Yasmeen Jiwa celebrates 23 years with ‘vintage’ collection

Designer’s collection comprises dabka, gota, sequins and delicate work.

KARACHI:

Yasmeen Jiwa means it when she says “own your fashion sense and never give into trends”.

Despite never showing at a fashion show, the designer showcased her traditional luxury prêt and bridal wear amidst trays of mini burgers and bread sticks at her flagship store. With gota, dabka and sequins, Jiwa celebrated her 23 years in the business of clothes she describes as “intricate and vintage”. While the designer has a loyal client base, her collection on Thursday evening was an assortment of pretty much everything under the sun.

The fashion presentation comprised embellished outfits in colours ranging from white and silvery blue to pink and red. The embellishments, too, did not seem to have a cohesive theme, as mirror work and dabka met sequins and appliquéd hemlines.

With an array of fabrics from lace and net to highlighted material, chunri and velvet, Jiwa had variety in terms of texture. Her outfits were primarily long A-line shirts while some had drooping sides with higher hemlines. Some outfits had lace pieces attached to the the neck and back. One refreshing feature on the ramp was the printed churidaar pajama.



For bridal wear, Jiwa used crushed material for Dhaka pajamas which created volume and drama. One pajama was made entirely out of sheer net, but had a long shirt paired with it to make it wearable.

Jiwa saved the best for last. An A-line shirt with the back cut like a sari blouse in silvery light blue – a glamorous mix between a dress and a sari. She explained her style philosophy, “I don’t believe in gaudy work. That’s not me. I like delicate work.” While her work is not over-the-top (like some gaudy creations we have seen at fashion week), her collection did not echo a signature style.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2013.

 

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