Sarwat Gillani, Sikander Rizvi and Nooray Bhatti for Deepak Perwani.
fpwspecialreport
Day One suffers inexplicable delays and too many regressive collections.
Karachi: Another month, another fashion week. The ennui has set in, particularly more so when a fashion week that is reputed to be on time loses their groove. Karachi has always been the city that's managed to keep it together and been punctual, inspiring Lahore to pick up their game. But unfortunately, Day One at Fashion Pakistan Week witnessed a break down in niceties and the programme started so late that half the audience walked out after the red carpet, even before the first show had begun, and the remaining left mid-way through the show. Those of us left behind were unfortunately subjected to not only extensive delays but also mostly terrible fashion, making the entire night a bit of a disaster. A mass exodus took place after Lala Textiles showcased their collection and the empty front row seats were filled by ushers and those sitting in the back rows; there came a point where there weren't even enough ushers to occupy the vacated seats. The show ended around midnight, which is late by any standard on a Thursday night.
Deepak Perwani opened the night with his Fix It collection, the same that he closed with at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week in Lahore, last month. To his credit he added four new outfits, in all white, exhibiting craft and cut but the rest of his collection was the same and we’ve seen it before. While his collection was a pleasure to see coming down the runway, it's good once not twice, particularly within the space of a month.
Maheen Khan with her Gulabo muse, Ayesha Omar.
Wardha Saleem's collection was the bright light at the end of tunnel; it was the collection she had showcased as part of Fashion DNA in London. The aesthetic, palette and styling was impeccable and we've already pre-ordered the stunning hand painted bags made in affiliation with Jafferjees. The only aspect off mark were the quilted pieces, perfect for crisp London weather but unsuitable when shown in the smack of summer.
This is one question that we ask ourselves regularly: why is the Bank AlFalah talent show, which features capsule thesis collections, poised in the middle of a commercial showcase? We are just as committed to nurturing and promoting new talent as the good people at Bank Alfalah but it would make more sense to have them create wearable pieces instead of letting them showcase entirely conceptual collections that have no viability commercially. Or, FPW could just continue with their Millennial showcase from two years ago, which featured upcoming designers and gave them a separate platform to really shine. While we won't break down the individual collections by each aspirant, there has to be a mention of Syeda Urmia who drew unique inspiration from ghosts but it didn't translate as well as she had hoped. The clothes looked like a cross between a nun's habit (no offence intended), the Ku Klux Clan and white cotton bed sheets.
Two textile brands showed on Day One. Lala Textiles, after hosting a very fashionable kick-off lunch, lost the plot by showcasing a poorly conceived collection. Kayseria also showcased a semi bridal collection but we'll take decent Eastern wear over terribly produced Western wear any day. The trend show was also perturbing; why are established designers showcasing capsule collections like the rising talent, when they don't have any new trends to showcase at all? It would be preferable to not show and waste the audience’s time.
Zara Abid strikes a pose for Wardha Saleem.
The night ended with Gulabo, which presented an extremely wearable collection that was cohesive, well accessorized and thought out. That said the aesthetics of it weren't entirely appealing. There was something off about the fabric, which let it down. It'll probably look a lot better when retailing in the store.
To conclude we can only request the organisers and council members to really question and rethink the purpose of conducting a fashion week. There is no need to put up an entire hoopla when it is crammed with shows that serve no purpose to the business of fashion. Here's hoping Day Two is better.
- Photographs by Tapu Javeri