Faraz Manan brings a taste of Italy to Lahore

In recent years, Faraz Manan has emerged as one of Lahore’s favourite designers and his intricate bridals and formals have a huge market not just in the city but increasingly around the world wherever there are bling-loving expat desis. It’s no wonder then, that the city’s who’s who braved a stormy March afternoon and made the long trek to the Bedian farmhouse where the designer showcased his spring/summer couture collection titled Florence. prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

As with his first show in September last year, Faraz’s second solo couture outing was held too close to PFDC’s official showcase to be ignored. His first show preceded PFDC’s Bridal Couture Week by two weeks and this one came on the heels of the Crystal Couturiers showcase, so obviously eyebrows were raised and questions were asked as to whether this was a deliberate move.

“Not at all! I’m not trying to upstage anyone or anybody,” declared Faraz Manan as he spoke to Instep post-show. “I have a business to run and the whole point of doing a solo couture show is to satisfy my clients and expand our growing brand.”

If keeping his clientele happy was what the show was about, then the designer served that purpose very well. You could literally hear the crowd of women going ga-ga over the ethereal ensembles that made up Florence. In a colour palette comprising light pastels such as ivory, pink, silver and blue, the designer highlighted a liberal use of ribbon work, Swarovski crystals, pearls and floral motifs. One spotted a lot of white threadwork, as opposed to the silver and gold that is traditionally used in bridals, and considering that this is a collection for the summer season, it was a smart idea.

The craftsmanship was exquisite – up close, the motifs inspired by Italian architecture were intricate and well-balanced with embellishment and elements such as 3-D flowers created out of organza and silk added a contemporary twist. All the fabric used was weaved in-house, whether it was the ornate jacquard or the sheer organzas, which added to the cohesiveness of the overall collection.

What’s not to love, right? We can just imagine an August bride looking stunning in a Florence bridal, or Faraz’s blingy formals creating a furor at a destination wedding (which is where they are headed soon, that too a destination wedding in Florence). But for all its beauty, the collection lacked a certain drama that is so essential for a runway show. The contemporary cuts and peekaboo detailing of the outfits will undoubtedly appeal to the modern bride but given Faraz’s popularity and solid commercial backing, we do feel it is the designer’s responsibility to make that leap out of his comfort zone.

Faraz’s attention to detail and craftsmanship is commendable, and it would greatly benefit his standing as a couturier if his collections were as fashion-forward as they are beautiful.

Photography: Faisal Farooqui Dragonfly

Hair and make-up: Ather Shahzad