Pakistan’s Chief Minister of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, is known for many things, her bold politics, her confident personality, and her strong public presence. But this Ramadan, she has added something new to the list. She has become a full-blown fashion trendsetter, and the people of Pakistan are absolutely loving it.
A heartwarming story recently went viral on social media, shared by Raja Fateh Mahmood Ul Hassan, who took to Twitter to describe a visit to the Ethnic outlet at Safa Gold Mall in Lahore. He had gone there to buy the same dress his wife had admired, a beautiful outfit recently worn by Maryam Nawaz Sahiba. What the salesperson told him stopped him in his tracks.
The salesperson smiled and said, “Sir, people have gone crazy for it. Every day several customers walk in and simply say, Maryam Nawaz wala dress chahiye.”
Maryam Nawaz has always dressed elegantly, favouring classic Pakistani silhouettes, graceful dupattas and tasteful embroidery that feels both powerful and feminine. Women across Punjab and beyond have been taking notes for years. But this Eid season, her fashion influence has reached a completely new level.
This is not the first time a political leader has influenced fashion in Pakistan, but it is rare for that influence to reach ordinary shoppers at a mall level, where women are walking in and asking for an outfit by a person’s name rather than a brand name.
That is the kind of soft power and public connection that no political strategy can manufacture. Maryam Nawaz has earned it naturally, and this Eid, she is not just leading Punjab. She is leading the fashion conversation too.
