Pakistan Fashion Week: Day 2

KARACHI: The Fashion Pakistan Week has entered its second day in Karachi after an opulent opening ceremony that left fashionistas buzzing with excitement.

The event is scheduled to feature 52 designers -- 49 of them from Pakistan and one each from Malaysia, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. The event is a follow-up to a first event held in Karachi last November.

Fashion Pakistan, a non-governmental organization, aims to provide a stable platform for its designers to win international acclaim.

The fashion week began yesterday hours after militants killed over fifty people in bomb attacks in the northwest. Fashion Week organizer, Rizwan Beyg said that the show must go on.

Fashion week fever

Socialites are having their diamonds polished and their kaftans pressed in preparation for Fashion Pakistan Week, which kicked off in Karachi last night. But what exactly is fashion week?

Fashion week defined.

Fashion week is primarily a trade event for retailers and journalists to have a look at designer collections for the next season. Retailers place orders for the designs and editors plan fashion coverage based on the collections at the event. It usually runs for four to ten days.

Where does fashion week happen?

Fashion weeks take place in most countries, but the major events are in New York, Paris, London and Milan.

How many fashion weeks happen in a year?

Every country tends to have 2 to 3 fashion weeks in a year. The Spring/Summer collections for the next year are presented in August-September while the Autumn/Winter collection is shown in February- March the same year. Countries with a large couture presence, such as France, hold two couture weeks as well. Pakistan is slated to have six fashion weeks this year.

Why does Pakistan have so many?

Pakistan’s fashion design councils have been unable to agree to hold one unified fashion week. Both design councils, Fashion Pakistan and the Pakistan Fashion Design Council, will organise two fashion weeks each this year (PFDC’s took place in February), as well the event management company, Triple-E, which organises Karachi Fashion Week.

Where can one buy the clothes?

By appointment with designers at their studios, or in retail stores that carry designer labels.

FASHION FACTS

5: The number of fashion weeks that have been held in Pakistan so far. Karachi Fashion Week (August 2008, February 2010) Fashion Pakistan Week (November 2009, March 2010) PFDC Fashion Week (February 2010)

52:   The number of designers showing at the ongoing Fashion Pakistan Week.

9: Pakistani designers are regulars at nine fashion weeks around the world: Lakme Fashion Week and Bridal Asia in India, Sarajevo Fashion Week in Bosnia, Colombo Fashion Week, Malaysia Fashion Week, Islamic Fashion Week, Miami Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week and Dubai Fashion Week.