Fashion: Pink carpet glamour

KARACHI:

Models and VIPs arrived fashionably late on the Veet pink carpet. They paused to tout their sartorial splendour for the clicking cameras, before making their way to the ramp. With studied poses and prim smiles, fashion aficionados like model Nadia Husain, designers Shamaeel Ansari and socialite Nazneen Tariq engaged the media with aplomb.

A major attraction for the media was Dubai-based designer Rashmee Ahmed, who was displaying her label C’est Moi’s spring/summer collection in Pakistan for the first time. Dressed in her own creation, an embroidered fuchsia pink Kaftan, the designer spent considerable talking to the press. When asked about her inspiration, Ahmed explained that her extravagant haute couture was in fact inspired by common, every day women.

“My clothes are not for size zero women. They are for full-figured, sensual women,” said the petite designer.

A far cry from the decked up VIPs was stylist Altaf from Nabila’s Salon, who made an unintended style statement with checkered sneakers paired with a collared shirt and pants. “I have arrived straight from work!” he said, explaining his quirky look.

Quite unlike the panache displayed by veteran fashionistas, newcomers competing in the Veet supermodel contest proved to be a fumbling lot under the camera’s glare. When asked to introduce themselves, they tittered nervously and nudged each other.

But a few minutes later when they were again put under the spotlight, they were relatively more eloquent.

“We are here to celebrate beauty...Veet personifies beauty through its products,” said Alizeh.

When asked about how they were getting along with the more experienced models, one of them blurted: “Some of them are rude.”

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