PHOTO: YAWAR NAQVI
KARACHI: There was the expected high drama on the ramp when the curtains came down Pantene Bridal Couture Week Day 3. With the good, the bad and the ugly, the show kept us hooked till the very end. Here’s the lowdown:
Sana Abbas
The opening pieces of this designer’s collection showcased bridals themed on a pastel palette. With soft hues like beige, baby pink, light blue and white, Sana Abbas’s collection was designed for a graceful bride. There was kamdani on the dupattas, and cleverly done gold wire work on the long coat-like kameezes. Abbas fused peach with undertones of reds and maroons in her pishwas-cut kameezes with jamawar appliqués on the hemlines, paired with mint green Dhaka pajamas. The dresses with paisley motifs had a touch of regality and looked majestic on the ramp.
Nadya Mistry
When will this eyesore of a mystery be solved? The designer failed to impress on every level with her over-the-top, it’s-so-gaudy-my-eyes-hurt collection at a show which was about bridals. It was like the Garden of Eden from a nightmare, with butterflies literally flying out of the outfits along with peacocks, hummingbirds and all things you see in your backyard. With the right recipe for a ramp disaster in hand, Mistry showcased net chooridars, glittery mermaid-inspired lehengas and off-shoulder cholis full of coin-sized sequins. While we laud her for producing well-stitched albeit complicated pieces, we seriously wonder who will ever wear them.
Mifrah Gul
Debuting on the ramp, Mifrah Gul, who has been designing for years, is on the top of her game. Gul did not play with a lot of colour and her collection mainly featured shades of beige and off-white, with hints of maroons and peaches for both men and women. Some of her clothes had ruffled ends, which looked like ghararas, something which was brilliantly experimented and created a beautiful illusion. With reversed jamawar appliqués on the dupattas, Gul’s clothes were embroidered with a mix of dabka, zardozi, zari and stones — very wearable! The stunner that stole the limelight was a black sari embellished with lots of silver sequins.
Deepak Perwani
Boasting a successful journey of 20 years, Deepak Perwani’s collection featured gold block-printed fabric. Onlookers were treated to back-to-back solid hues of yellows and reds and shades of orange. From the slender chooridars to the magnanimous ghararas and farshi shararas, Deepak’s collection was ceremonial to the core. The embroidery, although intricate and light, looked appealing. In men’s wear, Deepak showcased structured sherwanis, paired with bright rust kullas and dhooti shalwars, which looked very classy. Deepak’s collection was indeed a feast for the eyes. The cherry on top were the showstoppers, the lovely Zeba Bakhtiar and the dashing Wasim Akram!
Hassan Shaheryar Yasin (HSY)
HSY’s collection had a signature grand appeal. From his immaculately done up sherwanis to ghararas with extensive silver wire work, everything was stunning. Using kundan with beadwork, dabka and zari, the outfits were something that a bride would love to wear on her big day. Keeping it traditional, HSY accessorised the outfits with batwas.
Haute Couturiers
A total of 14 couturiers displayed one statement outfit each. Ranging from dark, striking colours to soft, pastel hues, the overall collection was a bit muddled. It started with designer duo DnF’s off-white sherwani, followed by Ishtiaq Afzal’s spectacular red lehenga and choli. Musarrat Bushra’s contemporary off-white and turquoise farshi gharara was the best among these, followed by Naureen Arbab’s maroon and brown gharara. Arsalan Iqbal, who designed a gaudy royal blue sherwani, almost made the male model look like a bride. Tabbasum Mughal, Wasim Asghar and Wahaj M Khan’s outfits failed to make a mark.
Lights, camera, music!
The eve was topped off with an enthralling performance by Hasan Rizvi of BodyBeat, alongside Anoushey Ashraf, Komal Rizvi, Hina Bayat, Javed Sheikh, Kiran and Teepu. The foot-tapping Bollywood medley, which sent the crowd’s adrenaline soaring, left the crowd roaring for more.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 25th, 2013.
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COMMENTS (4)
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Being out of the country i was extra keen to watch out for the Bridal Couture Week . Some of my friends were official photographers at the event and very kindly shared unpublished pictures on their pages too. I am not new to fashion or the media. I have been a part of this for the last 20 years . What i am about to write has nothing to do with personal loyalty or “i owe it to my girl friend” ; it is what i wrote after i saw the different designs by different designers during the event. I am not trying to disrespect any designer but i have the right to my choice and i chose Nadya Mistry’s designs as out standing from amongst the rest. A lot of my friends (not ethnic Pakistani or Indian rather white Americans ) saw them and wanted to know how they could get the dresses to which i contacted and asked Nadya Mistry if she delivered worldwide. This goes to show that Nadya’s designs crossed ethnic, continental and cultural barriers.
all the noted designers of pakistan, presenting their bridal glory, delivered, as expected. very traditional, beautiful and ho-hum...the only part of the show that made you sit up is nadya's collection. unpredictable, creative, vibrant, wild, enthusiastic and very wearable by a bride who wishes to make her presence known! obviously not meant for a shrinking violet. anyone doing a Fashion review should be applauding the fresh, innovative presentation, rather than bashing it. you rock, nadya mistry!
An informative and very articulate report on the recent Bridal Couture Fashion Week. However I am amazed at the report on the Nadya Mistry show collection. I have viewed all Nadya's images and believe her to be a fantastic and very creative designer, I have been watching all Nadya's shows since meeting her in Karachi when she produced her tribute show to Amy Winehouse. I knew then Nadya was an outstanding talent with great vision so I have felt it necessary to put my comments on what I believe to be a biased article. In my capacity as Fashion Trade Consultant and Board Member of World Fashion Organisation I believe Nadya to be in the top rating of designers in Pakistan and in the same league as HSY. I have recommended Nadya for shows in Europe in Paris and London for her SS14 Pret Collection in September and I know she will made Pakistan proud. With sincerity, Margaret Rushe Farrell.