Day 3: PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week

Day three of the event saw more misses than hits.

LAHORE:

After Ammar Belal and Fahad Hussayn charmed the audience with their creative collections on the second day of PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week, expectations were running high only to meet disappointment on the following day. There were more collections that did not work than the ones that did.

Ali Xeeshan

His ‘Bano Rani’ Collection is by far the biggest disappointment of PFDC this season. One can expect some crazy creativity from Ali Xeeshan but this collection was not it. Men in crocheted bibs and broaches are far from fashionable. The suits weren’t cut well and lacked sophistication. The only element from the women’s collection that stood out was the cut worked net chooridars.

Somal Halepoto

This young new designer put together an equally vibrant collection. One bright colour paired with another bright colour can at times be overpowering, but the designer found the balance in colour blocking. The attention to detail, the buttons and the embroidery were all impressively weaved together in this ethnic collection.

Hammad-ur-Rehman

Rehman’s collection failed to offer anything new. The embroidery work and other embellishments were all too typical. Is it too much to ask that traditional techniques of embroidery be given a modern direction? Isn’t that part of a designer’s job?

Karma

Karma was PFDC’s saving grace on day three of the fashion week. Maheen Kardar’s Seussical-themed collection was vibrant, fun and showcased the essence of Dr Seuss’ psychedelic world. The casual western wear collection translated well on the ramp and showed intense creativity. Additionally, to give credit where it’s due, the styling, which was done by Asmaa Mumtaz, played a significant role in creating a particular look. Hence, from the rainbow-coloured pants to the gypsy skirts and the disco ball earrings, it was fun to watch Dr Seuss take over the stage. What did not work, however, was the eastern collection, with the embellishments and colour palette all going wrong.

PIFD

Every year, one expects the most creativity from the students of Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design. This time around, the quality of work was not at par. Where one would expect the students to go all out and experiment with different elements, we instead saw pieces that were ill-crafted versions of Ammar Belal from over a year ago.

Fnkasia

Huma Adnan’s collection was an improvement from her previous collections. The quality of the embroidery and the motifs made were great but the lace and net details did not work and rather hindered in the way the collection was flowing. Based on the woman empowerment and equal rights, the concept of the collection was strong and well-executed.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2012.