Pakistani designers, models take Lancaster House by storm

London fashion show

LONDON: Thousands of people attended Pakistan Fashion Week here at the historic Lancaster House and witnessed a great display of Pakistani fashion.

Around 40 fashion designers and top models from Pakistan were part of the show that lasted for two days and was supported by Geo News and Jang Group. 

Pakistan High Commission and Riwayat combined to organise the grand event to celebrate the 70th Independence Anniversary of Pakistan to present their collections at the prestigious venue of Lancaster House which is known for holding high-profile events for British government and the Royal family. It is from the same venue that the Pakistani flag was sent to Pakistan's first ever Mission at Lowndes Square in London. 

A large number of diplomats from London-based diplomatic missions, parliamentarians, leading fashion designers, representatives of media and a cross-section of the British society and diaspora were present for the celebration of Pakistani fashion. Umar Saeed, Shameel Ansari, Sana Safinaz, Maria B and Maheen Khan headlined with leading Pakistani models Fouzia Aman and Eshal Fayyaz walking the ramp.

Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK Syed Ibne Abbas said: “This represents the cultural diplomacy of Pakistan at its best. Today we have seen an exquisite display of Pakistan’s flourishing fashion and design industry, with leading designers and models present at this historic venue. The Fashion Week would not only introduce our beautiful culture but also promote our exports in apparel and clothing industry. It will also help create better understanding of our people and present the true image of our country.”

Riwayat’s Adnan Ansari said it was a matter of prestige to hold Pakistan Fashion Week at the Lancaster House. He said the event was a tribute to Pakistani fashion and how far it has come. Ansari said that Pakistani fashion has made huge progress in the last decade and that is demonstrated through the richness and innovation of Pakistani fashion. 

Designer MaazJee paid tribute to founding father of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah with a collection inspired by his clothing, whilst a fusion of east-west designs from Maheen Khan and Shameem Ansari stole the show. The show was divided into two parts. The opening show saw over five hundred attending the event which included catwalk and live music session which went on for about three hours. The next day saw more than two thousand people attending the venue through registration to visit dozens of stalls which were set up in 9 rooms and in the main hall where Pakistani designers displayed their collections and interacted with customers. 

Speaking to Geo News, the designers said that they were able to make new customers and their designs. They said they were happy to venture into new areas and their experience of attending the event went down well as they were able to make new contracts. They said the event was held at the right time because its “wedding season” in Britain. 

The designers who attended the fashion week included Shamaeel Ansari, Hamna Amir, Agha Noor, Sadia Asad, Maria B, Aisha Imran, Sadaf Amir, Moazzam Abbasi, Shitin Hassan, Maaj Jee, Sana safinaz, Zeeshan Bariwala, Ayesha Aejaz, Amna Bibi, Miral, Sana Farooq, Sonia Mahajan, Ahmad Hassan, Rizwan Ahmed, Maheen Khan, Shazia Kiyani, Amina Badar, Cheena Chapara, Hassan Riaz, Sana Rashid, uzma Babar, Imran Khaliq and Umar Saeed.