Fashion Designer Hussain Rehar recently clarifies controversy around the title of his new collection “Parday ke peechey” which translates to “Behind the Curtain”, as it evoked charged sentiments from some social media users. ‘ It was never meant to reference the concept of a veil’, wrote the couturier.
Sharing pictures of global fashionistas sporting a similar couture fashion look, Hussian Rehar wrote that his collection “draws inspiration from the fashion trends of the 90s”, and holds no reference whatsoever to any religious ideologies.
The controversy was sparked by some social media users who claimed that the collection title “Parday ke peechey” was a direct reference to the Veil or ‘Niqaab’, that muslim women wear. It is interesting to mention here that in Urdu the word Parda has different meanings. Parda quite literally means curtain, and then is also a second meaning for ‘Pardah’ which refers to the prescribed clothing for Muslim women. Rehar claims that he quite literally meant the first one, and did not intend any hidden. complex references!
Good morning, Pakistaniyo. Where is your outrage when it’s needed? As a non hijabi woman ,I am extremely offended by HussainRehar’s filthy collection fetishizing women who do parda. Why aren’t hijabi women dragging him? @kai.warraich on tiktok is doing god’s work. pic.twitter.com/FycOc18LLW
— BibliovertAfridi (Imranist) (@SpeckyPukhtana) August 5, 2023
“My primary objective with this collection is to represent Pakistan’s rich fashion heritage and celebrate the country’s creativity and artistry. I aspire to showcase Pakistan’s cultural diversity not only at the national level but also in the global fashion world…I believe that fashion is a powerful form of self-expression, and I’m thrilled to share my creative vision with all of you.”, shared Rehar.