Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy dazzles in black at the Oscars

Sports an embroidered ensemble designed by Sana Safinaz at Oscars

KARACHI: Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy slammed critics by bagging a second Oscar. Fittingly,  her choice of outfit for the ceremony was also a reflection of Pakistan’s vibrant fashion industry. Compared to her previous knockout beige Bunto Kazmi Oscar outfit, this Sana Safinaz-designed black, demure number was a tad understated, perhaps hinting at a more confident and experienced Oscar nominee. This is probably why the film-maker chose a darker suit than the one she wore for the 2012 Vanity Fair Oscar party.

It is every designer’s dream to dress a celebrity for the Academy Awards and this year Obaid-Chinoy picked the label Sana Safinaz to create an ensemble for her moment of glory. While talking to The Express Tribune, Safinaz Muneer, the label’s creative design head, says, “To design a couture outfit, it takes a lot of brainstorming. We relied on two things, namely what the client wanted and our vision. That’s how we managed to put together this piece.”

Obaid-Chinoy’s black-on-black outfit comprised a heavily embroidered heel-length velvet coat over a silk dress. “The coat was hand-embellished in off-white silk thread and was further enriched with pearls and shells. This gave the outfit a grand and dramatic appeal at the Oscars,” says Muneer. The designer took great pride in the ‘Made-in-Pakistan’ tag and says Obaid-Chinoy has made Pakistanis proud for a second time. “We are very proud of her and the cherry on top of the cake is that she wore one of our designs.”

While the Oscar-winner’s outfit was quite memorable, it was her statement jewellery pieces that stole the spotlight. “Today, I am very excited and happy for the win, but I’m more honoured that she [Obaid-Chinoy] choose to wear my jewellery designs second time round,” says Kiran Aman of Kiran Fine Jewellery. “She wore a palm piece, titled ‘Just Woman’, signifying love and courage and set of earrings titled ‘Synchronicity’ which represented a continuum wave of tear drops and spheres, once again signifying love and courage.” According to the designer, Obaid-Chinoy’s motto ‘determined women get together and do wonders’ is something she feels strongly about. “I believe I am one of them.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2016.

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