Pakistan Fashion Week Day 2: Cuts and creativity take over the ramp

Day 2 gets a thumbs up from fashionistas, as seven designers showcase their brand new collections.

KARACHI:

Day 2 of Fashion Pakistan Week showcased some excellent craftsmanship and innovation in cuts and design.

A majority of the seven designers, who presented their collections, boasted of their signature styles and dared to be experimental with prints, fabric, structure and colour palettes. The result was a largely impressive Day 2, lots of hooting from the crowd and a win for Pakistani fashion.

Saram Chaudhri

Opening designer Sanam Chaudhri’s tie and dye collection ‘Kage’ was inspired by Japanese shibori, which she showcased in cotton and satin shirts and lowers. With a colour palette of mostly blues and chilli red, Sanam’s collection worked MC Hammer style cotton pants with well-stitched kimono-inspired shirts. Most of the pieces in her collection were paired with a broad shiny belt in red or silver that cinched the waist and broke down the straight silhouette. A chilli red jacket with a broad neck modeled by Fauzia was belted at the waist with a tie and dye black and white scarf; Amna Ilyas wore a short red dress which was paired with a billowing cotton cape in shades of blue. Sanam’s collection even had palazzos, high waisted pants and harem pants which were all accessorised with a shiny plastic belt. It was evident that her collection had an international flavour as it drew inspiration from kimono jackets and hakama.

Report: Sanam’s collection set the mood for modern cuts innovative style. In her words, her collection is for “the woman who knows how to rock her own boat!”

Zaheer Abbas

Abbas’ collections usually have a recurring theme, and his ‘Virgin in White’ collection for FPW Day 2 was no different. The element of surprise (and something that Abbas has mastered to perfection) is his heartfelt dedication to cuts and structure. Abbas’ collection in ivory cottons was simple, but the cuts and his play with the fabric and minimal embroidery was breath-taking. As his first model walked onto the ramp in a knee-length ivory dress with pleats at the net neckline that fanned into a voluminous skirt, a few gasps were heard from the audience. One by one, the models walked with straw hats covering most of their faces except the crimson lips, in ivory dresses; the sheer sleeves had hints of beige coarse thread embroidery which looked fantastic against the beautiful white canvas. Abbas translated the allure of a virgin well, with cutwork net motifs on the backs of well-stitched long dresses. There were embroidered crop tops, straight pants with voluminous bottoms, straight tapered pants ala chooridaar with embroidery on the front and even ivory angarkhas with each kali stitched to surgical perfection.

Report: Zaheer Abbas is a master of cuts and well-stitched garments and he sure does know it! His confidence in his craft shone on the ramp as he presented a fascinating ode to ivory and purity with no frills and fuss.

Arsalan & Yahseer

The duo’s menswear collection ‘Urban Sleek’ showcased mostly winter jackets in leather and faux fur. The colours were sombre and the cuts remained straight and structured. Leather was also used as trimmings on jacket lapels and pockets to break away from a cotton canvas. Among the standouts was a well-stitched matrix style brown leather coat; animal printed leather with a faux fur collar and a sexy powder blue suit finished with black leather edging.

Report: There was variation in style and the duo successfully played with printed and textured leather.

Debenhams

The British high-street brand’s collection ranged from tropical wear to office attire and evening dresses wear, which were simple and elegant. Animal printed straight pants, leather jackets, sequined tops and knee length dresses in vibrant colours dominated the runway for Debenhams’ collection. Apart from clothes, accessories such as evening clutches, chunky pendants and necklaces, sunglasses and high-heeled platforms and wedges were also part of the collection.

Report: Debenhams’ Autumn/Winter 2012 look for Pakistani men and women is classy and simple with structured silhouettes and lots of accessories.

Baani D

Aneeka and Salma Cheema presented a beautiful Autumn/Winter 2012 collection that was a refreshing break from the urban ready-to-wear seen thus far on Day 2. Inspired by traditional and ethnic Pakistani craft, Baani D let the cultural richness of Chitral fuse with the embroidery of Sindh and Balochistan in the form of rillie jackets and worked galas. Two-toned printed pants, mismatched colours on knee-length dress-like shirts flared at the waist and beautifully embroidered jackets with a Chitrali touch stole the show. Baani D’s collection also brought together separates, as models rocked capes and jackets on simple, knee-length dresses. Mehreen Syed wore a sexy backless dress made from a colourful Kashmiri shawl. Nadia Ali modeled a gorgeous camel coloured dress in a soft fabric which was paired with a beautiful jacket embroidered in pink and white with a blue undertone and bright yellow inner lining.

Report: Baani D’s jackets were the highlight of the night. Their outfits were mostly structured at the top with a slight flare at the waist for our pear-shaped women. No slits and conservative long sleeves gave a true feel of our traditional wear. Three cheers for bringing colour and creativity to the ramp!

Aamir Baig

Aamir Baig’s Mohenjo Daro-inspired collection used block printing on silk fabric in gold, silver and even red. Amna Ilyas looked sexy in silk hot pants and shirt sans embellishments and adornments. His collection displayed a variation of cuts and styles, with knee-length dresses, one shoulder tunics, straight structured pants and shirts with block printed borders. A red, block printed, cropped top and matching red pants were paired with a black, sleeveless overcoat.

Report: Baig has certainly come a long way from where he started and has refined his cuts and aesthetics.

Adnan Pardesy

Pardesy’s ‘Axiomatic’ Western wear collection had a heavy Eastern touch. With loud colours such as purple, yellow, bright blue and orange, Pardesy’s finale for Day 2 used Sindhi rillie work for modern cuts and silhouettes. With outfits ranging from form-fitting shirts to slightly more volumised skirts for dresses, Pardesy experimented with cuts and structure. It was his colourful jackets, however, that had us applauding. Well-stitched rillie-inspired fitted jackets for men and women were a beautiful treat for the eyes. A male model even showed off a sexy rillie-inspired waistcoat inside a darker suit. The jackets had interesting geometric patterns with a patchwork feel to them which made all the colours gel well together.

Report: Pardesy said that his collection was meant for people who dare to think and dress up, and we agree! The colours were vibrant and fun and it was a nice change to see him dabble in something other than black.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2012.

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