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By making designer wear affordable and accessible to anyone who owns a smart phone, the show reached every consumer

When technology meets fashion, two things can happen: either the idea would stumble or mark a niche for others to follow. Luckily for Daraz Fashion Week (DFW), it came up with an idea that took Pakistan’s fashion industry a step forward. By making designer wear affordable and accessible to anyone who owns a smart phone in the country, the fashion show helped reach every consumer.

DFW held on the 20th of April showcased summer-casuals made by the industry’s big weights that are available on the website till the 24th of April. From Amir Adnan’s men’s apparel to the new designer on the block Hamza Bokhari, fashion gurus displayed designs priced under Rs15,000. What you saw was what you bought, available at the website soon after the models nonchalantly walked the ramp.

Ten designs ranging from trendy casuals to evening formals were displayed by each of the renowned seven designers: Zara Shahjahan, Banl AlFalah’s Rising Talent winner Hamza Bokhari, Amir Adnan, Generation, Feeha Jamshed, Deepak Perwani and Tena Durrani.

The show began with Zara Shahjahan’s chic collection which brought back the capes that were doing the rounds of winter-formals into summery-day wear. Printed and embroidered tulip to cigarette pants, made the looks feasible for the working women.

It was then followed by Hamza Bokhari, who tried to experiment with flowing silhouettes for the uber-chic women. The dresses, however, had a little too much going on with unflattering cuts and intricate minimalistic designs that didn’t do much to carve a fashion statement.

Amir Adnan and Generation stayed true their style. Bringing their known aesthetics into play, both fashion houses reinvented themselves and targeted their apparels to the masses by pricing as low as Rs1,500. While Amir Adnan designs included the summer must-haves – light cotton kurtas and chinos, Generation floral and light hues brought back ethnic with style.

What stood out for other high-end fashion brands, Feeha Jamshed, Deepak Perwani and Tena Durrani were their approach of designing very retail-specific. Priced starting from Rs5,000 made their clothes appealing to the men and women on the go.

The shoppable online show not only had these designers display their collections in front of fashion bloggers, designers to journalists but also had live streaming available on the platform that was just a little behind the actual show. Nonetheless, customers could see the show from the comfort of their home and buy the dress with just a click.

Unlike other conventional fashion events, which are held prior to the stock available in stores, DFW tried to bridge the gap between everyday consumers and high-end fashion. It made designer-wear available at prices affordable to many.