If Danny Boyle's acclaimed rags-to-riches tale Slumdog Millionaire gave Bollywood a shot in the arm, the same feat was achieved in less than an hour by Dubai-based designers Furne One and Michael Cinco. These Filipinos' rich bling bonanza, replete with flowing silks and dramatic eye make, put a twinkle in the eyes of the uber hip - but stylishly staid - fashion set. For the first time in the 11th annual Miami Fashion Week, cackles, cheers and catcalls were heard from the collected voyeurs.
Novelties
Somehow, the sight of jewel-encrusted bustiers and the novelty of watching models trundle up in sparkling gowns spurred an upbeat mood. Models cracked a smile and the famously-inhibited VIPs seated in the front rows were seen reaching out to touch the long silk trains on the ramp.
Mercedez, a fashion buyer and one of the judges of the Emerging East Designers sums up the show, "It was about time fashion woke up to some creativity, craziness and couture." Also feeding the Eastern-exotica extravaganza were the designers Hadi Katra from Lebanon and Munib Nawaz from Pakistan.
Visual relief
Nawaz gave ample visual relief by presenting a men's collection and subjected his models to zany choreography.
Much to the delight of the viewers, some of the ramp scorchers missed the cue. Booing when they placed the wrong foot forward and cheering when they pulled it off, the feel-good vibe was palpable. So far so good.
The problem? "Will I be able to pull it [the outfits] off in Miami?" asked a baffled front bencher glancing at a stiff long-tailed Victorian shirt.
Michael Cinco: Dubai-based designer Michael Cinco won the crowd over with his tasteful flamboyant collection made of soft silks, tulles and organzas. Entitled Impalpable dreams, Cinco introduced the Hispanic crowd to some sunny fare. tabloid! caught up with the designer. The collection is called Impalpable dreams. Through my clothes I want to shout out to the world that it is OK to dream in these tough times. Dreams are one thing which does not cost money. After all, there may be credit crunch, but not couture crunch. She is like an Arab princess who flies out of Dubai in the morning, reaches St Tropez and then jets off to Paris for dinner. My clothes would look great on a sophisticated jet setter. The '50s style can never go out of style. The small hips, the big waist will always be in vogue.
Federica Vaccaro:The third day of the Miami Fashion Week opened on a sleek and stylish note with Federica Vaccaro's collection of sharp clean lines in which bow ties of varying sizes were the staple. There was no sight of the tassels, ruffles and flounces that seemed to be the reigning motif of the week. This Italian designer certainly gave new meaning to the phrase "Black Tie Only" in her precisely cut and finely detailed collection. The neutral hues and stark elegance of this line was perhaps cleverly juxtaposed with the riot of colour and shimmer that followed in the Emerging East Designer Showcase.
Hadi Katra:In the eastern palette that was offered to the fashion conscious Miamiites, Hadi Katra from Lebanon failed to register even with his use of rich colours, fabrics and the proverbial sparkle. Though the pink and silver flowing number with the sequin encrusted bustier showed promise, it only got lost in the crowd of more flamboyant creations like those of Cinco and Amato. Looking at the big picture, Katra lost out on visual staying power.
Munib Nawaz: Pakistani designer Munib Nawaz's collection was highly anticipated as it was the sole menswear line of the entire week. Even before the show, I was primed to see something innovative and not the usual Sherwanis (a long coat-like garment worn in South Asia, usually made of heavy fabric) expected from Pakistani designers. "There is a misconception about Pakistani designers. Many believe we are only about the heavy Sherwani. Through, my collection I want to shatter that myth," Nawaz said. Sadly, this did not translate onto the ramp with Sherwani inspired jackets and ensembles dominating his show. The fusion fare seemed to be all about selling the ubiquitous Pakistani staple to the Western and Latin audience. Judging by the bemused reception, it remains to be seen if he'll garner any serious interest in his attempt to universalise the Sherwani - be it the jacket with the flowing train or the clumsy fusion of Spanish matador elements.
