A local new trendy and affordable menswear brand called Checkmate launched itself in Lahore a couple of months ago, offering men both formal & casual shirts made from the finest Italian and Egyptian cotton.
On Friday 14th December 2012, Check mate held an exhibition for its casual & formal wear, as well as the unveiling of its latest Ethnic collection, at The HAP Store in Gulberg, Lahore. The Ethnic collection is inspired by Pakistani art including truck art, sozni, ajrak etc., and through this collection Checkmate wants to express and celebrate the great pride it holds in being a Pakistani brand, offering men quality shirts for all occasions.
The 14th December exhibition was meant to be inaugurated by state Minister for National Food Security, Sardar Moazzam Jatoi, who also has an avid interest in men’s fashion, but unfortunately, owing to a last minute flight cancellation from Islamabad, the minister could not make it to the event. In his place, Mr. Saquib Mohyuddin, CEO Business Support Fund [BSF] inaugurated Checkmate’s exhibition and spoke highly of such initiatives by local companies.
The exhibition’s success was marked by a good turnout of people and media, as well as by the sales made throughout the evening. Actor / Director Haseeb Khan was especially impressed with the ethnic line, stating that ‘it is a unique idea and I have never seen such shirts anywhere else in Pakistan”. An exclusive and custom-made collection of Checkmate shirts, following the ethnic theme,are now being designed for Haseeb.
The exhibition will continue till15th December, 2012, on which day it will be open to the public.
Upcoming Checkmate lines include Rook, Pawn and Queen (for women), which will be launched early 2013, and at a later stage, Checkmate plans to offer knitwear and accessories to compliment its collections.
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ABOUT CHECKMATE
An enigmatic trio coming from diverse backgrounds – Omair Abbasi, M. Zahid Farooq and Usman Arshad Khan – have come together to launch Checkmate, an exciting new Pakistani clothing brand, for men. Checkmate is the result of an ambitious and hardworking group of friends, with a big dream. As the name suggests, the inspiration is from chess, the game of kings and queens.
Currently, the Checkmate line includes long sleeve woven shirts and classy Polo shirts for men. Coming soon however, will be an offering of knitwear and accessories to compliment the Checkmate line.
Creative direction is led by M. Zahid Farooq. He belongs to the third generation of a family of designers, who inevitable adopted the gift of originality and creativity. Hailing from a family of businessmen, it was clear that M. Zahid had a natural talent from a very young age.
Managing Partner Usman is the savvy visionary. With his varied experience and background ranging from aviation, electronic media to working within the government sector, he brings strong diversity to the team.
Last but not least, the third managing partner, an integral part of the team, is Omair Abbasi. Having spent much time traveling the world and possessing a flair for identifying trends in men’s fashion, Omair is the brains behind the label.
Checkmate offers menswear which has a fresh, youthful edge and succeeds in making a man look & feel good.
Sourced in Lahore, the essence of the Checkmate line lies in the attention to detail paid to each shirt. High thread count, luxury cottons, is the foundation of the line, giving the shirts a soft touch and comfortable feel. The collection includes original patterns, solids and stripes; the shirts are vibrant in color and rich in texture. Signature Checkmate design elements include: contrasting top-stitching; double-buttons; unique cuff & collar treatments; contrasting button holes & edges woven with a hip, fresh contrasting fabric; superlative embroidery and of course the Checkmate logo.
Checkmate is the ideal choice for today’s trendy man
Checkmate is available at:
The HAP Store
3-A/3, Mahmood Ali Kasuri Road,
Opposite Hotel One, Gulberg III,
Lahore.
