As the year draws to an end and wedding season looms closer (does it ever end?) the PFDC Loreal Paris Bridal Couture Week marks beginning of the festive season on our calendars. Demarcating the transition not only between seasons but also style, PLBW is the platform that sets wedding wear trends for the year to come. Though bridal couture isn’t deemed as exciting as pret or luxury formal wear, it is what helps designers keep their businesses well oiled and profitable.
Indelible impact: House of Kamiar Rokni showcased a discerning, cohesive collection that was a perfect blend of old craft and modern sensibilities.
FASHIONFOCUS
PLBW: In a rare occurrence Day One produces more hits than misses.
Lahore :As the year draws to an end and wedding season looms closer (does it ever end?) the PFDC Loreal Paris Bridal Couture Week marks beginning of the festive season on our calendars. Demarcating the transition not only between seasons but also style, PLBW is the platform that sets wedding wear trends for the year to come. Though bridal couture isn’t deemed as exciting as pret or luxury formal wear, it is what helps designers keep their businesses well oiled and profitable.
Day one of PLBW 2016 kicked off with the usual dose of glamour, camera flashes and front row squeezing. The red carpet seemed more organized, the crowd controlled… could it be that the fashion council finally has the routine down pat? Certainly appears to be the case and it makes sitting through the shows a breeze.
With a show that started as timely as can be expected in Pakistan and ran mostly on schedule, PLBW 16 witnessed a shake-up in the regular opening and closing slots. Usually showcasing the finale on day three, HSY opened the show this time with the dramatic flair that we’ve all come to expect from him. This sentiment of change and innovation also seemed to be reflected in his collection that showcased the most invention we’ve seen from the designer in a while.
Not to say that his clothes weren’t opulent or richly embroidered but there was a restrain in design that was refreshing. The collection wasn’t hyper-stylized or over-accessorized and the layering was accessible. HSY retained certain elements that are hallmarks of his collections: fur trimmings, gold embellishment and red bridals but the treatment was new. His fringed and fur jackets can easily be termed the statement pieces of the season and the use of print broke the monotony of embellishment.
HSY’s standout pieces though were a part of his menswear capsule. Wearable, well-tailored and filling the gaping demand for smart apparel for men, this new direction towards an oft overlooked side of fashion in Pakistan is welcomed.
Sania Maskatiya followed next with an exquisite collection as expected. Her use of colour and the employment of coral to make the neutral tone outfits pop showcases a mastery of craft that Maskatiya backs with her impeccable finish. Not a stitch out of sight or an awry sequin to be spotted. We do miss her print and embellishment pairings though but to criticize her current collection would be nit-picking.
The Bank Al Falah Rising Talent Show is a segment that’s supposed to show innovation and creativity and usually ends up being the most kitsch but there is no point in picking up thesis displays and putting them on the ramp. The three aspiring designers failed to make a mark while rubbing shoulders with industry big-wigs and that should be reevaluated when deciding on what the showcase is attempting to accomplish.
Saira Shakira opened their show with a video so steamy you could hear the entire audience let out a collective gasp. Hasnain Lehri and Indian model Sundal Roy set the screen ablaze with their chemistry and made us want a love as sexy as theirs. Luckily for us the duo’s collection that followed was equally engaging. Their embellishment was delicate and detailed and the colour palette was a departure from their usual pairing of pastels with bright pops though their retained their signature mint green shade and decked Roy out in a cool toned bridal that worked well with her dusky complexion. We particularly loved the embellished pants peppered through-out the collection (though the fit wasn’t as impeccable as we saw in some of the other shows) and the mustard yellow bridal with blue and pale pink embroidered flowers donned by Farwa Kazim was the show-stopper for us.
The line-up had reserved the best for the last. We often throw words and phrases like maestro or kings of couture around but if there ever was a design-house that deserved the unequivocal mantle of leaders, it has to the House of Kamiar Rokni. The triumvirate continues to out-do themselves, churning out collections that are so impeccable they could be framed and hung on walls. The detailing, colour combinations and amalgamation of old craft with modern sensibilities all ties together to create a discerning, cohesive collection that could be taken off the runway and worn immediately, as is. There is no need for runway drama to detract from the clothes; the House of Kamiar presents its collection simply and the outfits have an indelible impact. All we can say is, take a bow!
HSY opened the show with dramatic flair and showcased a collection that reflected innovation, invention and change.
Sania Maskatiya's exquisite collection showcased a mastery of craft that Maskatiya backed with her impeccable finish.
Saira Shakira’s engaging collection featured embellishment that was delicate and detailed.
The three aspiring designers failed to make a mark during the Bank Al Falah Rising Talent Show.
