Everything that met the eye at the historic haveli (mansion) of Syed Wajid Ali Shah inside Lahore’s Walled City was white and deep red last weekend — whether it was the arched entrance that was decked up in roses, or the rug lining the stairs that led the guests to the rooftop where refreshments were being served.
Traditionally associated with love and romance, red was set off by the white in outfits, which was the colour code for the guests. The occasion was Hassan Sheheryar Yasin’s (HSY) solo exhibition titled Mohabbat Nama (love letter), to celebrate 24 years in the fashion design business.
The collection was presented by top models of Pakistan that included Mehreen Syed, Amna Ilyas, Bilal Ashraf, Mohammad Ali, Waleed Khalid, Nael, and Emaad Irfani who sported bespoke sherwanis with trousers, and lehengas and cholis, that had been designed to complement each one’s personality, “creating harmony between the fashion and the person who wears it”, Yasin said. The make-up partner for the event was Nabila’s N-PRO.
There wasn’t a ramp, with models walking on the tiled floor in the courtyard of the haveli to Yasin’s own choreography. The couturier also brought back Zainab Qayyum, Natasha Hussain, Simi Pasha, Abdullah Ejaz, and Andleeb Rana, whom he described as the “original supermodels” that were part of his journey. Stylist Shahzad Raza, and Yasin’s first ever model, his sister, were also called out, amidst great applause.
Earlier, the show began with a recitation of a Faiz Ahmad Faiz nazm (poem) by his daughter Salima Hashmi, a leading artist of the country, and the former principal of National College of Arts (NCA). The lines she read out spoke of the late legendary poet’s love for the city of Lahore.
Former queen bee of Lollywood, and a perennial muse for Yasin, Reema Khan closed the show. Yasin also announced that each outfit worn by the models had been named after them, “as a tribute to them and their careers.”
Mohabbat Nama is an HSY couture collection, with all motifs and accessories made by his team.
