The stereotype thinking that breaks my heart is when fashion stands allied to a certain privileged-class and their friskiness. It gets worse when I see the ‘educated’ ones criticising the industry and comparing it with other streak of work. Whether we’re one of the many people employed by the sector or just someone who likes to shop from some really high-end store. Sometimes, even from some second-hand ones, we are all touched by the fashion industry. This worn-out oversimplification needs to change. To help change such pitiful thinking, people often come up with ideas to make a common man see things beyond the shorter domain.
Bargain Basement Sale (BBS) is no doubt a commendable idea and has now become a much anticipated annual event. This year’s sale brought together over 200 of the most desired Pakistani fashion and lifestyle brands and some of their products at a sliced down price. The exhibition took place in Flatties Hotel, Lahore on Sunday, 6th Of November 2016. What’s commendable is that, all of the brands had compassionately donated items at the event to be sold at unbelievably near to the ground price. All the proceedings from the event is being delivered to registered charity organisations, including:
- Pink Ribbon Pakistan for breast cancer
- RS Foundation for Education
- Lahore Welfare Hospital Society
- Shams Shahabuddin Convalescent Home for health of the sick and needy
- Bali Memorial Trust for old people’s home
- Todds Welfare Society for prevention of cruelty to animals
- Giving Tree Foundation to help cancer patients.
Isn’t it wonderful that BBS promotes the inkling of social responsibility from a number of brands! When it won’t hurt people buying on original charges, why would not they buy on such discounted prices? So it creates a win-win situation for everyone; the designers/brands fulfilling their social responsibility and on the hand, people buying on sliced prices. Henceforth, the charitable organisations being assisted!
The Lahore ladies went crazy for it and the racks were emptied in just a few minutes. Two things grabbed my attention; firstly, a Vintage Section where some celebs donated their new, over and above slightly used items for sale and secondly there was a raffle going on over the entry tickets. Alas! As usual me and my friends did not win anything. But nevermind!
Let’s talk about the ambience! There was a bakery stall ‘Pink Pistachio’ set up on one corner and my friends managed to buy a few eatables from there with a cup of coffee. ‘Yummy!’ was my feedback! A stage was also set in the middle where announcements were being made. Say, after every five minutes or so, a bell rang and upon my query I was told it rings every time a shopper spends PKR one lac or above.
The exhibition was very well-managed! Obviously, it is not at all easy to manage Lahori ladies going crazy over sales but I would like to give a standing ovation to the management for handling everything so well, even tolerating the rudeness of some customers. The perk of being a shopper that day was just so, not only people need to realise the importance of this sector but also events like these have volunteers who do services out of goodness of their hearts. They are surely provided the services free of cost. It would not harm anyone if we become a bit more thoughtful, or would it?