Pantene Bridal Couture Week: Fashion or Finance?

The event is turning into a money-making extravaganza rather than a platform for designers.

LAHORE:

Each year, Pantene Bridal Couture Week (PBCW) generates serious cash flow for HUM TV, but fails to achieve any critical acclaim. Being associated with a TV channel gives this extravagant affair some major pull as far as sponsors are concerned. Since it is a televised event, sponsors are given a significant amount of air time, allowing for the budget of the show to be far more excessive than that of any other event of this sort.

With over-the-top ramp backdrops that change day-after-day, PBCW usually has a daily theme celebrating every event of the Pakistani wedding. With performances pertaining to the particular mood of the event, PBCW is more about entertainment than it is about the business of fashion.

The truth

Here is why PBCW cannot be compared to any other platform, and cannot be defined primarily as a fashion event. Bridal fashion across the world is a personalised affair, as it caters to a specific need that is not contingent upon what the market dictates. While with the PFDC L’Oréal Bridal Week one sees creativity and innovation, the calibre of most designers showing at PBCW fail to meet the latter’s standards. This holds true in most cases, with the exception of a few seasoned artisans who mix and match their earlier collections from PFDC L’Oréal Bridal Week, in order to create a variation in the looks they have already shown for the bride of the season.

While PBCW is very popular, it has become increasingly commercial over the years. PHOTOS: SHAFIQ MALIK/EXPRESS

One of the major components of any fashion week is the presence of buyers, both local and international. While bridal fashion is very specialized, PBCW fails to attract any major buyers from across Pakistan. The rare bride looking for a bridal jora can be spotted at the venue, but other than that crowd control is fairly minimal, with guests of sponsors and designers in attendance.

This year, the concept of the ramp was also extremely confusing; with traditional outfits being showcased on an Italian themed runway. One can also spot differences in lighting options used. While at Fashion Week, the focus of the lighting is around the ramp in order to illuminate the outfits and highlight the cuts, PBCW’s focus is on televising the event, which accounts for a constant warm light bathing the entire ramp area, so that the event can be clearly captured on camera and be fit for screening on television.

Make no mistake about it; the entertainment value of this event is unmistakeable. It captures the interest of the masses with performances and song choices that will not only be appreciated by the public, but will also present an eventful show that can be aired multiple times. Over the top embellishments may blind the audience at the venue, but once they are translated on-screen they become slightly subdued. It is clear that the outfits are made in a manner to look more appealing on TV than they do on the ramp. The commercial nature of the event also dictates the choice of music used.

Needless to say, what is always fun to see at PBCW are the showstoppers used for the shows. With the budget to hire established celebrities, one can spot actors, musicians and media personalities walking the ramp. This year, too, we saw actors Resham, Kiran Chaudhry, Maram and Aabroo, Iman Ali, Shiraz Uppal, Mehreen Raheel and singer/comedian Ali Butt walk the ramp adorned in clothes by different designers.

Overall, while the event does well financially and adds to the entertainment value of HUM TV, it cannot be considered a couture showcase.

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

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