It would not be wrong to say that Lahore is the most colourful of Pakistani cities. The history, art and culture of Lahore makes it one of the most quintessential of South Asian cities. The rich cacophony of sights, sounds and flavours all ring true in the infamous phrase ‘Ji Ney Lahore Ni Vekhiya O Jamiye e Ni’ - the one who has not seen Lahore, is yet to be born. Born out of this seething confluence of art and culture is Mohsin Naveed Ranjha’s ‘Roti Boti’ ready-to-wear, menswear collection.
Roti Boti is one of the most ‘honest’ collections we have come across recently. It is unabashedly desi and it is unapologetically Punjabi. Born and raised in a Punjabi family, MNR credits his early socialisation as the inspiration behind the collection - his memories of halwa puri, paaye and lassi. And is there a better love language than food, for us Pakistanis?
Hang on as we go through our favorite pieces from the collection but even before it was launched, the campaign teaser had so invested that we could not help but fall in love with Roti Boti.
Hungry yet? Wait till you see the collection. Consisting of 12 outfits, MNR engages the senses with a feast of colors, cuts and creativity. There’s luxurious pure cotton and hand woven jacquard paired with traditional embroidery. A piece from this collection is definitely going to become a modern classic for the wardrobe.
The Zamaan
Is there anything better than a white kurta-pyjama? The Zamaan elevates the basic white outfit with a pure hand loomed schifli cotton canvas with old school Punjabi embroidery details on a shervani kurta cut. Perfect for the man who enjoys his Feekay ki lassi and the finer things in life too. Not that Feekay ki Lassi isn’t one of the finest things in the world.
The Umber
Now this one is a head turner. This is for the man who doesn’t mind a bit of attention. We will go so far as to suggest it for a flamboyant, Mehndi bridegroom as well. The crimson cotton net base is adorned with gold tilla work. And if you look closely, there’s hand stitched shisha karhai on the sleeves too. Definitely one for a man with an appetite for life by way of Phajje kay Paaye and lots of colour in his wardrobe.
The Kaveh
We love this perfect, creamy shade of ivory on this Jodhpur kurta. It works so well against our kind of brown skin. The paper silk kurta is adorned with embroidery and button details. Paper silk is summer friendly so don’t be intimidated by the thought of this piece for summer wedding. This one is for the understated gentleman who doesn’t mean talking about his fashion choices. We also like to think that he enjoys his Naan Cholay on a Sunday morning.
The Chandun
Truly one for a ‘shehzada,’ the burnt mehndi green kurta is simply stunning. The gentle spray of chandni kundan keeps it festive yet traditionally masculine. The hand laid kamdani on the collar is to die for. This is certainly one for a more festive situation. We imagine that the Chandun wearing gentleman lives well and enjoys a well cooked Mutton Rosh.
Admittedly, the aesthetics of androon-Lahore with it’s gorgeous food combined with the richness of Mohsin Naveed Ranjha’s designs on these beautiful gentlemen is truly an exquisite combination.
