PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week 2015 (DAY THREE): Tryst with textiles

Features retail brands boasting a riot of colours and dynamic designs

LAHORE: Featuring textile houses exclusively, day three of PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week was a lavish and vivid platform for labels, such as Gul Ahmed, alKaram Studio and House of Ittehad. This was the first time a separate day was allotted solely for textile brands.

alKaram Studio



The ‘Savoir Vivre’ merged a diverse variety of materials and fabrics to craft a collection that was dynamic to the core. Showcasing lawn, chikankari and jacquard at their best, Alkaram Studio worked with a varied colour palette. With ivory hues paired with lace, intricate cutwork and horizontal stripes as a dominant trend, the ensembles grabbed our interest. The showcase comprised pants, jumpsuits and fringe-fashioned styles.

House of Ittehad



‘Summer Rouge’ was a collection exclusively designed by HSY. A dramatic showcase with fine lighting and on-point props, it was representative of the designer’s years of experience. However, the prints for women fell short in terms of cuts, design and tailoring. The medley of odd stripes with eerie colour combinations were a total put off. The brand also introduced their menswear line, I-Man, which was remarkably bright and boasted ample embroidery.

Harmony



The brand’s ‘Summer rhythm’ collection was a comprehensive show of colours and well-thought-out patterns. We couldn’t, however, relate to the hodgepodge of designs and complicated accessories, which were a little too out-of-place for a fashion week. The male models stunned in vivid-hued kurtas that would be a perfect addition to casual Friday wear. The female models, on the other hand, didn’t deliver with gaudy and unpleasantly busy prints. Overheard in the front row: “Where is the sense of harmony in Harmony?”

Shubinak



‘Pakistan United’ by Shubinak was easily the strongest and most attention-grabbing collection of the night. Sourcing fabric from Chitral, the line drew an amalgam of retail and the talented artisans of Pakistan. The collection emphasised on an earthy, neutral colour palette and bragged a cohesive, well-styled display of wearable art. The ramp was ablaze with bohemian accessories, mystical-themed layering and feather headbands. From khussas with gladiator straps to Sindhi ralli-patchwork design, the showcase captured our attention.

Gul Ahmed



The collection titled ‘A flourishing journey of prints’, sadly, didn’t display anything we hadn’t seen before. Innovation was lacking with the patterns and design side of things, but we were impressed with the East-meets-West aspect of the line and the neatly-crafted silhouettes. The patterns ranged from the usual bright florals to darker paisley blueprints. From crop tops to jackets to ethnic skirts, the lawn was elegantly styled.

Warda Prints



The ‘Chromatic Ecstasy’ collection was more unpleasant than exciting. Utilising a bold colour palette, comprising crimson, tangerine orange, fuchsia, canary yellow and blues, the collection boasted an intense but unsettling fusion of motifs and prototypes. The ensembles suffered the terrible print-on-print fate, which designers often succumb to. The showstopper outfit that Cybil wore was possibly the worst of them all —  with fringes and frilled peplum affixed in the most unflattering places, coupled with an odd mix of colours.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 22^nd, 2015.

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