The homecoming of fashion heavyweights

Local designers learn more about the tricks of the trade from their Indian counterparts

LAHORE:

With its 15th year out, Lakme Fashion Week — the coveted fashion platform in India invited four Pakistani designers to showcase their collections at a fashion week in Mumbai. Over 80 designers were scheduled to showcase their collections along with Sania Maskatiya, Rizwan Beyg, Faiza Samee and Zara Shahjahan. Due to the political situation in Islamabad, Samee’s visa did not come through in time and she was unable to take her collection to Mumbai. The Express Tribune talks to the other three designers about their experience.

Sania Maskatiya . PHOTOS: VOGUE INDIA

Maskatiya showcased her Sakura collection. The designer stuck to her signature style and showcased deconstructed kaftans, well-tailored pants and oriental inspired prints. “Lakme is a whole different league when it comes to professionalism,” says Maskatiya. “Apart from being extremely punctual, the stylists and the glam quotient at this fashion week was beyond my expectations.” She confesses that Lakme Fashion Week ensured smooth sailing for all designers, as each designer could choose their stylist and makeup artist, who would work to come up with a look for each particular collection. “There is a lot that we need to learn, the structure of their clothes is leaps and bounds beyond what we do and they are willing to push boundaries,” she continues. With extremely bold collections, one of the major differences that Maskatiya noticed between Pakistan and India in terms of fashion would have to be that we focus more on the finish and their primary focus is impact, how the garment will flow and how will it best make an impact on the ramp.

Rizwan Beyg. PHOTOS: VOGUE INDIA

Shahjahan stuck to her signature florals for her debut collection in India. “There is a certain formula every fashion week uses, I feel that we are still very inexperienced and after 15 years of operating, Lakme has made the process very non-problematic,” says Shahjahan. “The major difference is the kind of budget they have, and that allows them to hire professionals for every single segment of the show. We do the same thing but on a much smaller scale. They have two ramps with shows happening side by side and it is an all-day event that starts in the afternoon and goes on till about 10pm.”

Zara Shahjahan. PHOTOS: VOGUE INDIA

Shahjahan also notices that prêt-à-porter is not very big in India and even in their prêt shows they showcase a lot of couture. “We are generally influenced by the Arab world when it comes to fashion and we like incorporating western trends but Indian fashion is predominantly Indian, and they avoid taking inspiration from elsewhere.” She also feels that people in India are more fashion conscious and not designer conscious while Pakistani’s are extremely designer conscious. She also felt that Pakistani’s are more experimental with desi wear and will try to incorporate different looks in their outfit while Indians stick to the traditions and, even if experimental outfits are showcased on the ramp, people will buy traditional silhouettes. “Our prime focus is on quality the colour choice and cut and what sets us apart is the way we develop our fabrics.” Shahjahan also feels very strongly about Pakistani media and journalists and thinks that Indian media is a lot more open-minded and supportive of their designers, “Indian journalists never compare their designers to international designers and take their talent as their own and are more supportive than the media in Pakistan.”

Sania Maskatiya. PHOTOS: VOGUE INDIA

Rizwan Beyg changes the silhouettes around for the Indian audiences with bolder cuts and structured dresses. “There are a lot more business opportunities in India with more local and international buyers,” says Beyg. “The media was very complimentary towards my colour palate, the Indo-western cuts, but surprisingly the earrings, handbags and shoes got the most attention.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2014.

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