Pakistani designers impress at London Fashion Week

Pakistani designers impress at the prestigious London Fashion Week

LAHORE:

The resounding success of Pakistani fashion weeks might be one thing but replicating the same on the international front is a different ballgame. Thanks to Fashion Scout, local designers have achieved another milestone of which the entire Pakistani fashion fraternity can be proud of.

Prominent designers Wardha Saleem, Zaheer Abbas, The House of Kamiar Rokni and Akif Mahmood were selected by British Council to showcase their designs at the prestigious London Fashion Week (LFW) that culminated on Tuesday. They underwent a six-month mentorship programme under the supervision of British fashion heavyweights like Toby Meadows, author of How To Set Up and Run A Fashion Label, Malcolm Newberry of Malcolm Newberry Consulting, stylist Rebekah Roy and Ruby Hoette, a graduate degree holder in fashion.

The programme is frequented by top international media and buyers, so undoubtedly it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for our chosen ones. The octet began working together in October last year. “The British Council flew the mentors in for one-on-one sessions and then we talked over Skype,” Saleem told The Express Tribune. “They helped us identify our target market, brand image and respective USPs,” she added.



Of the four designers, only Mahmood was unable to display his collection in the British capital due to mitigating circumstances. A press release issued on the day of his showcase stated, “Due to uncertainty surrounding Mahmood’s visa, the shipment of his collection was delayed and he has had to miss the show.”

On the flipside, Rokni and Saleem could not be present at the show due to last minute visa issues. Ultimately, only Abbas made it to London in time. He chose to make his LFW debut with his Autumn/Winter ’16 collection - his second showcase under the Printology concept. Based on silks offset by karandi, his designs embodied versatility of print by using them in different ways.

He revealed that the collection caught the fancy of Angela Quaintrell, who was the first buyer to take Japanese designer Yamamoto and Alexander McQueen as well. According to Abbas, the competition was quite fierce. “I never thought it would make much of a difference but having an e-commerce website gave me a definite edge because the designers took me seriously. These things are important for the international market,” he added.



Saleem’s collection, on the other hand, offered a fusion of sub-continental influences like poppy flowers and some truck art, mixed with vibrant flora and fauna digital prints. “The collection was something I designed keeping the international market in mind,” she explained. “Hence, the colours and fabrics used are warm and the embroidery is minimal.”

Other than this, Saleem also showcased hand-painted bags made in collaboration with local leather goods manufacturer, Jafferjees. For this, she commissioned popular truck artist Haider Ali. The bags will soon be available for retail on Saleem’s e-store. Although she was clearly disappointed for not being able to make it to London personally, she said, “To establish presence, one needs to showcase [one collection] at least three times.” She will hence be showcasing the same collection along with a few additional pieces at the next Fashion Pakistan Week.

While both Abbas and Saleem stuck to their usual design aesthetics, the trio of Rokni, Tia Noon and Rehan Bashir behind The House of Kamiar Rokni had to tone down their obvious flair for colours to cater to the international market. The result was a versatile collection of Western cuts, with minimal but very fine embroidery. “The idea was to do something very clean and modern in terms of cuts, but with local and traditional fabrics,” explained Bashir. “The collection is a result of eight years’ worth of research conducted ever since Kami [Rokni] went solo. Basically, we toned down the palette and added little whimsies like motifs of Hindu deities and ralli patterns on jamawaar.”

Of his overall experience, Rokni claimed he had a “great time” working with Fashion DNA. “It was great to be doing purely western wear and flexing our design muscles. Before this, we hadn’t been doing anything besides bespoke bridals for a long time,” he said. Rokni and his team will also be showcasing their LFW collection at Pakistan Fashion Design Council shows in March, after adding five new pieces to the mix.

Zaheer Abbas



Abbas’ line had a vintage, garden-inspired appeal with birds, flowers and nests embossed into digitised patterns and uplifted by shades of military green. He played around with his signature Printology, making room to experiment with silhouettes with an extraordinary level of panache. From kimono tops, pants, pleated and flowy dresses to long jackets, Abbas dabbled with them all. What we appreciated most about the designer was his ability to bring items inherent to Pakistan to the fore, such as the Pakul hat and karandi, and make them fabulously fashionable.

Wardha Saleem



Saleem stuck to her roots with flora and fauna, incorporating various techniques like quilting, patchwork, applique, embroidery and laser cuts, shown on suede and raw silks. While the collection was impactful, what really stood out for us were those hand-painted bags.

The House of Kamiar Rokni



The design house should be applauded for restraining its penchant for the bold and bright throughout this collection. The trio chose white, ivory or gray canvas for all of the outfits that were accompanied by vibrant embroidery, their signature style, without it being too over-the-top for international clientele. The best part about the showcase was the styling and the way the outfits were layered, showing their potential to be worn together or separately.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2016.

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