Trend watch: Hot off the runway

A round-up of runway trends to remember from FPW 5.

Two grueling days of Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) entailing nearly 30 shows are now over. We loved (almost) every minute of the ramp action, save the collections that could have been kept out by the Fashion Pakistan Council for not being up to the mark in terms of consistency and finishes. One can always hope that the council takes notice of our displeasure with the dull collections and edits them out next time.

On the bright side, there were some beautiful pieces that we can’t wait to see on the racks. Here is a round-up of runway trends to remember.

A runway constant

The jumpsuit is here to stay! We are absolutely in love with this Sana Safinaz piece in a dazzling neon green – can’t wait to see it in stores. There was no silver lining in Zari Faisal’s silver jumpsuit, which had a touch of her floral printed fabric on the back. She needs to work on the cut and finishing, but we are happy to see a new designer experiment with styles. We are not too crazy about Bani D’s mustard jumpsuit which was paired with a short sleeveless coat.

Play it louder

Emraan Rajput, Sana Safinaz

The Sana Safinaz safari playsuit is super duper sexy, and we are in love with how it has been paired with the bag and belt. We aren’t too crazy about Emraan Rajput’s denim playsuit, and would love to see him play it up with pockets and zips to give some texture.

Where oh, hair?



When Sana Mehek appeared on the ramp on Day 2 at FPW, onlookers gasped — the model had no hair! While she wasn’t available to comment on her decision to go without a wig, hairstylist Tariq Amin tells us he loved her androgynous look. “Wow!” he exclaimed. “It was very sexy, very bold and very now. She looked just like me!” he laughed. “I love girls with shaved heads. My wife has it too and I love it.”

He added, however, that she could have carried herself with more confidence. “[Her lack of confidence] was reflected in her walk,” he said. “She definitely would’ve carried it off well if she walked better.”

“I don’t personally know her [Sana], but if she has the guts to do something like that [shave head] in Pakistan, then that’s just amazing.” Eiman Masroor

Wear the drama on your sleeve

Shamaeel, Aamna Aqeel

Two of our favourite collections from FPW 5 featured wide, billowing sleeves. For Finding Glory, Aamna Aqeel styled a crisp white shirt with a sexy collar and deep V-neck and these funky sleeves. Shamaeel added the same element of drama in her Extra-Orient collection, with shaded sleeves on a layered tunic cinched at the waist.

The cream of the crop

Ishtiaq Afzal Khan,  Aamna Aqeel

We are gaga about these cropped jackets. Not only do they look uber-sexy, they can also take any look from day to night. We love the embellished black  jacket Fayeza Ansari modeled for Aamna Aqeel. Ishtiaq Afzal Khan’s cropped jacket would look lovely with a knee-length dress in a solid colour.

Tying the right knot

MaheenKhan, Shamaeel, Maheen Khan

Only the masters of fabulous finishing can pull off knotted fabric. FPW 5 saw Maheen Khan’s collection Flight incorporate the knot in these two pieces. We love the tunic that ends in a knotted belt, and the boat neck grey shirt with the knot at the waist. Shamaeel did the same, knotting an ethereal short shirt in a loose knot at the waist.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2013.                    

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