Cameras flashing, music playing, and attendees dolled up in designer wear; FPW6 Day One was nowhere near short on the glamour and pizzazz one expects from fashion week. However, we wouldn’t say the same for the designs showcased on the runway. Would the Express Tribune team term it a dazzling showcase on Wednesday evening? Sadly, no. While the event itself boasted the fashion glitterati at its best, with designers milling about and high-profile celebrities in attendance, once the seats were taken, some of the showcases failed to put the ‘fashion’ in Fashion Pakistan Week.
HSY
Credit should be given where credit is due, and HSY deserves a round of applause not only for his magnificent opening showcase, but his direction of the entire event. You could hear his voice booming over the speakers, and if you were to look up at the control room, his array of facial expressions and hand movements would definitely make you smile.
A far cry from his Eastern bridal wear, HSY was equally at ease in defining western silhouettes in his Venom Collection. Slow, powerful music set the ambience for the predatory manner in which the models prowled down the runway. Clearly inspired by snakeskin, black and gold were primary colours in his collection, off-set with a surprising pop of ruby red and some startling sequined lace. Each outfit was immaculately crafted. However, expectations were running high in terms of the casual prêt that HSY would offer, given that the designer had earlier termed Venom as a resort collection, and what we ultimately saw on the ramp consisted primarily of evening wear.
Aamna Aqeel
Aqeel’s collection, After the Winter, drew mixed reviews. The one thing that was, quite literally, in-your-face were the bedazzled eyebrows. Models walked the ramp with silver rhinestone-studded eyebrows, an edgy beauty choice by Aqeel which elevated the overall look of her collection. While some embellished pieces were startling, most of the digital prints didn’t quite make the intended statement. Overall, with the savvy cuts, and mainly pastel colour scheme, a lot of what was on the runway kept the spirit of Spring/Summer alive and would work as separates.
Shehla Chatoor for Toni and Guy-hair meets wardrobe
Chatoor’s glamorous outfits are unmistakable. Her name has become almost synonymous with all things gold, so much so that any other designer making a gold dress can easily be mistaken for her. Her showcase for Toni and Guy definitely brought a bit of provocation onto the ramp.
Nida Azwer
By far the best collection of the night, Nida Azwer’s Arabesque had all eyes glued onto the models, who looked ethereal decked out in white and gold. A refreshing change from the western silhouettes which dominated the ramp, Arabesque consisted of primarily Eastern outfits. With white organza, lattice cutwork, embroidery and appliqué abounding, dotted with flashy bits of golden and silver, her collection dominated the runway with its effortless femininity. With this capsule collection it is evident that Azwer’s craft complements her classic sense of style. She dictates those terms well to delight the sensibilities of a fashion centric eye.
The Graduate Show
Even allowing for the fact that the designers showcasing were students, the show would be described as average at best. The inspiration behind the collections was interesting, particularly one where one rising star Raabiya Iftikhaar used military accents such as service caps and medals in order to represent female empowerment. Every showcase was brusque and curt, and while the effort was apparent, the clothes weren’t wearable, or aesthetically pleasing. The students know fashion is about making statement, but it is certainly not about creating a fuss on the ramp. They need to learn to go beyond just experimentation. Fashion is more than just standing out; designers should also focus on wearability.
Adnan Pardesy
Pardesy’s complete romance with gold goota in his Eximius collection showcased white outfits that were classically pure and at the same time fierce, resembling gilded body armour. His charcoal and chocolate outfits were equally brilliant, even if they weren’t reflective of or conducive to summer trends.
Levis
Levis showcased a very casual beachwear collection, with models sporting skateboards, bicycles, backpacks and even bicycles. The branded jeans retailer off-shot its love for casual wear, be it in the form of a top or a pair of worn-out jeans.
Lala Textiles
The textile house took a western spin on lawn, which can never turn out well. Lawn is a fabric that can be easily experimented with in Eastern silhouettes, and likewise be assembled as such. These geometrical prints on Western lines were a good effort, but not entirely well put together. The showcase gave us some food for thought, where is fashion per se in lawn headed? The prints would have stood out beautifully if done well on Eastern cuts.
Zainab Chottani
The well-known bridal designer debuted her prêt wear line, Insta-Glam, which was a major departure from her signature style. She crafted her prêt line with black and white chequered prints off-set with vibrant indigo, deep green and bright orange. Her experimentation with summer trends and breaking away from bridal wear showed that she could make her mark as a successful prêt designer too.
Deepak Perwani
Deepak’s resort wear collection really was très chic, keeping in spirit with its title. Black and white stripes and cropped pants, along with vibrant digital prints and tasteful embroidery defined this collection. It was chic, classy and boasted wearable Western silhouettes. The bright star of fashion that he is, Deepak’s breezy collection effortlessly encapsulated the spirit of summer resort wear, and subtly showcased most of the trends of Spring\Summer 2014.
You can view a slideshow of the pictures from day one here.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 21st, 2014.
Like Life & Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.