When we say ‘fashion’, the vision that flashes in the mind's eye is one of constant change and evolution. This change can either be by way of trial and error, or by constantly evolving trends. Like time, fashion is never static, always in perpetual motion and in a state of change. The day it stops evolving it will rot and decay into nothingness, but there is little if no chance of that happening, at least in the foreseeable future in Pakistan, thanks to a continuous infusion of never ending new talent and dynamic young blood who are constantly challenging the norms, and testing the waters when it comes to style and fashion trends, and societal acceptance of them.
The right time
However, our nascent fashion industry is passing through a very turbulent phase in its existence at the moment. The council-led fashion weeks in Karachi and Lahore have rolled up the all-welcoming red carpet, and the hub of all fashion activity has come to a standstill, save for a few occasional trysts and solo shows. At a time like this what is needed is for new entrepreneurs to take a leap of faith and step forward to claim their rightful place under the spotlight, initiate dialogue and networking, and set the ball rolling in super-fast motion. For it is only in the name of style and fashion can this atmosphere of stalemate be changed, and the status-quo be well and truly challenged.
Kudos, then, to a relatively new initiative by a group of new and aspiring young entrepreneurs who have tackled the situation head-on by initiating a fashion forum, a platform from where new aspirants can launch their careers in fashion as models, show choreographers, show directors, designers, stylists, visionaries and so on and so forth.
Fresh blood
Led by a fairly young team of event organisers, they have established two new bi-annual forums from which they have constantly been bombarding the fashion and style scene in Pakistan, and especially Karachi, with ramp events and presentations. The winter lap of this startup was held earlier in February this year, titled Winter Fashion Gala (WFG), while the summer lap was held last week titled Runway 2024: Summer Edition. Both these events catered to promising new talent in terms of models and designers.
I had the chance to attend both WFG and Runway 2024, and was blown away by the precision and insight I witnessed at both these events. Though still slightly rough around the edges and better tuning of logistics, in all both the events were a feat accomplished. The little disarray I witnessed in WFG was taken care of and all loose ends tied up tightly in Runway 2024. To start off with the improvised ramp in the form of a rectangular shape with a negative black space in the middle denoting a void perfectly set off the white brightness of the backdrop and the ramp area, with the only colour coming from the vibrant and vivid resort-wear collection by promising young designer Zubair Shah. The opening act at Runway 2024, Zubair Shah certainly did not hold back and showed everything from trendy beach wear to sarongs to casual suits sported by a brigade of young social media celebrities and influencers such as Irfan ul Haq of @irfanistan and Arshan Ali of @arshanistaan, besides TV celebrity and celebrated drama actress Sarah Umair. The very metrosexual Gen-Z collection itself was styled by fedora hats, chunky necklaces for men, sea shell-encrusted flip flops and crocs, straw sun hats and colourful umbrellas.
The 36-piece collection titled Tropical Paradise was a fairly new phenomenon in fashion, resort-wear, which is fast catching on in this part of the world as well with vacationers not just seeking out ideal vacation spots but resorts that come complete with a range of fun-filled activities for single individuals and entire families, catering to all age groups. Sharm al Sheikh immediately springs to mind here.
Another fashion mainstay is gym wear which was sadly missing from the Runway 2024 ramp, but made its presence felt at the earlier held WFG in February this year. Accessorised by workout gear, the gym wear by Lahore-based brand Ibex had turned heads and made a definite style statement with its distinct signature style, extending its reach to beyond mere workout gear to socially acceptable wear.
Another promising young designer brand that made his mark on the Runway 2024 ramp was Uzee Brothers who have showed at multiple reputable forums both within Pakistan and abroad. Pearls- and diamantees-encrusted sherwanis for bridegrooms are their forte which they have tweaked and twisted into funky showpieces serving as canvases to proudly show off the intricate and detailed craftsmanship of our kaarigars who painstakingly engage in the craft handed down from generations, from father to son.
The entertaining performance by Lahore-based act Ayaan Rockstar provided a rare insight into the intricate world of young underground singers who are gradually making a name for themselves through the dint of sheer hard work. Ayaan performed popular covers and what made it even more interesting was that he fully involved members of the audience into his performance, making them sing along to the familiar lyrics and also dance along with him to the rocking beats.
Seema Shah did what few designers have done before. She ventured beyond the comfort zone of her home town and experimented with a different cultural influence by incorporating its design element into her collection. Her revivalist trends included shirts in chikankari with strikingly colourful hand-embroidered Multani shalwars, which made the collection stand apart in a class of its own and truly unique.
K. Yousuf's fusion bridal wear incorporated all the positive elements of East and West to conceive a line that reflected the varying tastes of a younger generation of brides-to-be looking for something out of the ordinary for their big day. The formal wear here also checked all the boxes for those on the look-out for formal ensembles minus the yards and yards of fabric that tends to drag down the wearer, by keeping the silhouettes neat and clean, clutter-free and body-hugging fit.
The fitting finale show by Jan Bibi Collection was an ode to indigenous rural Balochi women craftsmen working from their homes in the remote areas of the province. It’s good to know that the knowledge of intricate patterns, motifs, stitches and colour combinations handed down from generations is being kept alive for future generations by such designers, by being highlighted in their ramp collections and being projected to mass international audiences. Pakistan has a very strong, vibrant and colourful indigenous culture of handicrafts, and its importance among the future generations cannot be stressed enough.
On a hindnote, Runway 2024 gave an opportunity for a cluck of young designers and models to interact freely and share social media activity, acting together to upload videos on popular social media pages such as Instagram, TikTok, SnapChat, Facebook. The bromance witnessed between male models, sharing experiences and assisting each other backstage during the styling process made on realise that the power of Pakistani youth is a mighty force that needs to be channelled into positive annals to create the right impact and project a strong, positive image among international audiences. No successive governments can achieve this for Pakistan, it’s up to the younger generation of dynamic, driven Pakistanis to carry the country’s name into the right corridors of power, and elevate our status in the world’s vision in order for the next generation to have a future fitting this nation and its youth well and truly deserve.
Mohammad Usman is a freelance contributor
All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the writer