At a swanky shopping mall in Lahore, women murmur in admiration and desire as they sift through rack after rack of designer clothing: silk and chiffon dresses and trouser suits embellished with embroidery, crystals and sequins.
All of the 20-plus labels are Pakistani. The mall, Boulevard, was opened in December to showcase the nation's burgeoning design talent. Although it is little known outside the country, Pakistan has a fast-growing fashion industry that combines a rich craft tradition with cutting-edge designs.
'When you look at the designers and the quality of what they produce, it's quite extraordinary,' says Simon Lock, managing director of IMG Fashion Asia Pacific.
His company, which organises runway shows around the world, wants to bring Pakistani design to the global stage.
But branding the promising industry in a global market that is more likely to associate Pakistan with suicide bombers and failing governments than elegance and fashion is no easy task.
Last year, IMG Fashion scheduled the country's first ever fashion week for November. Up to 50 buyers from boutiques around the world were expected in Lahore, where scores of designers looked forward to showing their collections. But a week before the event was due to begin, then-president Pervez Musharraf called a state of emergency and fashion week was cancelled.