Omar Mansoor’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection starts with a simple material: khaddar.
Handwoven from organic cotton on traditional looms, khaddar carries the evidence of the hands that make it. The surface is never completely even. The weave changes from one length to the next, catching the light differently and giving the cloth a character of its own. These variations are not treated as flaws. They are what make the fabric valuable.
Mansoor keeps the clothes deliberately restrained. Coat dresses, tailored jackets, A-line silhouettes and long column dresses rely on proportion and construction rather than decoration. Ivory and black form the main palette, allowing the texture of the khaddar to remain visible. Triangular shapes appear throughout the collection, drawn from the geometric forms found in Indus Valley artefacts and pottery and translated into a modern wardrobe.
The khaddar is woven by artisans in Kamalia, Punjab, where handweaving has been passed down through generations. The craft is part of the fabric of these communities, but like many traditional practices, it faces an uncertain future as industrial production continues to dominate the textile industry.
For Mansoor, working with these artisans is not about recreating the past. It is about finding a place for this knowledge in the present. The collection considers where its materials come from, how they are produced and who is involved in making them. Longevity, responsible sourcing and ethical production are not ideas added after the fact; they begin with the choice of cloth.
That connection is central to The Living Loom. The distance between the artisan and the finished garment is deliberately kept in view. What begins in Kamalia travels to the atelier and eventually to an international fashion audience, carrying with it the knowledge and labour behind the fabric.
The character of the khaddar also shapes the clothes themselves. Its grain, weight and slight irregularities are allowed to remain visible. No two garments will have quite the same surface, because the cloth itself cannot be made completely uniform. In a fashion landscape built increasingly around consistency and speed, that difference matters.
There is precision in the finished silhouettes, but the fabric keeps them from feeling overly controlled. The result is clothing that feels modern without losing its connection to where it was made.
With The Living Loom, Mansoor continues his engagement with Pakistan’s textile traditions and the people who keep them alive. This season, that engagement begins in the weaving communities of Punjab and extends outward, bringing their work into a contemporary international context.
The collection returns to its starting point.
To the cloth.
And, ultimately, to the loom.
Photos: Frank Good