It makes business sense for high street brands to showcase at fashion week but they must up their style ante to be relevant.
Lahore: Twice a year, the Pakistan Fashion and Design Council hosts a fashion extravaganza that not only welcomes a cross-section of fashion designers but also high street brands, which is testament to how influential high street fashion has become in Pakistan. The recent past has seen a myriad of established designers delve into high street retailing either by creating in-house prêt lines or taking over as creative directors for retail giants.
Sehyr Saigol, Chairperson PFDC, particularly emphasized on the need for retail brands to have a fashion director – a face that can be credited for its creations. “Corporate brands often do not understand the difference between retail and fashion and we have told them time and again that we will not give them evening slots till they become disciplined about adding value to their creations,” Saigol asserted. “What they are churning out in volumes, without any due credit to a designer or without a creative head on board, does not make sense. We are in this business to promote the designer and not the brand.”
The PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week 2016, held this week in Lahore, witnessed two very distinct categories of high street fashion – high street labels (led by a design team) that translate popular fashion trends into affordable prêt and those headed by designers, lending high-end value to an outfit, such as HSY. Selina Rashid of Lotus PR also spoke on the importance of distinct high street shows. “There is a place for every kind of fashion product at a fashion show, be it textile, high street or luxury prêt. People need to see these trends at every level. A high street show is perhaps even more important for a wider audience since what you see is what you get at the store,” she told Instep.
The high street segment on Day 3 opened with a collection from local retail brand Hang Ten featuring urban, casual wear. Models walked down the runway in striped t-shirts and slim-fit trousers. The outfits had no fashion element whatsoever and it seemed like a random selection of clothes from their store instead of being a proper, fashion week collection.
DSS Couture by Durre Shahwar came next with an ode to the life, and contributions, of Princess Diana. Other than the blonde wigs which coincided with Diana’s unique hairstyle, there was nothing in the collection that could relate to the theme. There were only a handful of hits in this otherwise safe collection featuring done-to-death trails and a black-and-red colour palette. A heavily rose-embellished cropped top paired with culottes was an outfit that stood out.
Umar Iftikhar presented the segment’s best collection. Called Banjaranama, taking inspiration from the journey of a person, who leaves his homeland in search of existence, the collection comprised a clever mix of zari and traditional mirror-work on waist coats and jackets giving off an ethnic vibe. The collection featured outfits, which echoed understated glamour, and that many of us would comfortably wear from day through night. The showcase was complemented by an equally compelling musical score, playing in the background.
Finally, Denizen by Levis’ made its debut on the PFDC runway. The collection, On-The-Go, featured boxy, relaxed silhouettes in a vibrant colour palette of bright reds, summery yellows and calming blues. It was a collection that targeted youth’s no-fuss fashion preferences for daily wear and showed a range of casual wear in breezy, hand-woven fabrics. Though not the most fashion-savvy collection, it was on trend with the season’s demands.
– Photography by
Faisal Farooqui Dragonfly