Zainab Chottani opens first flagship store in Karachi

One of our favourite designers, Zainab Chottani launched the first flagship store in Karachi two days ago. Social media was abuzz by the launch pictures; her gorgeous pieces, lavish store, breathtaking décor and a very happening red carpet ablaze with celebrities were all anyone could see and talk about even though there were two more brands had organised their events that day.

“I am very excited to launch my first flagship store where all my customers can come and buy my creations,” said an excited Zainab and continued, “I have received such a wonderful response and love from my friends and family, and it is because of them where I stand today.” 

Without a doubt, Zainab Chottani is a brand that speaks volume; her approach toward business is simple and straightforward, and her design aesthetic minimal and clean – a combination that has made her successful. She has showcased her designs both, locally and internationally becoming an established name by taking over the fashion industry one step at a time with her prêt, couture, and bridals in a diverse clothing range from intricately embellished bridals to refreshing, ready-to-wear pieces that are impossible to take your mind off of.

Commenting on her designs, Zainab says, “I wanted to raise the fashion quotient along with the standards of quality that is being offered to the Pakistani consumer today.” With her tremendous collection and reputation in bridal-wear globally, the Zainab Chottani is has become a name that is now recognised for her beautifully sculpted luxury fabrics in both bold and soft hues.

The Zainab Chottani Flagship Store is located at 43-C Bukhari Commercial Lane No. 8 DHA Phase 6, Karachi, and includes a walk-in retail outlet and a bridal studio by appointment only.

For additional details please visit:

- www.zainabchottani.com

- https://www.facebook.com/zainab

  chottaniofficial/

- https://twitter.com/zainabchottani

- https://www.instagram.com/zainab

  chottaniofficial/

Hunger’s Pack – Pack a punch!

A small fast food joint owned by Syed Amir Ali and Kashif Hussain welcomed bloggers, media personnel and celebrities during a two-day launch event recently where the attendees got to enjoy exclusively selected food items from the restaurant’s yet to be disclosed menu. Hunger's Pack strikingly country interior is the first thing that caught my eye; dark brick walls contrast beautifully with glass block windows with an arch on top, that provide a clear view of the street and bring in bright light. Seating is no-fuss, minimalistic kind and the area has a huge pilar of piled up stones in one corner. The counter provides an open view of almost the entire kitchen. The joint’s menu boasts of appetisers to main course (burgers and sandwiches), shakes, drinks and dessert, from what I could tell. 

First up was peri peri bites; seedless, hard crumb coated chillies stuffed with chicken and sauce. These were clearly the winner of the night! I love a good, crunchy crumb coat (who doesn't?), but the stuffing tasted so good too. I never order peri bites because they are almost always spicy and they just don’t taste that good. I never got what the craze is about. But these were totally amazing and I am pretty sure I will find myself craving for these every now and then. We were then served baked potatoes; slit open in the middle, seasoned with very little black pepper and topped with chopped tomatoes, sausage, and red beans, and a bit of cream cheese on the sides. This was not appealing, visually speaking, but had a decent taste. My concern is that you won’t be able to enjoy the entire potato as much because only the centre is soft and seasoned. It is a bit harder on the sides and bottom plus the skin remains on it, something that not a lot of people enjoy on their potatoes. You can choose the toppings for your potato, much like a salad at Subway, and have the pleasure of watching it bake right in front of you courtesy to the open oven fixed on the wall behind the counter. We were also served chicken wings that were doused in such a strong acidic mixture that it almost burnt my friend’s nose when she was only about to take a bit, and the bbq wings that had only light chilli seasoning and were quite plain in taste otherwise. They were also a bit burnt on the sides, although I enjoyed the garlic slice they were served with.

Next up was a chicken sandwich; nicely toasted whole-grain bread containing a generous spread of cream cheese and shredded chicken, and a whole lot of fresh, juicy iceberg lettuce. This is a simple, feel-good sandwich with a homely feel to it. I liked the sandwich (as long as it doesn't soct much), though anyone who is experimental with their food choices and is expecting something mind blowing and completely original, will not be impressed. My chicken burger was the last item of the night; a simple chicken burger with few ingredients that tasted a bit like one from Mr. Burger. The patty was well cooked enclosed in fresh, soft buns and had a strong pepper taste, the sauce inside was a bit thin and runny which can make it a bit messy to eat and was hot and tamato-ey at the same time. There is not a lot to boast about this one, I only took a few bites and wasn’t much tempted to continue.

My friend tried their chocolate shake and enjoyed the thickness of it stating this is always better than the thin, runny ones. I don’t indulge in something like this so I will take her word for it. I couldn’t try the ice-cream because they ran out of it, but I doubt it was made in the kitchen, so no loss there. The dishes being served at the initial tables were taking quite a while to reach us (we were seated right at the back) giving an impression that the staff might not have been prepared to serve so many people at once. But I believe this has much to do with the guests who bring along extra people with them as if it were their private party. I would especially like to mention the servers for the night, they were so well mannered and courteous and kept asking us if we needed anything without really disturbing us. I would also like to mention the representative from TAGNINE; even though we only talked to him for a minute, his jolly and humble nature really made an impression. The owners were there to talk about their venture which is a nice gesture, and one that you don't see very often.

