When you watch Disney’s upcoming Cinderella, you may note the intricately embroidered coats donned by the male leads. That’s Maheen Khan’s handiwork; the designer we know best for the insouciant high-street brand ‘Gulabo’ and elegant luxury prêt line ‘House of Maheen’ will be outfitting Hollywood stars once again.
It all started in 1997, when she assisted Bafta award-winning costume designer Diane Holmes in creating Ratti Jinnah and Fatima Jinnah’s wardrobes for the movie Jinnah. This lead to the launch of the ‘Embroidery House’ — a teamwork where Diane would commission the embellishments of costumes and set-designs to Maheen.
And while Maheen enjoys the process of creating these predominantly period embroideries, she admits that it’s also a tough learning experience. “Very detailed instructions along with the marked fabric come with the final order,” she explains. “The sampling is where all my skills come into play as I have to interpret the designs in at least three to six ways, if not more. There are strict quality controls and even stricter timelines.”
