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How bright did Pakistan shine at Swarovski's Sparkling Couture exhibition?

Pakistani designers Elan, Fahad Hussayn, Faraz Manan, Maria B, Saira Shakira and Tena Durrani showed at the exhibition
06 Nov, 2015

Can Pakistani designers make an impact on the world stage?

Pakistani craftsmanship certainly got a big thumbs-up from fashion insiders in Dubai this week at Sparkling Couture.

The event was part of Swarovski’s 120th anniversary celebrations, aiming to put the spotlight on Southeast Asian fashion. The upscale exhibition showcased 36 regional designers and nine accessory labels, placing them on a world-class platform.

Sparkling Couture was the 120th anniversary celebration of the world-famous Swarovski brand – Publicity photo
Sparkling Couture was the 120th anniversary celebration of the world-famous Swarovski brand – Publicity photo

The bling brigade

The fashion presentation encompassed a wide variety of regional fashion, ranging from 'modest wear', that is, abayas, to evening gowns and ethnic bridals. Designers used the brand’s crystals and pearls in a startling array of techniques.

The fashion standard generally ranged from the sublime to the ho-hum. Kuwaiti designer Ziad Antoun’s structured white pleated gown was a stunning piece of art, whereas none of the footwear brands managed to impress at all.

Ziad Antoun crafted a dress in delicate whorls that stunned like a piece of art – Publicity photos
Ziad Antoun crafted a dress in delicate whorls that stunned like a piece of art – Publicity photos

A personal favourite of mine was Indonesian designer Sebastian Gunawan. He placed multi-coloured crystals on a structured gown in a pattern than resembled cross-stitching.

Sebastian Dunawan garnered a lot of attention at the exhibition – Publicity photo
Sebastian Dunawan garnered a lot of attention at the exhibition – Publicity photo
A close-up revealing Sebastian's cross-stitch like arrangement of crystals – Photo by author
A close-up revealing Sebastian's cross-stitch like arrangement of crystals – Photo by author

From next door, JJ Valaya took a very different approach, focusing on impact rather than elaborate embroidery on his bridal offering. He showed a stunning pale lehenga embellished with crystal peacocks. This was offset by a stunning draped shimmery teal dupatta, worn over a spaghetti strap blouse.

JJ Valaya's creation focused more on impact than embroidery – Publicity photo
JJ Valaya's creation focused more on impact than embroidery – Publicity photo

Pakistan's strong foot forward

Six designers from Pakistan participated in the event, four of them flying in for the exhibition. Maria B, Elan by Khadijah Shah, Faraz Manan and Tena Durrani all showcased elaborately embroidered, modern ethnic bridals.

Designer Tena Durani elaborated on the thought process behind her design, "I wanted to showcase the Pakistani techniques that aren’t widely used abroad and give visitors a true sense of Pakistani bridal fashion."

“Showing in the ethnic bridal category, our creations are of course much more heavily embellished than any other category," she added.

Faraz Manan’s was perhaps the most striking, with an avant-garde bandage style blouse that acknowledged the fact that this was a celebration of fashion rather than a commercial bridal show.

While Tena chose to dispense with a dupatta to give her ensemble a more international feel, Khadijah Shah showed a very traditional silhouette, one that might actually be worn by a fashionable local bride.

#Elan has created a #Swarovski-studded angrakha for the #SparklingCouture exhibition! #happeningnow

A photo posted by IMAGES (@dawn_images) on

“The outfit is a classic Elan jora – opulent and ethereal, with the sort of intricately worked dupatta an Elan bride would wear,” Khadija said to Images.

While it was intricately worked and very beautiful, the ensemble lacked impact on a dummy. The embroidery needed breaking up and the outfit would have worked better on a live model. Khadijah is more than capable of playing with structure and, in this sort of company, she needed to do so.

Maria B showed a relatively lighter piece that lacked some of the intricacy of workmanship that others displayed, but her outfit was not the disappointment that Sumeet Verma’s was. His pink outfit had neither the intricacy nor the originality to impress.

Neither Saira Shakira nor Fahad Hussayn were at the event but both contributed outfits. Saira Shakira’s chiffon and crochet lace creation was interesting enough, but it was Fahad Hussayn’s tunic that turned heads. His was undoubtedly the most talked about Pakistani offering, with both local and international visitors commenting on the beauty of his dramatic short tunic.

Fahad Hussayn's tunic was considered the most interesting creation from Pakistan, while Saira Shakira also did not disappoint – Publicity photos
Fahad Hussayn's tunic was considered the most interesting creation from Pakistan, while Saira Shakira also did not disappoint – Publicity photos

More than just razzle-dazzle

With its VIP guest list, mileage at an exclusive event like this is priceless. Swarovski is a brand with serious fashion credentials, working with most of the world’s top brands. They were the ones that created the “perfect pearl” for Coco Chanel, way back when she wasn’t a household name.

Andrew Mojica, MD of Swarovski Middle East, said, “We want to work with brands who are as passionate about fashion as we are. We work with all the leading couturiers and are at the forefront of trends, working with designers for coming seasons. While we work with the best brands in the fashion capitals of London, Paris, New York and Milan, this event has shown how vibrant fashion is in this part of the world too."

Ensembles by Rabia Z (UAE), Rizwan Fashion House (UAE), Bawal (Malaysia) and Kanzi (UAE) for Sparkling Couture – Publicity photo
Ensembles by Rabia Z (UAE), Rizwan Fashion House (UAE), Bawal (Malaysia) and Kanzi (UAE) for Sparkling Couture – Publicity photo

He went on, "We’ve seen some great work from Pakistan, and this year with PFDC, we launched colours that were previously not available. Our crystals are not only the most technically advanced in the world, we collaborate with designers to produce original material to enable them to execute their creative vision.”

Sparkling Couture wasn’t just about creating fashion fantasies and most of the designs have a market as the designers presenting generally already have a name in their home countries. Designers like Elan will undoubtedly sell many versions of their creation back in Pakistan. The same applies for labels from other countries.

Emirati designer Dar Sara showcased a slinky evening gown with a billowing, detachable bridal train. Encrusted with 600,000 crystals and priced at Dh245,000, the gown sold before the exhibition even began, with Swarovski aiming at up to ten more orders for the designer.

Dar Sara's creation found buyers even before the exhibition began – Publicity photos
Dar Sara's creation found buyers even before the exhibition began – Publicity photos

Whether these actually materialize or not, Sparkling Couture gave designers a platform for international recognition. It introduced them to fashion insiders from around the region, enabling networking and an exchange of ideas as well as giving them global press coverage. It’s the type of forum that our designers should fight tooth and nail to be part of, and one that hopefully will help our fashion industry grow and evolve.

Comments

Tamilselvan Nov 06, 2015 09:31pm
Hats off to the designers of these dresses though some are too goddy. Nevertheless, excellent embroidery. Congratulations
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AIZA Nov 07, 2015 05:58am
Absolutely stunning pieces of work! So much talent shining, with or without crystals!
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Moona Nov 08, 2015 09:48am
Looks like Emperor Qin's clay army.
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Sai Nov 09, 2015 06:04pm
Only Faraz's dress was something to talk about , Elan's dress is a copy of Paolo Sebastian's gown, rest was b.s.
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