The idea seemed incongruous with the nightmarish security situation prevailing in the country. Nevertheless, despite immense security concerns, delays, and last minute changes in venue, the show went on.
When asked about the wisdom of having a fashion show of this kind, especially after the deadly car bombing in Peshawar, CEO of Pakistan Fashion Council Ayesha Tammy Haq said: "the issue for all of us is whether we take all security precautions and carry on with life or we give up. All the designers who contacted me said they wanted to carry on." And so they did.
For four consecutive days last week, models clad in the creations of over 32 local designers strutted the ramp at a hotel in Karachi. The Council members, jittery on the first day, were heartened to see people turn out in huge numbers to what can easily be called the most prestigious fashion event of the year. Showing a surprising degree of punctuality, the three hour-long shows presented the collections of eight designers each day. Showcasing their spring 2010 collections, the designers were determined to prove themselves to the foreign buyers who unfortunately could not make it because of the prevailing security situation. Nevertheless, for those who could make it to the show, Fashion Pakistan Week was a refreshing change from the eerily quiet city life of this erstwhile bustling metropolis.
An 80-foot-long white ramp stretched across the length of the venue with a sleek black backdrop. Over 400 black cloth-covered chairs in stadium style seating provided a clear view of the runway for all the guests. With this dramatic yet simple set up the organisers offered a refreshing alternative to the ornate backdrops done by various other event managers in the city. With elaborate collection names ranging from "Flights of Fancy," "Harlequin Magic" and "Monk, Malang, Khusro ke Rang," the designers set out to dazzle to audience with their ensembles. Mixing couture and ready to wear collections, Day One began with a subtle collection by Sonya Battla titled "Karachi." Using earthy tones layered with cottons, organzas and linen, the outfits were meant to exemplify the quintessential Karachi society. While the armour style iron adornments used by Sonya were dramatic, they made the models look a little bulky as they came down the ramp. Aeisha Varsey's opulent eastern wear collection began with heavily embellished outfits in whites and off-white followed by innovative displays by Rizwanullah, Fahad Hussain and Samar Mehdi. The show ended with a very colorful collection by Shamaeel Ansari titled "Ode to Pakistan."
Day two started off with Maheen Khan's display called "The Woman in You." This was a retro-collection using brightly coloured outfits paired with stylish handbags and scarves. The collection was well-received by the audiences and was followed by the likes of Arshad Tareen and Ather Hafeez.
The third day of the Fashion Week drew large crowds desirous of viewing the much touted "Salt" collection by fashion king Rizwan Beyg and the latest designs by the boldly dramatic Nomi Ansari. The latter began the day's offerings with an exciting display aptly titled "The Secret Spell. Combining his women's collection with a smattering of mens' sherwanis, the collection was dynamically black. Predominantly a western line, Nomi mixed Gothic black with the occasional floral pink motif and leggings. The day's line-up combined the established designers with the beginners.
A debutante to exhibit this day was Sanam Chaudhry with an array of eastern semi-formals in soft pastels. Barefooted models walked the ramp in summery pleated chiffon shirts with loose pants. While the clothes were very wearable, one must acknowledge that the colours and styles were not quite made for the runway which is more suited to dazzling, exciting cuts and styles. Ismail Farid, on the other hand, gave a whole new meaning to ramp shows with his tribute to Pakistan Army - "Salute." Starting with top model Iraj saluting the audience in an airforce-inspired creation, Farid had the crowds pumped up with patriotic fervour. Beyg's collection, which was presented last, did not disappoint. "Salt" gave a whole new meaning to the word white.
Rizwan's immense talent was clearly evident in his ability to take an all-white collection and explore it with varied materials and cuts to create a rich, diverse and enchanting array of ensembles. Created with the help of village women from the Hazara region, the display ended to a thunderous applause.
Day four being the grand finale drew in a large number of people who could not all be accommodated in the limited seating available. Crowds eagerly awaited the ever popular queen of bridal wear Faiza Samee who surprised her fans by choosing to exhibit a previous collection of semi-formals and formals instead of the rich colourful bridals that she is famous for. Nevertheless, the collection was hugely entertaining with pretty pink saris and chattapatti borders worn by the likes of Frieha Altaf and Fashion Pakistan CEO Tammy. The last day also gave a chance to the young and upcoming design students from the two Fashion institutes of Pakistan to spread their wings and show their best work. Asian Institue of Fashion Design of Karachi and Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design of Lahore both showed the very best of their creations on the ramp. While AIFD and PIFD's displays were daring, there was a distinct lack of indigenous design involved and both schools seemed to be emulating western fashion rather than trying to create an identity of their own using local inspiration.
However, both received very encouraging responses from the audience. An established Karachi-based designer Neelo Allawala then presented her new collection "From the Nile to the Indus," which was very well-received. Inspired by Cleopatra VII, the collection began with Egyptian collars in rich velvets draped over cream coloured chiffons. Pit-stopping at middle-eastern gowns, the collection's colours grew richer and more vivid as it journeyed across to the sub-continent with its Mughal miniature embroidery on raw-silk shirts. The intricate hand-embroidered, Kashmiri work drew a round of applause.
The collection ended with Nadia Hussain, looking ravishing as ever, gliding down the ramp in a silvery gray shirt over yards of a navy blue trail. Fashion guru Deepak Perwani did the grand finale of the week with his Spring Summer collection 2010 which had drawn immense praise at the Milan Fashion Week a few months back. The innovatively vibrant exhibit was reminiscent of truck art that was all the rage in the 1990s. With its bold hairdo's and multi-coloured embellishments the display was a definite hit on the runway.
The show surpassed all levels of expectations but in order to get recognition as a Fashion Week of repute, there is still much to be done. The 18 plus woman models and the handful of man models put in a lot of hard work into the show as did the several people involved backstage. However, one cannot ignore the fact that the caliber of Pakistani models leaves a lot to be desired. Some of the girls were too short to be considered models by international standards and others seemed very new to the runway, lacking the oomph and confidence needed in a runway model.
While there is much work to be done, the very fact that the Fashion Week took place despite serious doubts over its execution is an achievement in itself. The Fashion Week should serve as an inspiration to all. It shows us that Karachiites remain undaunted and will carry on despite the fears that abound. The event showed the audience the immense talent and the dexterity of our designers, young and old, who are crossing all bars to reach excellence in couture and prêt warm eastern and western. It should inspire us to embrace fashion and hope to have many more events like this in the future, in Karachi as well as the rest of Pakistan.
(Pictures by AFP)