Saadia Mirza’s Nurul Aine Collection was showcased at the Veranda Bistro on a gorgeous winter Thursday afternoon. The designer presented her trousseau collection inspired by the Mughul era, for which the venue had been transformed to a magical place with its ethereal set up and a gazebo style ramp.
It was refreshing to see a showcase catered only to the client base of the particular designer, while upholding the exclusivity of the event. While the courtyard was delicately adorned and exuded luxury and magic, sadly Saadia Mirza’s collection was not too impressive.
The colour palette ranged between the ivory neutrals infused with gold, aqua and maroon. “I have taken the later part of the Mughul era as an inspiration for this collection and have given it a modern twist,” said the designer. “The modernity is added through the cuts and silhouettes.” En vogue with this season’s romance with volume, Mirza’s collection presented some interesting pieces. The Victorian jacket styled over the volumised lehnga modeled by Ayaan had a pretty silhouette.
The colour palette ranged between the ivory neutrals infused with gold, aqua and maroon. PHOTO: SHAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS
“Saadia Mirza is super expensive and caters to the elite of the elite. We wanted to give her a show that catered to that market,” said Aamir Mazhar of Savvy PR. “For this reason, we only invite a select few people who would appreciate her work.” It is usually hard to put a benchmark on the embellishment aesthetics of a designer but one can critique the structure of the collection. What kept the collection from making a mark remained its subsequent lack of structure and substandard stitching. Baggy sleeves and safety pins showing from the hemlines revealed signs of rushed tailoring and fitting deadlines. With a lehnga almost falling off one model, the fittings left a bad taste.
Mirza made use of many different layers of embellishment and fabrics to create her pieces; from moqaish on volume-filled skirts and shirts to additional rosettes and lace trimmings along with pearl belts along the waistline. Jamdani on its own added a feel of regality and opulence to the outfits. Mirza doesn’t appeal to everyone but one could put her in the same category as Sonia Azhar, she has a market for her work whether it is from Faisalabad, Sialkot or Gujranwala. She does what she likes to do and caters to a very specific market that is not everyone’s cup of tea. The colour combinations remained safe but aesthetically pleasing and very wearable. Socialite Naila Ishtiaq and Veranda owner and fashionista Mariam Saqib were the showstoppers and walked out to cheers and crowd appreciation.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 27th, 2013.
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