FPW amps up fashion fever on Day 2

Published November 27, 2014
The show had a refined, high-fashion feel. – Photo credit: Tapu Javeri
The show had a refined, high-fashion feel. – Photo credit: Tapu Javeri

Day two of Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) brought some exceptional collections to the ramp. This was a strong day on paper and delivered on that promise.

The designers showing had very different styles, but, barring a couple of exceptions, each delivered on their own aesthetic. From the eastern elegance of Sanam Chaudri to the edgy glamour of Shehla Chatoor, there was plenty to love on day two of FPW.

Shehla Chatoor

Collection: Misaki

Shehla Chatoor opened the show with her 'Misaki' collection, which was stunning in its intricacy. She combined leather, weaving, lace and Japanese-inspired prints into sharp, sophisticated ensembles. Shehla juxtaposed delicate thread embroidery and intricate leatherwork, weaving the leather for some pieces and interlacing it with gold beads and chains for others.

Everything from the jewellery to the shoes was made in-house and demonstrated Shehla’s famed attention to detail.

The look for the 'Misaki' collection ranged from rock chick to sweeping glamour. One sleeved, slashed leather sari blouses contrasted with voluminous printed skirts. The collection included dresses, capes, lace jumpsuits, embroidered boots and statement jackets.

The voluminous skirts with Japanese prints were a little reminiscent of Elan’s 2013 PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week collection, but this type of skirt has been seen on catwalks and red carpets a lot and is a trend in itself.

Shehla’s take on it is very true to her own aesthetic – sophisticated and glamorous. The edgy chic of the collection mirrored international trends and yet was pure Shehla. She continues to take her ramp collections to new heights in terms of craftsmanship and creativity. This was a great start to day two of FPW.

Emraan Rajput

Collection: Alpha

Emraan Rajput’s military-inspired collection, 'Alpha', was next up.

Military is something that has been done so many times, yet Emraan did bring a freshness of vision to the idea. His military collection in khakhis and browns was all about sharp tailoring and subtle detailing. His models were like ranks of soldiers with hardly any difference between them. While this was an interesting concept, it was a little tedious on the ramp.

Emraan demonstrated considerable skill in his detailing and, at its essence, menswear is often about understated modifications, but the collection needed something to break up all that khaki.

Sanam Chaudri

Collection: Bano

Sanam Chaudri’s elegant ‘Bano’ collection brought the first half to a close. For a collection that was a tribute to her grandmother, 'Bano' had a remarkably young and trendy vibe.

Sanam had stated that the collection was an ode to a more modest era and epitomised the idea that “discretion is the better part of glamour”. While it certainly adhered to this idea, Sanam showed that modesty does not need to be dowdy or old-fashioned. It would have been easy to put up timeless, classic Eastern pieces, but Sanam showed a collection that expressed modern Eastern elegance.

The collection was mainly formal Eastern wear – in silks, velvets and jamawar with embroidery in tones of gold and old-gold. Sanam showed jackets, palazzos, capes, various trousers and a sari. Her pleated shalwar-trouser was neither shalwar nor harem pant. Cut more like a trouser and worn with a short jacket it was fun and original.

It’s been some time since Sanam has shown anything other than capsule collections, but this was a breath of fresh air from the talented young designer.

Fnk Asia by Huma Adnan

Collection: Folk Spirit

Fnk Asia by Huma Adnan opened the second half with their 'Folk Spirit' collection. The collection featured the vibrant ethnic yellows, reds, oranges and greens that are practically a Fnk Asia trademark.

'Folk Spirit' mixed prints and embroidery with crochet pieces, including dresses, jackets and leggings. Fnk Asia also showed crop tops, lenghas and sweeping lace jackets.

Ultimately the collection needed editing. There were too many mismatched elements that failed to gel together into a cohesive ramp presentation.

Deepak and Fahad

Collection: Sada Safaid

Deepak and Fahad’s (DnF) 'Sada Safaid' was a monochromatic collection of western outfits. The collection featured both menswear and womenswear and had some interesting pieces.

A cape worn by Iraj and a pencil dress where the embroidery faded vertically from black to white both stood out. On the whole, however, the collection had an amateur feel. DnF’s outfits had promise, but not quite the level of craftsmanship and creativity required to make a major impact.

Adnan Pardesy

Collection: Labyrinth

By some accident of scheduling, DnF’s collection was followed immediately by another monochromatic collection – this time 'Labyrinth' by Adnan Pardesy. It was DnF that suffered from the comparison because Pardesy’s collection was everything that theirs was not. Sophisticated, polished and complex, Adnan’s collection was notable for its detailing and creativity.

Adnan used embroidery, weaving and texturisation techniques to add drama to his chic silhouettes. He also showed both menswear and womenswear, including jackets, waistcoats, pencil dresses and dramatic skirts.

A lone sari was his only Eastern ensemble in a deeply attractive collection. The only jarring note was the use of white raw silk for his women’s trousers – while it wasn’t quite see through, a thicker fabric might have been better.

Overall, however, Adnan displayed both craft and originality with this stylish collection.

Deepak Perwani

Collection: Everything but the girl

Deepak Perwani brought the evening to a close with his first menswear collection in 10 years. Irreverent, original and smart, this was one of the most interesting menswear collections we’ve seen on the ramp recently.

Although Deepak does make very attractive conventional menswear, including some of the best wedding sherwanis in town, he chose not to put that on the ramp. His FPW collection 'Everything but the girl' was fun and clever.

Two of Karachi’s most eligible bachelors, Sikander Rizvi (owner of Xander’s) and Adnan Malik, took part in Perwani’s show. Wearing velvet jackets with Polo-esque embroidered logos, they spearheaded a collection that also featured jodhpurs, quirky silk shirts and exquisite tailoring.

Perwani showed a variety of ensembles including short, tailored jackets, embroidered waistcoats and a military-style coat. He put an eccentric rooster print on kurtas and trousers and mixed textures and fabrics.

As you would expect from Perwani, the show incorporated eye-catching styling details including leather ties with buckles and woven leather weekender bags. The show had a refined, high-fashion feel that was fitting end to an evening that was a celebration of Pakistani designer talent.

Read more here: FPW Autumn/Winter 2014 Day 1: More lows than highs


Salima Feerasta is a freelance journalist and the creative force behind style blog karachista.com.Follow her on Twitter @karachista

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