I hear they are going to open an outlet in Lahore soon, and hope they keep improvising their menu. Wishing them all the luck for their future endeavours! The launch was organized by TAGNINE Marketing while its PR was handled by Phegency.

What – Fast food

Where  – 26th st. Badar Commercial, Opp. Daily Dubai Restaurant, Phase 6, Karachi

Food – 3/5

Ambience – 3.5/5

Service – 4/5

Per head – 800-900 PKR approx.

We hadn’t been made aware of the price list, so I can’t be sure of anything. But their marketing manager did say that their sandwiches started from 500 PKR.  Couple that with an appetiser, a shake and some dessert, and you get a rough idea.

Verdict

In all honesty, it is not a place where you can plan to go with a group for big celebrations, but it is a cool place to grab a quick bite, and for some light dining. I wouldn’t mind going there just to pick up the sandwich and the peri peri bites that I might start missing after a few days provided they aren’t charged at an unrealistically exorbitant amount.

Inglot and theBalm Cosmetics take over DMC

As a make-up enthusiast and an occasional make-up junkie, I love everything and anything to do with cosmetics, and even hairstyling. Naturally, I was psyched to receive the invite tothe launch of Inglot, a renowned international make-up brand. The new outlet at DMC, Karachi is a big space and accommodates counters full of cosmetic products ranging from foundations, concealers, base, primers, compacts, eye shades, eye liners, lip colours, blush, nail colours and pre and post make-up essentials. 

 The best part of such events is that you get to try all these amazing products without the stares from other customers or sales persons. Although, I still managed to get the stares while trying out the lip colours, after which I naturally stopped. There were some really breathtaking shades I encountered at the blush station, just perfect for winters! Inglot claims to have more than 1500 colours to choose from. A few of them, however, turned out to be drastically different in colour after application, that is always confusing and never fun.

I hadn’t planned on buying anything but some shades were so gorgeous that I couldn’t help myself and decided to make the purchase. As far as I remember, I picked out about two products, the bill for which totaled at around PKR 1700. But when I went to the counter to pay the bill, I was told the sum was around PKR 3000. The reason being that the blush and lip colour I picked was being given to me in a magnetic casing that I wouldn’t have to purchase again and could just get refilled. So what they were telling me was that I had to pay for those two products then, and every other time I would get it refilled too, but I was just going to pay double the first time for a casing that had absolutely no relevance whatsoever. Obviously, I declined to make the purchase because I find that absurd. Having said that, I think a lot of products were pocket friendly (unless they add a shady charge to your bill) and Inglot deserves a visit.

The attendees were given goodie bags that included a pretty, shocking pink lip colour (or at least that’s the one I got). The colour is a bit glossy at first and then matte underneath in its texture after you apply it, it is fragrant and has a good stay period. My sister tried it on the next day.

This second store launch in Karachi was brought to us by Naz Mansha (CEO Nishat Linen), handled by Walnut and Amir Mazhar, hosted by Anoushay Ashraf and attended by quite a few socialites and members of the media, beauty and fashion fraternity. From Saima's hair, Aleezay's glowing  skin, Mantahaa's shoes, Areeba's top to Anoushay's entire look and Maheen Khan's unbelievably kickass aura, check out the best looks from the red carpet below!

Anyone even slightly educated in beauty brands knows about theBalm. The brand has been creating its magic internationally, and finally has come to Pakistan for the first time. The launch event was held at Scentsation, Dolmen Mall Clifton, Karachi last month.

I got these amazing souvenirs that I can't wait to use! The best quality of these shades is that they are as easy to apply as they are to remove. Quick and effective, no hassles - just like the brand promises.

theBalm boasts a high-quality make-up line for the fun, flirty & fierce! It flaunts a comprehensive line of cosmetic products with its rich portfolio serving in skin care, hair care and nails among a whole lot of others. With a ‘beauty in 5 minutes’ philosophy, theBalm's fabulous, multi-use products have become its calling card, offering quick fixes and solutions for a wide range of beauty needs. The company has entered into the Pakistani market by collaborating with Scentsation which itself is the leading luxury retailer in the fragrance industry. This collaboration will no doubt strive to provide the latest and top of the line products, offering customers a premium selection of international brands across product categories, fragrances, cosmetics and skincare. 

As exciting as it is to have the store here, and as fun as it was to try out all these amazing products there, I can’t help but feel that they are quite expensive. I have never been that person who spends thousands of rupees on a small palette. If you shop like me, trying it out won’t be much of a pleasurable experience; there are so many brilliantly pigmented, swoon-worthy shades that you just can’t wait to get your hands on. But the prices painfully stop you from making a purchase.

The inauguration event provided attendees an opportunity to test the make-up line in its ‘beauty in 5 minutes’ demonstration section. The makeover for this extravagant section was done by none other than Sabs Salon. The much happening event was handled by Adeel Feroze @ The Happening Company and was attended by the who’s who of the fashion and entertainment fraternity and a lot of my blogger friends. Check out some snaps from the red carpet below!