LAHORE: With a few hits and many misses, PFDC L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week concludes with Nida Azwer stealing the show.
HSY
The hour-long wait for Hassan Shehryar’s show was quite unnecessary. As the clock chimed 12:30am and the audience’s patience wore thin, after much ado HSY’s show opened.
Inspired by and dedicated to the people of Pakistan, his collection titled ‘City of Gardens’ was pleasant but not impressive. The overly dramatised choreography added to the dramatic milieu but overshadowed his pieces. Should the show be bigger than the collection? This is a question that begs debate within the industry.
While it may not have done wonders for showcasing his aesthetic, the tableau vivant executed by the models was entertaining and effective. It was good to see HSY experiment with his threadwork and embellishments; he also presented unusual colour combinations like yellow with purple.
HSY boasts the finest cuts; even though there was not much innovation in that department, the outfits flaunted the skill of a seasoned hand and that is what brought HSY’s collection together. The outfit that gained the most appreciation was a volumised aubergine piece worn by Mehreen Syed that had unusual oval motifs. While the motifs for women were interesting, the overly embellished jamawar kurtas for men were overkill. Do you really want to see your man dressed in outfits that are adorned with as much embellishments as you? Probably not.
Fahad Hussayn
Fahad Hussayn’s ‘Laaj Nagar’ collection was a kaleidoscope of colour and print, with embellished sleeves and some peculiar head pieces. While the ornate head gear did at times look like a rooster’s crown (and even the devil’s horns!), it certainly did add a new dimension to his collection.
What stood out in Hussayn’s collection by far were his digital prints in electric orange and mint. The printed sari modeled by Fayeza Ansari paired with a deep crimson blouse with gota work on the full sleeves was a standout, and perhaps the highlight of his collection.
The mix of the traditional gotay ka kaam with the more contemporary printed silk made for an interesting combination, and is something that can be carried off by fashionable ladies at bridal soirees. The same print was also fashioned into palazzos, a multi-layer skirt and a long jacket for men.
While most of his collection ranged between the combination of pink and orange, the use of teal and bronze established that his colour palate is in sync with international fall hues. But while the prints were edgy and young, the motifs and zardozi embellishments were outdated and passé. Save a few, the general aesthetic of the bridals screamed low budget Indian bridal outfit. It would have been wiser for Hussayn to stick to his kaleidoscopic vision rather than adding the traditional red and gold bridals which did not work for the collection. His best bridal outfit remained the ivory lehenga brought live with colourful embroidery and a zardozi filled dupatta.
Quratulain Baloch also made an appearance in a Fahad Hussayn number and lip-synced during the final call, which got the crowd really pumped up. The menswear collection was better than what we have seen so far with the kurtas more appropriate for men with less ostentatious colours. Somehow, the heavy embellishments being done for men just have not worked.
Saai
Saai’s collection ‘Sliver’ was by far the most unexciting of the evening. The designer is known to use a lot of white in her collections, so it would have been interesting to see her move away from her trademark palate.
However, what did stand out were the embellished and textured petticoats adorned under sheer saris. The cuts for this collection included off-the-shoulder ponchos and bubble dresses with see-through backs. The use of plum was a welcome change from the whites and it was nice to see shararas being used in bridal outfits.
However, the most disturbing element in the collection was the lack of finesse in some of the draperies. Ayaan’s draped top seemed like it was going to come undone and we might have had another Mathira moment with a wardrobe malfunction! The graceful Nilofer Shahid walked the ramp as the show stopper for Sahar Atif in a white outfit – no surprises there.
Nida Azwer
In seven years, Nida Azwer has established herself as a hot commodity as far as prêt wear is concerned. She has now emerged as a force to be reckoned with on the bridal scene. After winning hearts in Delhi, her collection titled ‘Chibhali’ had the audience out of its seats in applause. Remodeling Kashmiri outfits, Azwer’s collection told a story with each piece, staying true to her label’s signature style.
Sequined jumpsuits paired with mukaish worked coats added not only bridal glamour to the look but also transformed a normally casual cut outfit elegant and evening worthy.
Her collection employed shades of blue, gold, bronze and green accents — a refreshing break from the regular pinks and reds associated with bridal wear. The designer stayed true to her innate sense of style and design direction by remodeling her traditional angarkhas and pagan tops to tell her Kashmiri story.
The fez-like head gear embellished to suit each outfit bolstered the somber colours. With gota trimmings, embroidered borders and zardozi fillings, Azwer’s collection was the best of bridal week. Resham may have been the show stopper for this collection, but Noore’s outfit stole the show; a heavily embellished cerulean blue shirt colour blocked with pewter was Azwer’s strongest piece.
Along with a fabulous women’s wear collection, Azwer’s simple cuts for men were elegant and classic. Plain knee length kurtas with straight pajamas and simple buttoned jackets looked elegant and wearable.
Trends show
After styles ranging from the paper-doll look to sola singhaar and even the long, braided Rapunzelesque braids in the first three installments, Day 4 saw Khawar Riaz continuing in the festive and elaborate shaadi theme.
Taking inspiration from Devdas’ women — the beautiful Paro and Chandramukhi — Riaz took the drama up a notch and had the models indulge in some playful flirtation and adaaein during his trends show in collaboration with Adnan Pardesy. While Riaz focused on dramatising the bridal look with deep red lips and bronze or Cleopatra-like blue eyes highlighted with eyeliner and kajal, Pardesy’s collection focused more on embroideries for evening wear.
The choreography exuded coquetry and romance, with the female models demurely smiling and lowering their gazes as they momentarily paused on the ramp to apply kajal from a small silver pot that was amorously presented by a male model. While the models teased and flirted on the ramp — with motia ke phool and maatha pattis in tow — the mood for the final night was established.
Surprisingly, while Pardesy’s colour palate remained largely neutral there were some prominent black outfits modeled by Amna Ilyas and Rabia Butt, with Cybil strutting down the ramp in a gold and black sari, making for an unusual but welcome shift in bridal week hues.
From Day 4
Chiffon cigarette pants
See-through chiffon cigarette pants are bang on trend. Capris are from an era by-gone but these new pants are a fun replacement. They can look great if paired with a long column dress silhouette. It is important to know where to draw the line with decreasing the hemline, because if the hemline goes further up the pants can look tacky.
Shararas
While churidar pajamas ruled the ramp last year, this year flare is back with a bang. Even though many designers added churidars to their collections, the straighter silhouette of the cigarette pants and the flare of the palazzo and sharara dominated the ramp.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 8th, 2012.
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such a pleasure to read unbiased and to-the-point review, I hope Momina will keep on writing like this unlike lobby-ists.