She told American Vogue that she decided to do a scarf as opposed to the pervasive t-shirt because, “T-shirts mean nothing to the people of Pakistan.” Furthermore, scarves are worn by all women in South Asia, not just those who have been attacked. The scarf comes in three colours and features an abstract eye print to represent the one visible feature of women in the Muslim world. The Noor Scarf is available on AMMARA’s website for $85 USD. For her Fall/Winter 2012 line, she took a timeless approach to design and drew her inspiration from Hollywood legend Marlene Dietrich. “Marlene could be overthe-top glamorous one day with sequins and fur and wear a little boyish suit the next day. I think the modern woman does not have one look – she dresses to suit her mood and likes to look feminine and sexy but also unexpected and fresh.” Yaqub does not shy away from modern textures and colours to change the tone of a look. “In
my opinion a little shine goes a long way! Another favorite of mine in [my Fall/ Winter 2012 collection] is a silver metallic menswear inspired jacket which is a great way of changing a day time denim and t-shirt look to an evening ready look!” Her preferred textiles include silk, silk cotton voiles and wools for basics, and for outer layers, “exciting prints and textures such as tweed, crochet, lace and lurex blends.” She has always had panache for using leather in her collections. “I will do a full leather piece here and there but I mostly utilize leather (in all colors) to add a little edge to more conservative pieces.” The future of AMMARA is certainly looking bright. Yaqub is currently working on her Spring/Summer 2013 collection and plans on expanding to include children’s wear. Inspired by her 4-year-old daughter, she hopes to also include a line of shoes with the collection. With bigger design houses catering to children like never before, her pieces for miniature sartorialists are sure to be a hit. AMMARA is available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Fred Segal and online at http://shop.ammaranyc.com. SHE CANADA
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