Tuesday, August 27, 2013
COTTON & COTTON is set to open the doors to a new boutique at Dolmen City Mall Karachi
A fresh arabian breeze has settled on the karachi beach at Dolmen City Mall. As part of its strategic retail rollout, COTTON & COTTON has opened doors to a new boutique on the third floor of Dolmen City Mall in Karachi.
Owned by Alam Najiullah, C&C collection epitomizes the culture and spirit of the classic saville row with a flurry of cool designs for the young and trendy.
The C&C's 800 sq. ft area is the latest luxury player to enter this upscale shopping, dining and entertaintment venue, which has successfully captured the dynamism of the karachites. COTTON & COTTON is proud to be part of Karachi's rich and diverse retail scene.
Boasting a next generation retail concept, the new boutique channels the inimitable jermyn street spirit that has made COTTON & COTTON country's most distinguished life style brand. Natural wood floors, white washed walls, and a clear glass creates an airy, intitmate environment, much in line with the upmarket spirit of the Mall.
Within the well appointed boutique, clients will find C&C's entire range of men's wear collection. Known for its stylish, beautifully made clothing at once, of the moment and timeless, COTTON & COTTON is confident, Karachites will overwhelmingly gravtiate to its easy, luxurious and colorful approach to elegant men's wear
Sunday, August 25, 2013
ALAM NAJIULLAH
Over the last 21 years, first-time entrepreneur Syed Alam Najiullah has steadily turned COTTON & COTTON that began due to a NO from a tailor at Tariq Road into a next generation fashion company. But the path from Karachi’s tailoring unit to Toronto’s fashion scene was anything but linear. Along the way, Alam experimented with a number of different models, making a series of strategic pivots some more successful than others.
‘Many have done far better than me in far shorter periods of time, but that was not my story says Alam Najiullah. It was brick by brick, client by client, store by store. It’s been a trip of passion, but it has not been a quick trip. Nor has it been easy. And that is the truth’. The designer is the gold standard in high-end men’s formal wear, worn by everyone from Presidents to Broadway Shows actors in New York City. He’s a powerhouse entrepreneur who has grown a single tailoring unit into a fashion and lifestyle empire that spans a wide range of product segments – from a US $650 shirt to ready to wear – at price points that stretch from luxury to mass market.
“I wear many hats,” he says. “I have to be a promoter, a designer, a costumer of movie stars and celebrities, and a businessman,” says Alam, who heads both the business and creative sides of the company. “When you throw all of that into one bag, it’s a rough day. I love it, though.”
Alam was born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. His father was a journalist of repute and a close confident of Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. “I think, in a way, watching him write influenced me subliminally,” says Alam. Since it was the era of Bhutto who was himself immaculately dressed and had made all around him love clothes so Alam got his education in fashion by watching the movers and shakers from close quarters.
At an early age, Alam fell in love with cars and bikes but a near death accident due to which he lost his eye, broke his passion for racing and speed. “When you fall down — which you have to [do] if you want to learn to be a racer — you pick yourself right up and start again. You don’t let anything deter you,” he notes. “Oddly enough, it’s strangely like fashion — you have a limited amount of time in which to get a point of view across.”
With his racing days behind him, Alam turned to fashion. “I thought maybe I could go to design school but then decided in favor of the most illustrious of business schools in Pakistan, the IBA. At IBA, it was strategy that was his passion whereas the designer within him kept him at work. Clothes attracted him and volumes and volumes of GQ’s and Esquires prompted him to search for tailors who could emulate the images of his favorite images but to no avail. Until one day a tailor who after hours and hours of coaching and teaching by Alam suddenly boiled up and challenged him to do it himself. Alam took the challenge and initiated his successful venture and called it COTTON & COTTON.
In 1992, Alam opened his own men’s boutique. COTTON & COTTON started from a small locality and certainly not known for fashion was termed as atrocious by many “Because I didn’t come from a retail garment background, I think I brought fashion to the men’s fashion industry,” he says. “I was fearless because I really didn’t know any better.”
Alam has since pushed the boundaries of menswear. “[I] try to bring edginess to a traditional business,” he says. His most recent collection, for example, blends a traditional with a local palette. “[I] take a lot of stylistic and visual and intellectual liberties with the concept of a shirt. Every season, I try to change it — and that demand I put on myself is enormous. It’s painful.”
‘Many have done far better than me in far shorter periods of time, but that was not my story says Alam Najiullah. It was brick by brick, client by client, store by store. It’s been a trip of passion, but it has not been a quick trip. Nor has it been easy. And that is the truth’. The designer is the gold standard in high-end men’s formal wear, worn by everyone from Presidents to Broadway Shows actors in New York City. He’s a powerhouse entrepreneur who has grown a single tailoring unit into a fashion and lifestyle empire that spans a wide range of product segments – from a US $650 shirt to ready to wear – at price points that stretch from luxury to mass market.
