International flair

Zahra Saeed's job as a Center City fashion designer leads her to exotic capitals such as Zagreb (Croatia), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), and New Delhi (India), as well as other cities throughout Europe and the Middle East.

So what's her favorite spot to kick back after a long, hot day of buying colorful fabrics and searching for factories to produce her sexy yet conservative designs?

It's the Cuckoo's Nest, a rooftop restaurant that affords a panoramic view of Lahore, the second-largest city in her native Pakistan.

"It is really simple and very basic," Saeed says of the restaurant's spicy, local dishes. "But for me, it's really breathtaking."

The deck of the Cuckoo's Nest looks into Lahore Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site that dates to about 1560. At night, with the fort's lights turned off, Saeed can see the moonlight reflecting off the dramatic marble palaces and mosques. Because the restaurant has only eight tables, it is peaceful enough to allow her to get lost in the beauty, she says.

Viewing the dramatic architecture from above helps Saeed appreciate Pakistan's history. The fort, also known as Shahi Qila, was built during the Mughal Empire, which ruled most of South Asia and the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the mid-19th century.

Saeed's attraction to the fort goes back to her schoolgirl days, when she visited on a class trip. She still remembers her first look at the lavish Shish Mahal, or Palace of Mirrors, with its ornate mosaics and impressive mirrors.

But most of her childhood travels took her to foreign lands - good preparation for her job as owner of her fashion line and store, Zahra Saeed, which opened at 1905 Walnut St. in the spring.

"I wanted to bring the world to my clients - the silks, embroideries, art, workmanship, colors, textures," Saeed says. "Every city or country has specific specialties they offer."

She incorporates her exposure to different cultures in even the simplest of her styles. In her 2009 fall/winter collection, for example, every dress has at least a dab of color - especially magenta and orange - or an embroidered pattern.

And by buying her materials overseas, with a good exchange rate, Saeed says, she can offer her unique styles to her customers at lower prices.

Many of her business trips take her back to Pakistan and India, where she scours wholesale markets such as Chandni Chowk in Old Dehli. It's definitely work, coping with crowded streets, the market's frenetic buying and selling, and temperatures up to 110 degrees, "but they have good cotton and embroidered silk," Saeed says. "The variety changes every time, so you have to visit for a new selection."

The bustling market sits at the foot of Lal Qila, or the Red Fort, another product of the Mughal civilization and one of Old Delhi's most popular attractions. For Saeed, though, the chaotic setting is a far cry from her serene spot overlooking Lahore Fort. Yet she's still captivated by the Red Fort and all remnants of Mughal architecture in Pakistan and India.

"They are so beautiful," she says, and represent a time when the two countries were one.

Charmed by that period of history, the fashion designer says she wants to incorporate a feel for Mughal extravagance into her fall 2010 collection.

"I want it to be grand and regal," she says.

Just like her view from the Cuckoo's Nest. I