Khyber Lining

I have been working on a lining which uses elements of a drawing I made  about 3 years ago of the Khyber Pass. The Khyber Pass links Afghanistan and Pakistan, in fact it is a bit far South to count as the Hindu Kush. However, it is iconic, so I have included it. The trucks which wind slowly along its narrow road are the same wonderfully decorated vehicles which wheeze up and over the Lowari Pass carrying our cloth out of Chitral and into the rest of the world. Below is an overall view of the lining
and some details.

A visa for Pakistan

I am applying for a visa for travel to Pakistan in May. I am going because I want to film the remarkable processes which go into the making of the cloth that I use in my coats. It will be the 6th time I have been to Pakistan and each time the tourist visa requirements get more and more outlandish. I suppose this is in reaction to increasingly stringent UK border controls, so the process gives you some idea of what it is like applying for a UK visa if you are a Pakistani. Anyway, here are some of the requirements and questions: Blood Group, mother's place of birth, distinguishing mark, religion, previous employer's contact details, every foreign country you have visited in the last two years, the dates and where you stayed, a day by day itinerary for your trip in Pakistan, a photo copy of your passport, 4 passport photos, a letter of support from your employer, a letter of invitation from a sponsor, scans of your sponsor's ID card, an up to date utility bill, bank statements for the past two months...

Lining Shots

I have been working on an over-shirt made from shu wool and lined with my snow leopard and markhor chase fabric. The cut isn't finalised, but I here are some images I just took of the lining.