Indian fashion: the epitome of glamour
Beyond Bollywood: A Hidden Gem
Raaz boutique is known for its bejeweled, opulent creations. The name may sound familiar because Raaz has been featured in Fashion Focus Chicago for two consecutive years, garnering attention for its unique and glamorous creations.
Raaz’s success started well before Fashion Focus Chicago. This hidden gem on Devon Avenue has been the fashion home to the “who’s-who” of the Indian and Pakistani community in Chicago since the 1980s, and more recently its clientele has included ABC 7 News anchor Cheryl Burton.
“I don’t carry for the masses. I have a small but discerning clientele. I cater to those who appreciate the beauty and value of designer pieces,” says Zainab Eqbal, owner and creative director. Never mass-produced, Eqbal’s pieces are known to disappear as quickly as they arrive.
So what makes her patrons so loyal to Raaz? This architect-turned fashion-guru tells us it’s her eye for design, structure and quality.
“As an architect, I pay attention to every detail, particularly the embroidery and the cuts,” says Eqbal.
Raaz opened its doors in the 1980s, after Eqbal, deeply dissatisfied with the then-existing boutiques on Devon Avenue, decided to pursue her hobby and bring unique Indian designs to Chicago.
What emerged was a couture twist on Indian fashion. Raaz carries high-end clothing that is so intricate and detailed that it often looks like pieces of jewelry.
“I carry a little bit of every style, but everything you see will be very intricate, very detail-oriented,” says Eqbal of her bejeweled tunics, extravagant saris, and trouser-style pant-suits.
Pictured above right: Find bejeweled creations at Raaz
Traditional Garments Translated to Today’s Trends
Meet the Nordstrom of Devon Avenue—Sahil boutique. While it’s not quite a department store, upon first sight one may mistake the colossal, multi-level showroom as such. Owner and creative director Bhavesh Patel is the brains behind the recently renovated Sahil, but says his boutique retains the same philosophies it was founded on.
“I look for practicality. My philosophy is to make something that you can wear. Our designs are trendy but still wearable,” says Patel.
Part of a cluster of Devon Avenue shops owned by the well-known Patel family, Sahil’s massive showroom is geared towards a wider audience. Sahil features trendy saris, fun tunics as well as more traditional Indian pieces.
Patel operates what he calls a “design cell” in Mumbai, where over 20 Mumbai-based designers work behind the Sahil name. Sahil also carries pieces from acclaimed Indian designers Vikram Phadnis, Satya Paul and Manish Malhotra—all known for their trendy styles and Bollywood-favored collections. Manish Malhotra, specifically, has drawn celebrities like Reese Witherspoon to his Mumbai-based boutique.
Sahil’s specialty lies in the sari, which he says has been redefined from a traditional Indian garment to a hip, up-to-the-minute creation.
“It’s definitely not your mother’s sari. The sari today has revolutionized. It can still maintain some traditional embroidery, but the cuts are very trendy,” says Patel.
Pictured above left: Find trendy saris and fun tunics at Sahil
From Bollywood to Paris
For his Fall 2007 collection, Jean Paul Gaultier featured a special section dedicated to the royal maharajas of India—complete with jeweled turbans, nehru collars galore and beaded tunics. Earlier, Georgio Armani had showcased his Spring 2007 Armani Prive line, which also paid homage to India through its embellishments, kurta tunics, and Indian-inspired cuts.
“It makes me proud because it shows these designers have an appreciation for the culture,” says Eqbal.
Raaz Boutique itself is backed by big Indian labels. The designers Eqbal prefers to stock her small but stately showroom are well known in the international fashion scene. Among them are Manish Arora, most famous for his trendy London Fashion Week displays; Ritu Kumar, known in India for her regal creations; Faiza Sami, commissioned by London’s esteemed Victoria Albert Museum for her mughal-themed dresses; and Rohit Bal, whom Eqbal fondly refers to as “the king of Indian fashion.”
“If Rohit Bal were here in the United States or Europe, he could compete with every designer. I have no doubt in my mind that he could,” says Eqbal.
That’s not to say that Eqbal undermines the fashion houses of the world; she actually has a deep appreciation for them. She credits Armani as one of her favorites, and while Eqbal’s top choice is French couture designer Christian Lacroix (it’s no coincidence that the Manish Arora label available at Raaz has been dubbed “the Lacroix of India”), she feels that in order to experience true Indian fashion, one must go to the source-- an Indian designer.
“Rohit Bal for example has a great western flair for design. He takes in the eastern values and embroideries, with western tucks and western cuts. So very innovative,” says Eqbal.
Eqbal’s enthusiasm has been seen in European audiences when Indian collections have debuted abroad. Take Manish Arora’s rave reviews during London Fashion Week, for example. Perhaps the innovative craftsmanship that blends east and west, as Eqbal suggests, is precisely what makes the Indian collections sizzle.
“That is definitely it. If this were five years ago, I would never say such great things about Indian designers. But they’ve advanced; now they can compete with any ‘western’ designer because the craftsmanship and quality is excellent. To me, they are more ahead in the fashion world now,” says Eqbal.
Sahil’s most noteworthy designers, Manish Malhotra and Satya Paul, also have garnered much international attention for their unique cuts and trendy animal prints, coupled with Indian embroidery, that can appeal to everyone—Indian or not.
“It’s a great feeling to see someone who is not Indian wearing my pieces. That’s when you know that Indian fashion is making its mark,” says Patel.
Eqbal echoes a similar sentiment.
“I feel so inspired and proud when I see women of other ethnicities wearing Raaz creations, because it shows they are accepting my pieces as their own,” says Eqbal.
Pictured above right: Browse unique creations at Razz
◊ January 2008
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