The first instalment of the Pakistan Fashion Week was held at a hotel in Karachi last week, defying the chaos and terror that engulfed the country on Thursday morning after a deadly bomb blast. Designers ventured forth and paraded an eclectic mix of creations on the ramp. Media and fashion A-listers were present at the two-day event. Here are some of the highlights:
AYESHA FAROOK HASHWANI
Ayesha Farook Hashwani opened day one with her La Plage collection, which featured capes, drapes, shrugs and sequinned pants set in silk, cotton net and satin. Fitted pants with heavily sequinned tops and yellow and orange boleros and ponchos in silk were standout pieces. Renowned fashion journalist Nikhar Riaz was spotted at Hashwani’s show, wearing a black and white loose silk kaftan paired with a matching black and gold sling purse.
NAUMAN ARFEEN
Nauman Arfeen’s spring/summer collection, titled Wild Wild West, had unique separates, a cool summer palette and minimal embellishments. Models wore trendy short cotton kurtas, cotton jackets and plain black shoes. The collection focused on letting one’s wild side loose and so most of the designs were set in jungle prints. Veteran designer Maheen Khan attended Arfeen’s show wearing a polka dot black and white mandarin collar top with a black skirt. Actors and off-screen couple Aimen Khan and Muneeb Butt were the showstoppers.
FNK ASIA
Next up was Fnk Asia with their Avian collection. Their subtle colour palette consisted of mainly beige, peach and dull blues. The vibrant pieces had bright pinks, royal blues and embellished blacks. Lightly-embellished khaddar long coats and floral headgears were the highlight of the collection. Miss Pakistan Sarish Khan was the showstopper, wearing a heavily embellished grey, blue and white dress with big, bright accessories. Gorgeous designer Maheen Karim was spotted rooting for Fnk Asia in the front row, wearing a black cape with a statement brooch, paired with a white full sleeve top and black skirt.
ARSALAN IQBAL
House of Arsalan Iqbal’s Nocturnal collection featured short coats, waistcoats and jackets paired with shorts shirts and kurtis. Printed coats with off-white pants and shirts looked very trendy for summer. Grey, brown and black were the main colours in Iqbal’s collection. Designer Nida Azwer was at Iqbal’s show wearing a black, grey and white patterned button down top with grey leggings — one of her own creations.
BANK ALFALAH RISING TALENT SHOW
Bank Alfalah’s Rising Talent show began with Tooba Chottani’s collection and it sure was stunning. With a fantasy feel, the collection featured sky blue and white skirts, ball gowns and hand-painted capes. Chottani stood out for her use of a summery palette combos and water colour impressions. Areej Iqbal’s collection consisted of cocktail skirts and trendy jackets with some interesting and modern cuts. Neon jackets paired with straight cigarette pants stood out in Fatima Abdul Rauf’s Triangular Connectivity collection. I loved how the models sported a pulled-back high pony hairdo. Zafar Ahsan Naqvi’s tomato red and monochrome saris made quite a statement on the ramp.
ZAHEER ABBAS
The Urdu 1 featuring Zaheer Abbas showcase saw a number Pakistani celebrities walking the ramp, including Nida and Yasir, Javed Sheikh and Danish Taimoor. Shaikh wore a crisp white shalwar kamiz with a black and gold waistcoat and blue suede moccasins.
HUMAYUN ALAMGIR
Humayun Alamgir was next to display his collection titled Ayaash. Funky, modern and very shimmery, Humayun presented a round shades collection. Imran Abbas was the showstopper, and he looked dapper in a sparkly black tuxedo, with a statement bow tie and a red handkerchief.
NIDA AZWER
Nida Azwer’s Susleme pret collection was vibrant and used luxurious fabrics including fine silks and organzas with detailed 3D embellishment, experimental embroidery and textures with beads, ribbons and crystals.
TENA DURRANI
Tena Durrani presented a stunning finale with a very wearable, marketable and a practical collection titled The Debut. Sheer organzas, subtle summery colour palette and trendy cuts dominated the collection. Syra Shahroz was the showstopper and wore a lovely peach skirt with subtle embellishments paired with a golden threaded off shoulder bustier.
NIDA AZWER
Nida Azwer opened day two with her collection Khalarai. Stunning pieces featuring mirror work and minimal embellishments on salwars, loose kurtis, short angrakhas, cotton saris and knee-length shirts were showcased. The colour palette was beige, peach, light grey and off white. Designer Nomi Ansari was at the event. He wore a striped red, white and black jacket, with a red tie, a black waistcoat and skinny jeans. His shoes did most of the talking. I loved the monochrome vibe.
INAAYA
Inaaya by Naushaba Brohi was next up with a trendy yet ethnic collection titled Baatin, featuring summer dresses, sheer organza jackets, palazzos and boat-shape neck tops set in black, red, grey, blue and some vibrant shades. Embroidered cotton palazzos with embellished borders and sky blue duppatas paired with plain white shalwar kamiz were some of the highlights of the collection. Ayesha Toor turned showstopper for the collection, wearing white palazzos and a kurta that had red and blue borders. Photographer and designer Tapu Javeri was at the event, keeping it simple and chic with a jacket, collar shirt and rugged jeans.
FASHION DNA
Fashion DNA London Fashion Week’s showcase featuring six designers was up next with Zuria Dor displaying her western wear and Munib Nawaz his sophisticated menswear collection. Then came The Pink Tree’s vibrant east-meets-west luxury pret, Jeem’s intricately embroidered collection, Sonya Battla’s refreshing blue and off white pret wear and last but the least Gulabo’s signature florals and statement prints. Actor and designer Deepak Perwani was at the event in a deep blue coat, floral handkerchief and navy blue pants. He paired the look with sophisticated dark brown boots.
TONI & GUY
Hair Fashion Scout II by Toni & Guy South displayed quirky, fun and modern hairstyles for both men and women, such as loose curls, loud back combings, braided fronts and some rough styling. Blue seemed to be the colour to wear on the red carpet as dapper model Hasnain Lehri was spotted attending Toni & Guy’s show, killing it in a striking blue Deepak Perwani suit and a silk handkerchief complete with a monochrome collar shirt.
AMIR ADNAN
Amir Adnan showcased a simple and elegant collection titled Aesthetics for Everybody, for both men and women, that featured waistcoats, kurta salwars, bomber jackets, velvet coats as well as cotton T-shirts. Trendy/funky designer Humayun Alamgir was spotted attending Amir Adnan’s show wearing a crisp black and white embroidered short coat with a statement red handkerchief, complete with cut off jeans.
DEEPAK PERWANI
Deepak Perwani was up next with a collection titled Pure, which stood out for its chic, western modern wear for men, rich in colours blue, green, white and grey. Girls sported plain white outfits with trendy cuts. Monochrome floral jackets looked fun and very workable for spring/summer. Tooba and Noor Hassan were the showstoppers.
AMATO COUTURE
Amato Couture’s western bridal and party wear collection was rich in net, heavy embroidery and embellishments with voluminous gowns and dresses. The colour palette ranged from sparkly beiges, subtle pinks to pistachio greens and bubblegum pinks.
THE GRAND COUTURIERS
The Grand Couturiers segment celebrating 10 years of Fashion Pakistan featured collections by HSY, Nilofer Shahid, Bunto Kazmi, Sana Safinaz, Amir Adnan, Shamaeel Ansari, Umar Sayeed, Maheen Khan and Nomi Ansari.
