The bridal-wear blitz is back but with a mixed bag. For some, it may take time to get wonted to the take a few designers took on wedding ensembles for the summer, for others, it may seem like the season’s most wanted. With intricate work, short hemline, and diamantes and kora dabka among the trend-toppers on the runway, designers at Telenor Bridal Couture Week (TBCW) this Friday offered a myriad of options for the upcoming wave of betrothed. While some, such as Rizwan Ahmed, broke with tradition in their choice of colour palette, others, such as Hassan Sheheryar Yasin, channeled yesteryear glamour into their collections.
Rizwan Ahmed
They say marriages are made in heaven but Ahmed’s collection also seemed to have traversed the skies to give us earthlings a taste of ethereal beauty. Titled ‘Jannat’, the collection expectedly explored with shades of white, beige, peach and mint, making it most suitable for a Nikah bride. With gold- and silver-wire work and embellishments, such as diamantes and sequins, on the front and sleeves, the line was visually appealing. Dashes of red and pink on the dupattas in jamawar, gave the collection a royal feel. We were in hog heaven.
Ayesha Ibrahim
The designer brought her bridal A-game with the ‘Khaista’ (Pashto word for beautiful) collection that was both diverse and tasteful. Offering ghararas, pishwas, farshi ghararas, Dhaka pajamas and churidars, the range had something for every bride. Ibrahim channeled minimalism and the contemporary bride’s penchant for bold colours and silhouettes, selectively embellishing her outfits with crystals, zardozi and resham embroidery, among other things. She rounded off her outfits with matching or contrasting batwas, which gave the ensembles a full-fledged Eastern look.
Shazia Kiyani
Looking at bridal-wear in new ways, Kiyani’s ‘Zarbano’ boasted sleekness with the use of refined silhouettes that would flatter a petite bride. The collection glorified a woman’s inner and outer beauty, using fabric-favourites for a summer wedding, such as chiffon. With a predominantly light colour palette, featuring beige, grey and lilac, and intricate embroidery in silver wire-work, the line exuded elegance and finesse. Straight shirts with short hemline coupled with Dhaka pajamas and straight pants seem to be all the rage, as was evident in the collection.
Saba Abbas
Pastel prowess was the prime focus of Abbas’s collection. Paying homage to the vibrancy of weddings in the subcontinent, the ‘Zebaish’ line showcased a riot of colour. With handwork, embellishments and fabrics, such as organza, net, jamawar and brocade, the collection tread the experimental path. Displaying shades of green, pink and blue, the line comprised a range of numbers, such as overcoats with short hemline and the iconic lehenga-choli.
HSY
For better, certainly not for worse, the master couturier stayed true to his signature aesthetics. Mainly taking the traditional route, HSY made use of a deep colour palette, dominated by blue and red, exemplifying that old-school never gets too old for a desi bride. With a line that comprised dresses, shararas, ghararas and sherwanis in chiffon and silk, the designer paid great attention to detail. Although claiming to draw inspiration from the royal darbars of the subcontinent, the showcase was low on the drama factor – something that HSY is usually known for. The range promised to pair the timeless with trendy, but failed to strike a balance between the two.
Junaid Jamshed
The men’s couture collection boasted shades of brown, rust and grey. Offering traditional wedding-wear for men, such as turbans, sherwanis and khussas in jamawar and corduroy, the collection was a reminder that less is certainly more. With minimal embroidery on the neckline and sleeves, it was aesthetically pleasing but failed to deliver the zest of a traditional look for a groom.
Dss by Dureshahwar
Disappointing, to say the least, the ‘Roselita’ collection was an amalgam of poor technique and absurd colour combinations. A badly devised juxtaposition of Western cuts with Eastern designs, the collection was a visual disaster. The heavy work on colours, such as red, black and copper, would be a summer bride’s worst nightmare. Failing to find middle ground between the bold and the beautiful, the collection left a bad taste on our fashion palate. Although claiming to create a magical feel, the line didn’t create any magic on the runway.
Goal by Fozia Hammad
Paying an ‘ode to colours’, the collection made use of floral patterns, with saris, lehenga-cholis and jamawar pants dominating the ramp. Comprising 16 shades, the designer’s line was inspired by her seven-year-old daughter’s painting. The collection epitomised the vibrancy of Eastern festivities. From pastel hues to white to mauve to turquoise, the line seemed like a fitting precursor to the wedding season.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 8th, 2015.
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