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The Only Brand Telling Pakistan’s Untold Stories Through Fashion: Inside UMBR’s A Letter to my Beloved Act 1

UMBR, a fashion brand founded in Canada by creatives from Karachi, redefines Pakistani fashion through cultural storytelling, with their latest release, A Letter to My Beloved (Act 1), inspired by Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poetry.

Pakistan, 14th Apr 2025 – UMBR, a Pakistani fashion brand founded in Canada by two creatives from Karachi, Adil Shuttari and Shaheer Ahmed, is steadily redefining how culture and clothing intersect. Rooted in storytelling, heritage, and slow craftsmanship, the brand’s upcoming release, A Letter to My Beloved (Act 1), builds on a tradition of honoring the icons of Pakistani identity—this time drawing inspiration from legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz and his iconic poem Mujh Se Pehli Si Mohabbat.

Since its inception, UMBR has never been about fleeting trends or fast fashion. Instead, it positions itself as a cultural project—one that reimagines Pakistani fashion as a global expression of deeply personal and poetic heritage. With collections divided into Essentials, Essence, and Imagination, each UMBR release is not just a display of aesthetics but a form of cultural storytelling. Every garment is handmade with care and intention, directly opposing the industrialized pace of modern fashion and offering instead pieces that take hours to complete.

 

 

A Journey Through Pakistan’s Emotions

UMBR’s identity lies in its commitment to honoring the narratives, stories, and emotions of Pakistan. The streets of Karachi, the textures of rural life, the dualities of tradition and modernity—all find expression in UMBR’s designs. Its garments are worn not merely for their style, but for their meaning, their rootedness, and the way they carry memory.

The brand’s upcoming collection, A Letter to My Beloved (Act 1), delves into the emotional resonance of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poetry. The poem, which mourns the shift from innocent love to a sobering awareness of the world’s harsh realities, serves as the foundation for the collection’s visual and emotional language. “We wanted to capture that moment in the poem where love feels untouched, pure, and deeply felt — before life, loss, and politics intervene,” shared the UMBR team.

Symbolism in Design

This interpretation manifests through rich symbolism. Slow-burning candles, wilting roses, and dim lighting in the campaign visuals reflect the melancholic romanticism of Faiz’s verses. The garments themselves reflect a similarly thoughtful approach: the color palette is restrained and evocative, dominated by deep maroons and blacks—colors that convey passion, grief, and longing. Lines of Urdu poetry and intricate hand-finished details create a tactile expression of the collection’s themes.

“We wanted people to feel like they were walking through Faiz’s poem — not just reading it. That’s what this collection is about. It’s about remembering what it means to love in a world that’s constantly changing,” the brand said. This desire to create immersive storytelling experiences elevates UMBR beyond the realm of fashion and into something far more enduring.

A Counter-Narrative to Fast Fashion

The brand’s approach stands out in a fashion market often driven by trend cycles and mass production. UMBR offers a counter-narrative—where fashion becomes a vessel for memory, identity, and resistance. The slow, intentional pace of its garment-making speaks to this ethos. For UMBR, time spent is a form of care. And care is a form of resistance.

In previous collections, UMBR has honored other Pakistani cultural icons. The Shaheen collection paid tribute to Allama Iqbal’s vision of the self-liberated, spiritual falcon—an emblem of intellectual freedom and self-realization. Another release drew inspiration from Parveen Shakir, whose poetry challenged traditional gender narratives and gave voice to emotional complexity within Pakistani literature. Each collection has added new layers to the brand’s evolving conversation around identity, culture, and storytelling.

Love, Loss, and the Politics of Identity

With A Letter to My Beloved (Act 1), UMBR turns its lens to love—specifically, a love that has been complicated by the world. This introspective theme, drawn directly from Faiz’s work, resonates deeply with both the diasporic and local communities that UMBR designs for. For some, the collection serves as a personal bridge to a cultural past. For others, it is an introduction to a more nuanced, poetic Pakistan—one far removed from the headlines and stereotypes often presented globally.

A Global Conversation on Heritage

UMBR’s founders, who remain rooted in both their homeland and their current base in Canada, are deeply attuned to the cultural responsibility they carry. In a global context where representation often flattens identities, UMBR’s work seeks to expand and deepen the image of Pakistan. It’s not just about nostalgia—it’s about creating new narratives that speak to heritage with both reverence and imagination.

This balance between preservation and innovation is what defines the brand’s trajectory. By integrating poetry, philosophy, and historical awareness into the fabric of its clothing, UMBR is crafting garments that do more than cover the body—they speak to the soul. And in doing so, they offer wearers a way to carry their culture not as ornament, but as essence.

UMBR’s Purpose: Reconnection and Rediscovery

At its core, UMBR’s purpose is rooted in reconnection. In a world where cultural heritage is frequently diluted, misrepresented, or lost to time, UMBR stands as a bridge between the past and the present. Its work helps diaspora communities rediscover their origins while also inviting global audiences into a new understanding of Pakistan: not through conflict or cliché, but through beauty, artistry, and emotional resonance.

Through A Letter to My Beloved, UMBR has once again demonstrated how clothing can be used as a powerful medium of storytelling. This isn’t just about fashion—it’s about reclaiming the poetic and intellectual spirit of a nation, one collection at a time.

About UMBR

UMBR is a Pakistani fashion brand founded by two creatives from Karachi, Adil Shuttari and Shaheer Ahmed, now based in Canada. Focused on cultural storytelling and slow craftsmanship, UMBR creates collections that honor Pakistani heritage and offer global audiences a deeper understanding of the country’s culture and identity.

Media Contact:

Website: UMBR Website

Instagram: @umbrclothing

TikTok: @umbrclothing

Media Contact

Organization: UMBR

Contact Person: Adil Syed

Website: https://umbrclothing.ca

Email: Send Email

Country: Pakistan

Release Id: 14042526416