For VOLUME III, Rastah transports you to the magical and misunderstood ‘Golden Age’ of Pakistan, the midcentury period before the censorship of the 1980s, when local artists first began to thrive and make their mark in an unlikely new country. Featuring various obscure and cult references from the 1950s up until the 1970s, this collection is an ode to the past but, like always, no simple act of nostalgia. Instead, in the colors and conversations of this politically charged time period, we see a vision of the future, and reflections of the youth movements and creative processes taking place in Pakistan today.
VOLUME III is a continuation of the houses’ efforts to re-contextualise South Asian heritage through artisanship, with some of the most technically challenging, experimental, and environmentally conscious outfits we have ever attempted. Our signature block-printing has been reimagined with neon colors, and throughout the collection, we play with color, silhouettes, and patterns with childlike enthusiasm. The collection is informed by exhaustive research, not only of the past, but of the artistic traditions of various regions in Pakistan to which we have travelled and sourced talent and material. We refrain from Mughal aesthetics, so prevalent in the lexicon of Pakistani urban luxury, to make room for disparate identities and forgotten icons, expanding the definition of what it means to be an ethical consumer and a fashionable global citizen.
Remember, in urdu, Rastah means 'path' but in fashion, Rastah only seeks to go forward.We hope you enjoy this collection, made with deep affection for craft, artists, and the histories we were born into.