Starting with the YSL shaped heel, this trend is now moving towards curvy heels. It’s more interesting than your basic, straight heel.
Ganni
Cowboy Boots — Kick up some dust in a pair. They’ve recently been spotted on several street style stars at various Western Fashion Weeks. You too can follow the trend in the F/W season by mixing cowboy boots with feminine dresses and skirts.
Michael Kors
All white — The industry’s penchant for white shoes continues. With this year’s deadly summer heat, there are plenty of chic, Tipp-Ex white sandals on offer. One particularly desirable pair was introduced by Michael Kors, while another great super comfy shoe is a super white wedge by Gucci.
Asos
Embellishments — Maximalistic is the name of the game right now, especially with Dolce & Gabbana’s embellished shoes. This trend can be easily DIY-ed. Glitzy shoes can add pizzaz to a masculine-looking suit and even spruce up your everyday jeans and t-shirt.
Mahlia S. Lon
Bridal designers catering to various price points abound in Lahore and Karachi, but shopping choices in Islamabad have always been more limited. Meet Shazia Kiyani who set up one of the city’s first bridal studios. In this issue, she tells us why it’s important for her to give her clients unbiased advice on what suits their specific body types; she also gives us a heads up on the colour palette and silhouettes of her upcoming F/W Bridal Collection. We also have a feature on all the shoe styles on trend at the moment. Accessories are expensive, like everything else, and it’s useful to read this before investing in your next pair of shoes. In addition, singer/songwriter Rafay Israr tells us how he got from being a backup musician to signing with a big Indian music label. Actors, Inayat Khan and Sana Fakhar, from the big budget comedy Jackpot, generously give us insight into their personal lives. With this and much more, GT wishes you Happy Independence Day!
Mahlia S. Lon
Pakistan is on everyone’s mind these days. Just in time for the country’s 71st Independence Day celebrations, we asked celebs if they could change one thing about the country, what would it be? What would you change? Let’s become that change with each of us responsible for whatever influence we ourselves have. Talk is cheap, so let’s put our time, money and effort where our mouth is!
With Fall around the corner, we’ve done some international trend spotting for you. The House of Dior has been bombarding Instagram with images of world famous millennials like Gigi Hadid carrying the Dior Saddle Bag bringing it back in popularity. For those of you who can remember, in the 90s the Dior Saddle Bag and the Fendi Baguettes were The fashionable bags to carry. So if you’ve got one hiding at the back of your closet, now will be the time to pull it out and dust it off, ready for active duty on your arm. Great quality and design never goes out of style.
With fashion plus interviews with actor Yasir Hussain, anchorman Kashif Abbasi, as well as musicians Ali Hamza and Zohaib Kami in addition to the Sindhi folktale of Momal Rano, we present you the latest issue of GT. Pakistan Zindabad!