“I wear many hats,” he says. “I have to be a promoter, a designer, a costumer of movie stars and celebrities, and a businessman,” says Alam, who heads both the business and creative sides of the company. “When you throw all of that into one bag, it’s a rough day. I love it, though.”
Alam was born in Rawalpindi, Pakistan. His father was a journalist of repute and a close confident of Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. “I think, in a way, watching him write influenced me subliminally,” says Alam. Since it was the era of Bhutto who was himself immaculately dressed and had made all around him love clothes so Alam got his education in fashion by watching the movers and shakers from close quarters.
At an early age, Alam fell in love with cars and bikes but a near death accident due to which he lost his eye, broke his passion for racing and speed. “When you fall down — which you have to [do] if you want to learn to be a racer — you pick yourself right up and start again. You don’t let anything deter you,” he notes. “Oddly enough, it’s strangely like fashion — you have a limited amount of time in which to get a point of view across.”
With his racing days behind him, Alam turned to fashion. “I thought maybe I could go to design school but then decided in favor of the most illustrious of business schools in Pakistan, the IBA. At IBA, it was strategy that was his passion whereas the designer within him kept him at work. Clothes attracted him and volumes and volumes of GQ’s and Esquires prompted him to search for tailors who could emulate the images of his favorite images but to no avail. Until one day a tailor who after hours and hours of coaching and teaching by Alam suddenly boiled up and challenged him to do it himself. Alam took the challenge and initiated his successful venture and called it COTTON & COTTON.
In 1992, Alam opened his own men’s boutique. COTTON & COTTON started from a small locality and certainly not known for fashion was termed as atrocious by many “Because I didn’t come from a retail garment background, I think I brought fashion to the men’s fashion industry,” he says. “I was fearless because I really didn’t know any better.”
Alam has since pushed the boundaries of menswear. “[I] try to bring edginess to a traditional business,” he says. His most recent collection, for example, blends a traditional with a local palette. “[I] take a lot of stylistic and visual and intellectual liberties with the concept of a shirt. Every season, I try to change it — and that demand I put on myself is enormous. It’s painful.”
Sunday, August 4, 2013
All ‘Tied’ up with COTTON & COTTON Ties
It's a small thing-- a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. But it’s these details which make an inherently classy and stylish gentleman stand out from a ‘wannabe’.
When you're sporting a tie, you can pretty much gain entry anywhere --whether you're suiting up for the office or getting decked up for a formal evening-- a tie allows you to bring together the disparate elements of your wardrobe with a touch of texture or complementary color. It completes the most elite of suits and adds veneer to a casual dress shirt. If you learn to do it correctly—balance the width of the tie against your lapels and shirt collar, find a knot that fits your face—you'll have dressing right all tied up.
The Tie is the first thing people notice about your outfit, so the fashion connoisseurs at COTTON & COTTON will help introduce you to the finest ties, how they should be worn and cared for.
COTTON & COTTON ties-- patterned and plain; subtle and vivid-- do not stand apart from or clash with your chosen outfit. The superior ties from COTTON & COTTON are meant to speak to the rest of your outfit—may it be C&C’s Italian woven suits or its twoply cotton shirts.
Sporting a tie must be done with exactitude and finesse. A gentleman’s tie is very different from the one worn carelessly by school boys. No matter what your height, the tip of your COTTON & COTTON tie should hit right at your beltline. Also, narrow ties are ‘in’ yet not super-skinny. Ideally, a tie should be about two and a quarter to two and three-quarter inches at its widest point. This thinner width works both at the office and on the town, syncing up with any modern-cut suit.
Even though there are umpteen ways to knot a tie—from Ascot, to Prince Albert; from Nicky to the Pratt knot-- yet contemporary fashion experts deem the four-in-hand as ‘in’. It's neither too big nor too small nor too perfectly triangular. It's natural and elegant, and it works with every collar, from a spread to a point.
The cherry on top is the dimple in your tie--When you're almost done tying your tie, press your thumb against your index finger just beneath the knot, so the fabric forms a crease. Pull down the narrow end of the tie to tighten the dimple, and slide up the knot. Finesse either side of the dimple to accentuate the fold and set it in place.
As far as patterns and colors go--a solid dark tie with a white or light-color shirt is an unbeatably classy combination for work and formal events. Every man should own a solid navy, burgundy or gray COTTON & COTTON tie in his everyday wardrobe. The solid coloured high quality ties from COTTON & COTTON are always very striking and elegant and will never ripple or shadow.
Stripes are the next best thing to solid coloured ties--if you only have a few ties, opt for bold and simple patterns; choose repp stripes or our various styles of diagonal stripes.If you are looking for something a little more stylish, opt for astonishing high-tech grays and blacks. These make for extremely rich styles when matched with a similar toned shirt, a well-tailored suit and quality shoes.
