Truck art fashion: Attire with an attitude

By Sarah Khan
Published: August 4, 2011

KARACHI:
The once under-appreciated art of
truck decoration has in the last few
years evolved as a cultural
symbol which has not only been
presented and appreciated in
international cultural e!hibitions
but has also invaded the
ima"ination of fashion desi"ners#
To capture the si"nificance of truck
decorations in our culture one
must know of the history of the
indi"enous tradition# The art of adornin" trucks and buses started in the $%&'(s when many rival
transportation companies hired craftsmen to decorate their buses in a bid to attract more passen"ers#
)ver the years however the art has evolved to include poetry folk tales caricatures of *ollywood
actors and words of wisdom from the individuals employed in the truck industry#
This art + considered by many as "arish due to its bri"ht and floral colours + has invaded the fashion
industry# ,ith desi"ners like -aheen Khan .eepak /erwani and 0abar Ali of 1th )ye2 usin" various
symbols of truck art in their desi"ns this art is not only becomin" immensely popular it(s also bein"
endorsed in /akistan# 0rands like Khaadi have also incorporated truck art motifs in their kamee3es
handba"s and shoe collection and local shoppin" pla3as like 4ulfway shoppin" centre in Karachi are
also displayin" shoes and ba"s decorated with bri"htly coloured desi"ns inspired by truck art# 5I think
the concept of usin" truck art in pret wear involves the pro6ection of workin" class culture to the upper
crust# 7or instance the less privile"ed use rickshaws and buses as a means of public transportation
and the elite wears motifs of public transport8 says 9uha :heikh a student who is fascinated by this
venture#
:o how did it all start in the world of fashion; ,hy and when did desi"ners first start e!perimentin"
with this art; Khan says 5I(ve always loved our brilliantly decorated trucks#8 The idea to introduce a
clothin" line based on such desi"ns first struck her in &''& after readin" about a /akistani truck
e!hibition at the :mithsonian 7olklife 7estival in ,ashin"ton# The festival which aims to display and
preserve traditions of various cultures allowed forei"ners to "et a taste of /akistani truck paintin"
when painter Haider Ali and bodywork e!pert <amiluddin shipped a truck from Karachi to ,ashin"ton
.C#
5I was e!tremely impressed by that# Amidst all the turmoil this was a moment of pride for /akistan#
That was the turnin" point for me and I decided to work on desi"ns representin" our core culture8
adds Khan#
Her idea was presented in the form of 4ulabo a brand which credits itself with introducin" truck art
motifs into hi"h street fashion# Insistin" that the purpose was to reflect /akistani culture in clothes
Khan states that the desi"ns include rickshaws trucks tan"as ima"ery and poetry =typically found at
the back of trucks and rickshaws> roses birds fish etc# 5There is 6ust so much# ?very day I see
somethin" new at the back of a bus or truck#8
These desi"ns with bri"ht hues seem befittin" for female wear# However Khan reiterates that the t-
shirts are unise! and are popular with men as well# :he also states that there is a hu"e demand for the
t-shirts abroad especially amon" the /akistani e!pat community in the 1: and the 1K#
It is therefore interestin" to see how the incorporation of such motifs in pret wear can make people
develop a likin" for these local elements# 5I(ve started appreciatin" the beauty of truck art after it made
its presence felt in desi"ner clothes# 0efore that I didn(t pay attention to the intricate details of truck
art8 claims &@-year-old -aria Khan who is now a hard core fan of such desi"ns#
Literature Review
The truck art desi"ns were used to attract the passen"ers it collaborated
desi"ns folk tales caricatures of *ollywood actors and words of wisdom# The
bri"ht colours were used to make the desi"ns appealin"# .esi"ners -aheen
Khan .eepak /erwani and 0abar Ali of 1th )ye are usin" these various
symbols of truck art in their desi"ns and "ettin" very popular nowadays#
0rands like Khaadi have also incorporated truck art motifs in their kamee3es
handba"s and shoe collection and local shoppin" pla3as like 4ulfway
shoppin" centre in Karachi are also displayin" shoes and ba"s decorated with
bri"htly coloured desi"ns inspired by truck art# 4ulabo a brand which credits
itself with introducin" truck art motifs into hi"h street fashion# Insistin" that the
purpose was to reflect /akistani culture in clothes Khan states that the
desi"ns include rickshaws trucks tan"as ima"ery and poetry =typically found
at the back of trucks and rickshaws> roses birds fish etc# These desi"ns
with bri"ht hues seem befittin" for female wear# However Khan reiterates
that the t-shirts are unise! and are popular with men as well# :he also states
that there is a hu"e demand for the t-shirts abroad especially amon" the
/akistani community in the 1: and the 1K# It is therefore interestin" to see
how the incorporation of such motifs which are local is "rabbin" interest
because of its intricate desi"ns#
Refrences
$# Khan :ara =&'$$> Truck art fashion: Attire with an attitude
,ebsite: http://tribune.com.pk/story/224250/truck-art-fashion-attire-with-
an-attitude/
&# Razzaq, Saima (2011)
Website: http://www.fashioncentral.pk/blog/2011/09/02/truck-art-pakistani-
to-the-core/
Truck Art- Pakistani to the core!
