Islamabad Fashion Week: Who are you wearing?

ISLAMABAD: On day one of the fashion show, The Express Tribune ventures to get a low-down on the budding fashionistas, the motifs and cuts, the walk and the talk from this side of the Margallas.

Enter the galore of velvet chairs and a modest-looking ramp. Preshow, the frenzied crew is seen working on the setup and facing technical problems. At mid-day, the hall is still scanty with a headcount of 60 odd people. Mics are being tested for sound checks.

The show ensues with four prêt and three couture showcases.

Deeba and Zoe

The duo emerge, with an experience of 30 years in the industry.

They flaunt long dresses, accentuated by hats and embellishments, but the designs and motifs spell high school. The fabricated Louboutins are an eyesore. Majorly.

High end fashion material? Not really. Some dresses show telltale signs of no ironing. The attires are cute but reveal lining. Select tops seem to be pulled off the racks of H&M, NY and Company. The pairing with leggings is anything but flattering. Some of the girls have got the look but need to be groomed in walking the walk.

Paco de Jaimes, fashion journalist remarks, “A nice collection. Very wearable. Better to have their individual style than follow the herd. Promising  creative potential.”

SNS

The not-quite prêt line!

Flowy dresses surface with funky head gear. The style is Ayesha Hashwani- inspired and an absolute eyesore. In the evening wear, some outfits look right out of Victoria’s Secret.

Envogue

The fashion warehouse has been around since 1993. Their turnout progresses through the day with an appealing merge of colour. The label presents flapper dresses, some missing hemming.

Ammar Belal

Working on a corporate collection and architecture designs, Ammar Belal presents a suave combination of white, red and black, with an assortment of materials like tweed and office-savvy accessories.

Critics

Tommy Amin Jaan, a housewife, said, “No sense of anything. Horrible and tacky.  Not quite what we had expected it to be.”

Zainab Omar, Blue Chip editor, said, “ The artistes, designers and models need to have their creativity brought to the limelight. The launch of this platform is indeed a great effort.”

The verdict

Even with the initial glitches, the IFW 2011 is a great platform for newcomers to showcase their talent and creativity. But the key to success in the fashion industry is cutting edge presentation and letting go of inhibitions to let inspiration flow. The designers that opened the show on the first day should encash the exposure and opportunity to take their designs to the next level and continue to innovate and grow.

Metro Shoes officially sponsored the shoe side of things.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2011.