Karachi
The energy and excitement that had been missing the first two days finally arrived on the red carpet on Day 3 of Telenor Fashion Pakistan Week. Karachi’s best looking and most stylish were out in full force – whether it was the gorgeous Sadaf Jalil of Sana Safinaz and the talented young Mohsin Ali, or the paparazzi magnet couple that is Shaneira and Wasim Akram. The cricketer made an appearance for Levi’s whereas his tall and blonde Australian wife will be walking the ramp today for Deepak Perwani on what promises to be an action-packed last day.
But for now here’s a lowdown on Day Three, which started off fabulously with Body Focus.
Iman Ahmed of Body Focus Musuem
Sartorial Philosophy and the New Nomads – the name might have been a mouthful but the rich flavours of the collection were exactly what the audience had been hungering for since the start of fashion week. Iman Ahmed stuck to her signature aesthetic of unique cuts and drapes, luxurious fabrics and dramatic prints to create a collection that was breathtaking. From the layered skirts to the sharply tailored jackets, the fringed leather jackets to the sexy crop tops, there wasn’t a single garment that didn’t wow. Luxurious yet simple, bohemian yet seductive, the Body Focus Museum collection set a very, very high standard for the night. From the dramatic music to the styling (the messy braids, tribal jewellery including arm bands, African inspired necklaces and anklets, and the war paint on the face), there wasn’t a single element of the show that wasn’t perfection.
Levi’s
It would not have been easy for any label to follow on the heels of Body Focus
Musuem’s stunning opening and for Levi’s the task proved to be especially daunting. We all know what Levi’s is known for but how many models in jeans can one sit and watch without getting bored. The segment was filler material at best and had it not been Wasim Akram’s presence of the ramp, it would have barely made a dent in the audience’s consciousness.
Somal Halepoto
“There’s a circus in town but I didn’t realize it was here at fashion week,” exclaimed one front-row fashionista as models wearing Somal’s creations walked out. The little-known designer tried her best to follow the current trend of featuring animal figures on clothes but her attempts missed the mark by a large margin. The elephant prints in candy colours held some promise but the embellished giraffes on the tunics and jackets looked just plain silly. Frowers had a heated debate over one black jumpsuit, trying to decode whether the figure shown was a dinosaur or a zebra – and that unfortunately was the highlight of the entire segment. We have seen better from Somal.
YBQ
One expected the designer to up the drama quotient of the night and he certainly did not disappoint in that department. His collection was a tribute to the three great Sufis of Sindh – Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, Shah Abdul Latif Bithai and Sachal Sarmast – and turbaned models holding flag-draped masts and steaming brass pots walked out to great dramatic effect.
Other than the styling though, there really wasn’t anything about the collection that channelled spiritualism, the purity of Sufism or the purpose of fashion. The red tops and white lowers were simple albeit well-structured – but they didn’t feature any design elements worthy of the ramp. HSY, though, made a very sexy showstopper.
Later on in the night…
Sania Maskatiya for Al-Karam
Sania brought her quintessential aesthetic to the lawn collection that featured her signature geometric printed trousers and bright tops. As far as lawn collections go, it was the best one we’ve seen during fashion week. This is the difference a strong textile designer will bring to lawn.
Wardha Saleem
Aquatic motifs and colours lent a dreamy, whimsical feel to a fusion collection that featured everything from elaborated embroidered pants to printed skirts and embellished crop tops. Pretty and wearable clothes in quirky prints, even if they weren’t groundbreaking.
Inaaya
Naushaba Brohi brought out her signature Sindh craft in a promising collection that showed a lot of attention to detail but faltered every now and then, preventing it from being outstanding. The showstopper, her daughter Inaaya, after which the label has been named wore a statement tee that summed it up: Super Role Model.
HSY
A happening, rock n roll finale featuring some sharp menswear, the HSY collection brought the men out on the runway. It was a welcome sight!
Photographs by Manal Khan
Hair and makeup: N Pro and N Gents