A mixed bag at Ensemble Eid exhibit

Only a few of the clothes succeed in keeping in line with the festive mood.

KARACHI:

Five designers from both Karachi and Lahore unveiled their Eid collection at the House of Ensemble on Friday evening after iftar. The Eid collections of Nomi Ansari, Elan by Khadija Shah, Body Focus Museum, Farida Hasan and Shehrnaz — Ensemble’s in-house line — filled the racks. The clothes were a mixed bag of sorts, with only a few succeeding in keeping in line with the festive mood.

Bodyfocus Museum

Although Iman Ahmed of Body Focus Museum won the LSA 2013 for both Pret wear and Luxury Pret, her collection was far from being wearable at Eid. The collection, although trendy and hip, consisted of black and dull beige silks with almost no threadwork. The silhouettes were relaxed and echoed BFM’s signature Western-inspired cuts, but overall better suited for the ramp than an Eid dinner. Price range: Rs6,000 and onwards.

Elan

The talented Khadija Shah remained true to her fresh and floral design aesthetic. Her Eid collection had pastel pinks and sky blues in silk as well as cotton. One outfit in black with intricate, multi-coloured sequin work on the front was a winner. While some pieces were trendy and fun, others were too over the top for Eid and would be better off worn at weddings. Price range: Rs40,000 and onwards.

Farida Hasan

Farida Hasan has slowly made her way into the market for her chikan kurtas with beautiful Indian buttons. For Eid, she stuck to floral embroidery, cotton eyelet and retro prints. Her colour palette was also more towards the lighter shades of yellow and peach with cuts being very feminine. Overall, the collection was a breath of fresh air fitting in well with the demands of summery Eid. The outfits offered a perfect option for an Eid lunch. Price range: Rs21,500 to Rs24,500.



Nomi Ansari

With his bright and colourful sense of style, Nomi Ansari offered three different collections at the Exhibition that had something for every age bracket. First up was the DNA collection — a line exclusively for women. It included colourfully printed cotton kurtas with heavy embroidery on the sleeves and the neckline as well as some really funky digital prints. His second collection called Bubbles was for the young ones — age 10 and below. While the kurtas for the boys included delicate and minimal embroidery on the sleeves and the neckline, the outfits for the girls were bright and colourful with an extensive use of jamawar. Finally, the designer exhibited his men’s collection in earthy tones and a touch of funk.

Price Range: DNA: Rs20,000 to Rs35,000, Men’s Wear: Rs6,000 to Rs9,500 and Bubbles: Rs5,000 to Rs15,000.

Shehrnaz

Following the currently hot trend, designer Zeba Husain offered a collection of chikan kari cottons, block prints and screen prints. While there were no specific standouts, there was a mix of bright hues and airy fabrics. Price range: Rs10,000 — Rs15,000

With so many collections available in the market, it seems like Eid has become the best time to cash in on your creativity and launch a new line. “Almost every designer has come up with an Eid collection. However, this exhibition marks Nomi Ansari’s first-ever launch of  a men’s wear collection and Elan’s debut at Ensemble,” said Shehrnaz Husain, co-director of Ensemble. “People in Karachi generally look out for Lahori stuff, more out of curiosity but also because it offers something out-of-the-box.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 28^th, 2013.

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