At COTTON & COTTON we encourage you to be different and original. If you wish to be trendy and bold with your tie choice, make sure it’s with a superior quality COTTON & COTTON tie. Coordinated with a well-cut COTTON & COTTON suit, trendy shoes and the right overall look, it can be a great way to show off your outgoing personality.
Quality ties like those at C&C are cut across the fabric allowing the tie to fall straightforward after the knot has been tied. They do not curl when you put it across your hand. Match your ties to your C&C suiting fabrics— cotton ties with cotton suits in summer, wool ties with wool suits in winter.
A supreme and exclusive tie bought from COTTON & COTTON needs to be cared for. Each time you remove your tie, untie the knot by reversing the method used to tie the tie. Do not pull the small end of your tie through the knot. Do not leave the tie knotted, as it will permanently crease the fabric. After removing, hang the tie on a tie rack or drape them around the collar of the coat. To remove wrinkles, usually it is enough to place the tie on its tie rack overnight. If that doesn’t work, rollup the tie, small end first and let it sit for a day. Finally, you may steam the tie. When traveling, pack your ties by rolling, starting with small end first or carefully fold into 4 sections. Unpack upon arrival and hang your ties in the bathroom while you shower. The steam will help remove slight wrinkles.
The versatile and classic collection of ties at COTTON & COTTON can match most of your shirts and suits. Whether a tie is a part of your everyday work garb or you only handpick a few for those special occasions, the superior ties from COTTON & COTTON are a smart investment and worth every dime you pay for their unsurpassed quality.
When you're sporting a tie, you can pretty much gain entry anywhere --whether you're suiting up for the office or getting decked up for a formal evening-- a tie allows you to bring together the disparate elements of your wardrobe with a touch of texture or complementary color. It completes the most elite of suits and adds veneer to a casual dress shirt. If you learn to do it correctly—balance the width of the tie against your lapels and shirt collar, find a knot that fits your face—you'll have dressing right all tied up.
The Tie is the first thing people notice about your outfit, so the fashion connoisseurs at COTTON & COTTON will help introduce you to the finest ties, how they should be worn and cared for.
COTTON & COTTON ties-- patterned and plain; subtle and vivid-- do not stand apart from or clash with your chosen outfit. The superior ties from COTTON & COTTON are meant to speak to the rest of your outfit—may it be C&C’s Italian woven suits or its twoply cotton shirts.
Sporting a tie must be done with exactitude and finesse. A gentleman’s tie is very different from the one worn carelessly by school boys. No matter what your height, the tip of your COTTON & COTTON tie should hit right at your beltline. Also, narrow ties are ‘in’ yet not super-skinny. Ideally, a tie should be about two and a quarter to two and three-quarter inches at its widest point. This thinner width works both at the office and on the town, syncing up with any modern-cut suit.
Even though there are umpteen ways to knot a tie—from Ascot, to Prince Albert; from Nicky to the Pratt knot-- yet contemporary fashion experts deem the four-in-hand as ‘in’. It's neither too big nor too small nor too perfectly triangular. It's natural and elegant, and it works with every collar, from a spread to a point.
The cherry on top is the dimple in your tie--When you're almost done tying your tie, press your thumb against your index finger just beneath the knot, so the fabric forms a crease. Pull down the narrow end of the tie to tighten the dimple, and slide up the knot. Finesse either side of the dimple to accentuate the fold and set it in place.
As far as patterns and colors go--a solid dark tie with a white or light-color shirt is an unbeatably classy combination for work and formal events. Every man should own a solid navy, burgundy or gray COTTON & COTTON tie in his everyday wardrobe. The solid coloured high quality ties from COTTON & COTTON are always very striking and elegant and will never ripple or shadow.
Stripes are the next best thing to solid coloured ties--if you only have a few ties, opt for bold and simple patterns; choose repp stripes or our various styles of diagonal stripes.If you are looking for something a little more stylish, opt for astonishing high-tech grays and blacks. These make for extremely rich styles when matched with a similar toned shirt, a well-tailored suit and quality shoes.
At COTTON & COTTON we encourage you to be different and original. If you wish to be trendy and bold with your tie choice, make sure it’s with a superior quality COTTON & COTTON tie. Coordinated with a well-cut COTTON & COTTON suit, trendy shoes and the right overall look, it can be a great way to show off your outgoing personality.
Quality ties like those at C&C are cut across the fabric allowing the tie to fall straightforward after the knot has been tied. They do not curl when you put it across your hand. Match your ties to your C&C suiting fabrics— cotton ties with cotton suits in summer, wool ties with wool suits in winter.
