FPW 2016: All goods things must come to an en

With more hits than misses, three-day event wraps up on high note

KARACHI: As Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) Winter Festive 2016 came to a close on Tuesday night, the third and last day definitely lived up to the saying, ‘Third time is the charm’. As designer heavyweights showcased their best offerings at the show, Nida Azwar’s collection surely led the pack. The Express Tribune gives you highlights from the show, hot off the runway!

Designer: Nida Azwer

Collection: Alankara



The designer opened the show with the strongest collection of the day. Her offerings remained true to her traditional aesthetics, which we saw in her use of intricate miniature embroidery – not only on shawls, but also on the myriad of silhouettes showcased. She proved yet again that she is a master when it comes to genuine craftsmanship. Whether it was the camels embroidered on showstopper Ayesha Omar’s front-open top, or the bird imagery on Rabia Butt’s velvet lengha, each piece told its own story.

Azwer sticks to her strong suit, which is traditional bridal wear, but isn’t afraid to incorporate trends into the mix. We saw gharara pants and a lot of jewel tones, but Azwer knows when to take it easy on trends, which is perhaps also the reason why her collection was so genius. She understands that adorning an outfit with work isn’t the point, but designing it is. Though it’s hard to pick a single outstanding piece, the beige gharara, with intricate gold and silver motifs, modelled on Rubab Ali, won our hearts. Ali Sethi’s performance certainly lit up the mood, but what struck us was the intricately embroidered shawl he was wearing – another example of fine craftsmanship.

Designer: Republic Womenswear

Collection: Mon Treso



The showcase told the story of a woman and the treasure that lies within her heart. Her beauty and sensuality reflecting through the garment she veils herself with. This collection brought forth a new era woman who is individualistic, versatile and talented yet feminine and soft at heart. Her collection largely comprised of silvers and greys, though we did spot some delicate pinks on the ramp as well. Trends such as long trails, fringed sleeves, peplum cuts, one-shoulder tops and mermaid lenghas were consistent. The belted dupatta seen on showstopper Mawra Hocane was eye-catching. We feel the designer, Sana Omar, knows where her strength lies, and sticks to it, which results in a winning collection each time. The opening number worn by Rabia Butt was the most standout piece for us. The fully embellished long shirt with a high-low hemline, a large trail and deep back was completed with a peekaboo organza lengha featuring silver stars and bird motifs – this is something we haven’t seen before and its execution was rather interesting.

Designer: Saira Rizwan

Collection: Banaras



The collection was primarily traditional using darker shades over hues of red, coral, plum and blue. Inspired by the Mughal era, the collection blended together architectural motifs with the brand’s signature traditional floral patterns while making use of embellishments such as tilla embroidery, screen prints and velvet as the key elements. Although Rizwan’s line was traditional in essence, the modern cuts and designs brought something new to the table, and that is her take on the trends of today.

Whether it was the arches in Mehreen Syed’s choli, the pillars in a sapphire blue ensemble, or the vertical lines going through showstopper Neelam Muneer’s outfit, Rizwan’s collection seemed to capture exactly what she aimed for.

Designer: Rozina Munib

Untitled collection



The up-and-coming designer showcased a vibrant bridal collection, which saw hues such as pink, red, beige, silver and purple. Our favourite pick was the relatively simple piece worn by Alyzeh Gabol where the designer let the cut do the talking. The showcase opened with Miss Pakistan USA sporting a contemporary sari dress, with large slits but the line soon transitioned into traditional attire.

Miniature details seen on a dupatta worn by Areeba Habib were interesting. The shocking pink dupatta was reminiscent of Avadh, present day Lucknow. It was adorned with elephants, Mughal architecture, peacocks and the traditional Avadh patterns. Its details like these that add depth to a collection and we loved spotting that on the ramp. The designer aptly chose Mukhtara Mai, the icon of courage for women all over the world, as her showstopper. Needless to say Mai stole the show and during the standing ovation she received, the audience was in awe of her strength.

Designer: Deepak n Fahad

Untitled collection



The designer duo showed that simplicity is the best way to go for menswear, the most adorned ensemble being that of the only female model in the brand’s showcase. The design house’s colour palette featured mint green, powder blue, light grey, tea pink, and white but also incorporated gold and deep maroon as seen on showstopper Faysal Quraishi. The collection saw a comeback of the white sneakers paired intriguingly with eastern silhouettes. Deepak n Fahad use ample bird imagery in their designs, as seen on waistcoats, jackets and long coats. A few stand out pieces included a chikankari coat, and a voluminous dhoti shalwar.

Designer: Nauman Arfeen

Collection: Pukaar



Arfeen put forward another charming collection, one that had us smiling from ear to ear. His continual use of child models is always a delight to see. This time he shows a cohesive traditional collection using only shades of green, gold, brown and red. The collection aimed to ask the audience to give love a chance in time of hate and war, and it did just that. Firstly his colour palette and his continual use of green and beige on traditional silhouettes, oddly made us think of the Pakistani flag. Then, with his use of child models, the entire audience was left feeling nothing but love. Lastly, the showstoppers Sarwat Gilani and her husband Fahad Mirza closed the show in red ensembles, making a statement of love.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 3^rd, 2016.

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