The Élan effect

Arguably one of Pakistan’s finest fashion houses, Élan’s solo couture show raises the bar for Pakistan’s emerging fashion fraternity — and does ever so magnificently. From the décor to the music to the silhouettes, to even the models, the design house manages to take everyone’s breath away. We bring you the highlights!

As we enter the venue of Élan’s first ever solo couture show, titled after its collection, ‘Palais Indochine’, we are instantly transported into a different world, a different time altogether. The grand white set with minarets and a beautiful pergola in the centre catches our eye. Yousaf Shahbaz, the creative director of the show, outdoes himself by creating a magnificent set inspired by the Mughal era. This is further enhanced and made even more glorious by event planner, Shazreh Khalid of Zareen and Shazreh Khalid Events.



As Sachal Studio performs the Pink Panther theme track, the who’s who of the fashion fraternity is seen mingling and munching on delicious hors d’oeuvre from The Lahore Social.

The lights are dimmed and the highly anticipated show begins. The exceptional collection is unlike anything we have seen from the design house. A deep, rich palette, used on old school lenghas with intricate gold work and plush velvet chaddars are incorporated, while retaining Élan’s trademark ivory cutwork bridals. The Pakistani design house evolves its signature aesthetic by introducing a warmer colour palette, incorporating the ethereal designs it is renowned for. Sherezad Rahimtoola’s custom made line for the show adds opulence, luxury and character to the charming silhouettes, setting the tone for bridal couture this season. We can’t stop raving about the way Nabila integrates orchids and jasmine in the hairdos, abiding by the fusion theme.

We briefly chat with Khadijah Shah, creative director of Élan, who tells us about her inspiration for ‘Palais Indochine’. “For this collection we went a step further from ‘Jasmine Court’ and moved towards oriental imagery. Therefore, now it’s a blend between Indian embroideries and oriental motifs with rich, bold colours. This is something new for us, and as it is Élan’s 10th year anniversary, I wanted to do a show my way, with my own vision. The aim was to give people a holistic Élan experience,” she explains.



We are pleasantly surprised to see Élan’s favourite ‘it’ girls, Natasha Monnoo, Fatin Gondal, Maheen Taseer and Maryam Mahmood walk the runway. The subtle yet brilliant choreography by Fahad Hussayn has these ladies, as well as the rest of the models, looking graceful, elegant and everything else an Élan woman stands for.

After the lady of the hour takes a well-deserved bow, DJ Saqib breaks out the beats. From designers, to models to socialites, everyone is all praise for this pioneering design house — and rightfully so! Besides creating breath taking collections each season, this luxury label successfully executes its first solo couture show, and simultaneously raises the bar for the entire Pakistani fashion industry.