A supreme and exclusive tie bought from COTTON & COTTON needs to be cared for. Each time you remove your tie, untie the knot by reversing the method used to tie the tie. Do not pull the small end of your tie through the knot. Do not leave the tie knotted, as it will permanently crease the fabric. After removing, hang the tie on a tie rack or drape them around the collar of the coat. To remove wrinkles, usually it is enough to place the tie on its tie rack overnight. If that doesn’t work, rollup the tie, small end first and let it sit for a day. Finally, you may steam the tie. When traveling, pack your ties by rolling, starting with small end first or carefully fold into 4 sections. Unpack upon arrival and hang your ties in the bathroom while you shower. The steam will help remove slight wrinkles.
The versatile and classic collection of ties at COTTON & COTTON can match most of your shirts and suits. Whether a tie is a part of your everyday work garb or you only handpick a few for those special occasions, the superior ties from COTTON & COTTON are a smart investment and worth every dime you pay for their unsurpassed quality.
Friday, August 2, 2013
COTTON & COTTON Suits—The Mark of a Well-Dressed Man!
Whether your work requires you to be suited and look your best at all times or your social life calls for evenings which require you to don the dark suit; whether you want to be the archetypal modern groom in a suit or wish to woo the woman of your choice looking dapper—COTTON & COTTON is ‘the’ place to buy the best quality suits woven in Italy.
Fashion experts unanimously agree that the suit is the basic building block of looking good. It's a timeless and ever adaptable piece of clothing which every gentleman must have.
The complete contemporary man understands what it takes to carry a suit with poise and class. The modern suit is not overdone—rather it compliments the smart, confident and thoroughly put together man who wears it. He makes a statement by not trying so hard to make one. Yes, the trimness of the suit and elegance of the details is vital yet the streamlined simplicity and perfect crafted suit brings out a man’s personality.
A good suit jacket should skim your shoulders and not hang off them and have a perfect width in the sleeves. The jacket should nip in at the waist, and be long enough to cover your backside. Your trousers should be trim, and hemmed properly. An overly roomy suit makes one look sloppy and short.
The lapel of the suit bestows it character--a slim one, about two inches at its widest point is the modern way. A lower button stance in the jacket—may it be two-button or three-button--makes the torso look lean and tapered.
Your suit sleeves should end just above the hinges of your wrists, so a quarter to half inch of shirt cuff shows. The vent at the back is integral to the jacket’s character-- a center vent is popular and unobtrusive and keeps the lines of the suit clean and simple. Side vents are more of a fashion statement.
The flat-front pants of suits, cut slim with very little break at the ankle, clipping the top of your shoes give a long, clean look.
At COTTON & COTTON our expert tailors take your size to perfection so that when you wear your suit jacket there is a firmness to it which moulds your form and contours your body. It makes you snap to attention and stand taller.
Every season calls for a timely suit—it’s sensible to reach for COTTON & COTTON heavier, warmer fabrics in the cooler climate and our lightweight cotton suiting is ideal when it's hot and humid. For an elegant, formal look all the year around, make the exclusive COTTON & COTTON suits your fashionable choice.
Fashion experts unanimously agree that the suit is the basic building block of looking good. It's a timeless and ever adaptable piece of clothing which every gentleman must have.
The complete contemporary man understands what it takes to carry a suit with poise and class. The modern suit is not overdone—rather it compliments the smart, confident and thoroughly put together man who wears it. He makes a statement by not trying so hard to make one. Yes, the trimness of the suit and elegance of the details is vital yet the streamlined simplicity and perfect crafted suit brings out a man’s personality.
A good suit jacket should skim your shoulders and not hang off them and have a perfect width in the sleeves. The jacket should nip in at the waist, and be long enough to cover your backside. Your trousers should be trim, and hemmed properly. An overly roomy suit makes one look sloppy and short.
The lapel of the suit bestows it character--a slim one, about two inches at its widest point is the modern way. A lower button stance in the jacket—may it be two-button or three-button--makes the torso look lean and tapered.
Your suit sleeves should end just above the hinges of your wrists, so a quarter to half inch of shirt cuff shows. The vent at the back is integral to the jacket’s character-- a center vent is popular and unobtrusive and keeps the lines of the suit clean and simple. Side vents are more of a fashion statement.
The flat-front pants of suits, cut slim with very little break at the ankle, clipping the top of your shoes give a long, clean look.
At COTTON & COTTON our expert tailors take your size to perfection so that when you wear your suit jacket there is a firmness to it which moulds your form and contours your body. It makes you snap to attention and stand taller.
Every season calls for a timely suit—it’s sensible to reach for COTTON & COTTON heavier, warmer fabrics in the cooler climate and our lightweight cotton suiting is ideal when it's hot and humid. For an elegant, formal look all the year around, make the exclusive COTTON & COTTON suits your fashionable choice.
