PBCW Day 3: Bridal regality and clumsy couture

With the good, the bad and the ugly, Pantene Bridal Couture Week kept us hooked till the very end.

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 25^th, 2013.

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