There is somethin" very distin"uishin" and remarkable about
havin" your own culture bein" incorporated in the fashion scenario of today# The Pakistani
fashionscene has witnessed a complete turn nowadays and it is seen to be e!plorin" its own
indi"enous rootsA with peacock prints and truck and rickshaw embellishments emer"in" as the new and
in thin"#
Truck and bus art was mainly introduced in the country initially by public transport owners to attract
more passen"ers# 0ut "radually it became the normA not so much in public transports but with trucks
and rickshaws to have colorful and deli"htful vehicles full of inspirational Buotes local lollywood
actors son" lyrics or folk tales# Cow it is an inherent part of the Pakistani culture and what may
appear brassy and "audy to some is in all its "lory the very herita"e we are proud of#
In the fashion scene of Pakistan with every desi"ner tryin" to revive the history and culture of
/akistan and :ub-ContinentA a boostin" array
of chooridaarspashwaaz, angarakhas and khussas has been witnessed# Therefore it came as less
surprise when a few of the famous desi"ners of our country ventured into the formerly une!plored arena
of the traditional truck art which has been a trademark of our re"ion(s culture#
The most famous amon"st the fashion scenario in /akistan is the retail store Uth!ye a uniBue and
socially conscious desi"n based initiative by 0abar Ali# It is an e!cellent retail store that becomes the
voice of the nation and has some ama3in" stuff with most of them havin" truck art and also promotin"
the truck culture# He has incorporated various symbols of truck art in his desi"ns and has completely
revolutioni3ed the fashion scene throu"h his avant-"arde desi"ns#
Another fashion mammoth creatin" ripples in the fashion industry throu"h her truck-art inspired desi"ns
is Khan who came up with the concept of launchin" a brand D4ulabo( which is all about off the street
couture and is all about everythin" /akistaniA from street love to food love to truck love to the love of
colour#
,hat this fusion of truck art in the local fashion scene has done is that it has made people appreciate
what our own abori"inal culture has to offer in terms of its diversity and vivacity# It has made people
acknowled"e the intricacies that "o into the makin" of a truck and its art# Therefore at the end of the
day it is all about valuin" what our own country has to offer in terms of e!uberance and ener"y#
Literature Review
Truck and bus art was mainly introduced in the country initially by public
transport owners to attract more passen"ers# 0ut "radually it became the
normA not so much in public transports but with trucks and rickshaws to have
colorful and deli"htful vehicles full of inspirational Buotes local lollywood
actors# In the fashion scene of /akistan, with every desi"ner tryin" to revive
the history and culture of /akistan a boostin" of chooridaars, pashwaa3
an"arakhas and khussas has been witnessed# The desi"ners later continued
to promote the /akistani culture of trunk art in there desi"ns# The most
famous amon"st the fashion scenario in /akistan is the retail store Uth!ye
a uniBue and socially conscious desi"n based initiative by 0abar Ali# It is an
e!cellent retail store that becomes the voice of the nation and has some
ama3in" stuff with most of them havin" truck art and also promotin" the truck
culture# He has incorporated various symbols of truck art in his desi"ns and
has completely revolutioni3ed the fashion scene throu"h his avant-"arde
desi"ns#
Research And "kills
Topic: Trunk Art and #ashion
:ubmitted to: -am :urriya Choudary
:ubmitted by:Tehreem Rehman
-7A =.esi"n> &
nd
semester