The hall was designed with a classic black and white theme to portray nothing but elegance, sophistication and regality. Black couches, white stage, chandeliers, white daisies and candles — all played their role in setting the serene milieu.
Everything seemed to be in place that evening except for a bed which lay mysteriously in the middle of the stage — taking a quick nap must have crossed many minds for sure but it wouldn’t have gone unnoticed.
The three-day lawn exhibition — a collaboration between textile giant Five Star and Indian fashion guru JJ Valaya — began on Friday at The Palm.
As the fashion show began and models made their way to the stage, the mystery of the bed was revealed and probably justified — it was used as an additional prop in the fashion show.
The collection incorporated fabrics such as chiffon and georgette with motifs and intricate embroidery. It was divided into five main categories: Zari, Nizam, Naqaashi, Jamawar and Sanghaner. While the first three depicted subtle maroons, browns and blacks and were not that aesthetically pleasing for the younger lot (and were more suitable for elder women), the final two categories included brighter summer shades which were more de rigueur in the world of lawn, and brought life to the show.
However, the price range, Rs5,500 to Rs7,500, seemed a little much for a rather ordinary collection.
Model and actor Meesha Shafi, who is the label’s brand ambassador, also graced the stage with her presence. “The collection is different from other lawn exhibitions we’ve seen in the city. It doesn’t always have to be bright, funky and loud,” she said, adding, “Valaya’s lawn has a sort of elegance about it which is what I really like.” She feels the level of professionalism she witnessed while working with Valaya was noteworthy and admits Pakistan has a long way to go as far as that is concerned.
A spiff of bug spray here and a little air freshener there made it a little hard to breathe. Unfortunately, the bug spray didn’t kill all the mosquitoes and the addition of rose-scented air freshener didn’t do the trick either.
The customers on day one of the exhibition did seem excited but did not create a frantic situation — they surprisingly did not conform to the typically-frenzied lawn exhibition scenarios, and calmly selected their suits. And while Karachiites were ready to welcome this designer from across the border with open arms, unfortunately, he didn’t turn up. He was, however, present at the Lahore event.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 19th, 2013.
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