Sindh Fashion Festival: With love, from Sindh

Day one of the Sindh Fashion Festival was brimming with the province’s vivacity, colours and signature ajrak...

KARACHI:

The Sindh Fashion Festival began on a high note on Wednesday at the National Academy of Performing Arts, and we were thrilled to see some exceptional collections.

The event featured designers who have made their mark in the Pakistani fashion scene. Other than the models, the who’s who of the industry, director Sohail Javed and the festival’s coordinator Fakhar-e-Alam also walked the ramp. An auction to raise funds for the maintenance of heritage sites saw a watch donated by Collectibles go for upwards of Rs1 million.

Brimming with Sindh’s vivacity and colours, the event included a fiery performance by Akhtar Channal and Sindhi fire dancers. Pop band Fuzon mesmerised the audience with its timeless hit Khimaj.

Fireworks marked a spectacular finish to the night and as the spectators gazed at the sky, they embraced the overwhelming splendours of Sindh.

Here’s a synopsis of the collections showcased at the event.

Zaheer Abbas



Trend report: Zaheer Abbas’s love with ajrak in his collection entitled ‘Ajrakistan’ was definitely one of the stand-outs of the evening. He fused western silhouettes with ajrak designs in an updated twist which did justice to the age-old heritage of block printing in Sindh. He even showcased a women’s hat made of the material. The gifted and creative Abbas displayed a collection worth commending.

Umar Sayeed

Trend report: Umar Sayeed’s eastern bridal collection along with a small menswear display reintroduced glitzy and glamorous embroidery. The collection comprised silver and gold wire work that was aesthetically pleasing. His knack for colour contrasting and playing skilfully with the colour black was evident in the collection. It was a completely eastern line constituting his signature designs, with little surprises here and there. Colour combinations included pink with beige, green, blue and beige. Certainly a visual treat!

Amir Adnan



Trend report: Amir Adnan, the grand master of sherwanis, moved away from his usual use of the colour black and incorporated browns and greys into his collection. His line also included a stylish three-piece white suit. The collection was aptly titled ‘Young Pakistan on the Road to Success’.

This was the segment where artist Amin Gulgee, Roger Dawood Bayat, and notables like Sohail Javed, Fakhar-e-Alam and Shehryar Taseer walked the ramp.

Nauman Arfeen



Trend report: Nauman Arfeen’s ‘Ode to Kaala Teetar’ was a pure cotton menswear collection in tones of off-white and black. From splendid sherwanis to churidar pyjamas, the collection was comprehensive. With classy embroidery, paghaaris and kolapuri chappals by the said designer, the line certainly stood out.

Bunto Kazmi



Trend report: The show began with a captivating Thali dance. Bunto Kazmi displayed her ‘Embroidered Dreams’ collection of shawls, which the crowd greeted with ‘oohs and aahs’. These intricate pieces showed Kazmi’s pure craftsmanship. The shawls in cream, red, black and maroon had splendid floral prints, which exuded regality. The shawls were paired with outfits by Mohsin Sayeed and jewels by Amber Sami.

Fnkasia



Trend report: Huma Adnan’s collection titled ‘Sindh Revisited’ comprised funky western outfits with Sindhi embroidery and block printing, which made the audience reminisce the rich culture and traditions of the province. The apparel comprised black hues with bright shades of pink and yellow. Although the collection was fun, it could have included a few eastern clothes. Perhaps, deviating from Fnkasia’s signature cuts could have been a welcome change.

Day 2 of the festival was postponed following the tragic attack on police officers in Karachi. The show is now slated to be held after 40 days as a fundraiser for the victims’ families. Shehryar Taseer, on behalf of all those that made the Fashion Festival possible, spoke to The Express Tribune about the decision to postpone Day 2 of the Festival, saying, “The efforts that the police officers of Karachi have made to keep the city safe, especially over the 15 days of the Sindh Festival, have been immense. In light of the attack that claimed the lives of dozens of these brave men, it is inappropriate at this time to hold an event that is essentially celebratory in nature. Therefore, Day 2 of the Fashion Festival has been postponed for 40 days, following which I will personally ensure that all the funds that are raised from the event go directly towards helping the families of all those that have been affected.”

You can view a slideshow of the pictures from the fashion show here.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2014.

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