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    From the Desert to the Ramp: 'Taanka' at PFDC's Fashion Active Show and Exhibition

    Written by: Momina Mindeel
    Posted on: November 21, 2016 | | 中文

    Models walk the ramp at the fashion show (photo: Syed Zargham Gilani)

    Taanka – “a brand established to showcase the finest handcrafted contemporary designs with traditional stitches produced by rural artisans” – conducted its first arts and crafts exhibition at Mall 1, Lahore on the 19th and 20th of November. The exhibition kicked off with a press briefing with the artisans from Thatta, Umerkot and interior Sindh. This was followed by a fashion show in which the models walked the ramp wearing colorfully embroidered clothes that had been prepared by rural artisans from Sindh. An open exhibition and sale followed the fashion show, which continued on the second day of the event as well.

    Taanka at PFDC's Fashion Show

    The exhibition (photo: 'Taanka' Facebook page)

    Taanka at PFDC's Fashion Show

    A model accompanies one of the artisans at the ramp

    Taanka’s efforts in bridging the gap between the public and the needy yet talented rural artisans go a long way. Last year, at the Daachi Arts and Crafts Exhibition, Taanka displayed the handiwork of these immensely talented artisans. Moreover, last month, a kiosk was set up at Ocean Mall, Karachi, displaying handicrafts produced by rural artisans trained under the brand of Taanka. “Tote bags, pouches, hand purses, clutches, notebooks, stitched and unstitched shirts for women, trousers, ralli quilts, necklaces and other types of apparel were available for sale at the Taanka kiosk.”

    ‘Taanka at PFDC’s Fashion Active Show and Exhibition’ was yet another attempt to bridge the yawning gap between the artisans and the public. The highlight of the event were the beaming faces of the artisan women who were donned in their traditional Sindhi desert clothes. It is rather unfortunate that not a lot of people showed up for the event given its noble cause, and the space was slightly small for an event of this magnitude. Nonetheless, the fashion show went on quite smoothly, with the exhibition opening to the general public right after it.

    Taanka at PFDC's Fashion Show

    Taanka’s roots can be traced back to when the Community World Service Asia (CWSA), with support from the Danish Center for Culture and Development, began organizing workshops for rural artisans from interior Sindh and brought them together with design students from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) and the Textile Institute of Pakistan (TIP), amongst other institutes in Karachi. According to the video released by Taanka’s official Facebook page, the workshops were aimed at empowering the artisans so that they could work independently with the designers and utilize their skills which, given their living conditions, often went unnoticed. In the words of one of the workshop organizers, “Our main aim (during the workshop) will be to introduce the designers to the artisans from Umerkot and (to demonstrate that) these artisans will deliver quality work to the designers. With this workshop, we want to develop relationships between the artisans, vendors and designers, so that they can work independently to create quality products in a timely manner.”

    Thanks to the workshop conducted by CWSA, around 670 talented rural artisans produced more than 1,700 handmade products in merely 40 days. Here’s hoping that the efforts put in by Taanka and CWSA continue to help in bringing the artisans together with the vendors and designers, and enable them to establish a stronger identity in the coming years.


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021