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FPW Day 2: Traditional craftsmanship takes centre stage on the final day

Dedicating a platform to showcase traditional craft may encourage more designers to sustain village craftsmen and women.
Updated 24 Feb, 2017

Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW), on its second day, was held together by a range of segments that sifted through indigenous craft, hair and makeup, a mixed tribute by designer heavyweights and designs showcased recently in the Fashion DNA segment which is part of London Fashion Week. Most of these segments fortunately worked leading to a pleasant fashion jigsaw of sorts.

Dedicating a platform to showcasing traditional craft, for instance, is a great idea. Pakistan has a wealth of craftsmanship which is slowly dying out, being taken over by cost-effective, time-effective machine embroideries. A well-publicised platform at fashion week, focusing only on indigenous craft, may encourage more designers to sustain the village craftsmen and women who are currently living impoverished lives.

It also makes for a show that focuses on what is inherently Pakistani, tweaked and glossed into fashion-forward lines. Both collections in the traditional craft segment were shown on a catwalk for the very first time and it set FPW rolling on a high note.

Sustainable craft: White Label by Nida Azwer

The Khalarai collection, dominated by the embroideries of interior Sindh, was set off by the twinkle of mirror work and dainty hand embroideries. Nida Azwer, with her longstanding penchant for hand embroideries, was completely in her comfort zone, with a very summer-centric palette of beige, white and grey.

The all-white collection featured work from Sindhi artisans. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official
The all-white collection featured work from Sindhi artisans. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official

Silhouettes varied from the completely traditional to slinky luxe; ghararas, saris and Nida’s staple cinched kimono tops which now need to reworked towards newer territory. The highlight, though, were the fully handworked dupattas. An inherently beautiful collection upheld by meticulous craft.

Sustainable craft: Inaaya

It was lovely to have Inaaya back on the catwalk; modernising rilli and placing it in unique places in a garment, swathing risqué halter necks and skirts with mirrors, dabbling with traditional chata-pati and creating casually elegant silhouettes on a diverse mix of colors.

Inaaya took a political stand by displaying placards on the runway for women's empowerment. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official
Inaaya took a political stand by displaying placards on the runway for women's empowerment. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official

There were so many designs in Inaaya’s showcase that riveted; a bright pink sari infused with florals, an off-shoulder boat-neck with a thick rilli border around the neck, rilli traversing the lengths of lowered layers and an exquisite blue dupatta worn over all-white.

It was proudly, ebulliently Pakistani. It also came with a message, with the models carrying placards dedicated to women’s empowerment.

Naushaba Brohi with her daughter and models holding placards. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official
Naushaba Brohi with her daughter and models holding placards. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official

One hopes that now that designer Naushaba Brohi has found her way to the limelight again, she stays there. We need more of Inaaya, in our fashion shows and more significantly, on retail racks.

Fashion DNA

One had seen images from the Fashion DNA segment splattered across social media all through last week. The collections had been created as part of a mentorship program by the British Council Pakistan where local designers are guided by international experts on how to create well-finished fashionable apparel for the international market.

The selected ateliers – Munib Nawaz, Zuria Dor, The Pink Tree Company, Jeem, Sonya Battla and Gulabo – then showcased their collections at in the Fashion Scout segment that takes place in the UK during London Fashion Week.

Left: Sonya Battla's collection featured blue and white tie-n-dye. Right: Nadia Hussain modelling The Pink Tree collection. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official
Left: Sonya Battla's collection featured blue and white tie-n-dye. Right: Nadia Hussain modelling The Pink Tree collection. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official

Given the time and energy invested into the collections, it made sense to also showcase the collections at FPW, taking place a mere few days later. After all, Fashion Scout may earn experience and mileage for designers but until they manage to tap into the international market, designers have to rely on local customers to keep business rolling.

Left: Zuria Dor had taken inspiration from the west. Right: Munib Nawaz showcased Winter fashion for Spring. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official
Left: Zuria Dor had taken inspiration from the west. Right: Munib Nawaz showcased Winter fashion for Spring. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official

It was a diverse show with quite a few highlights. Sonya Battla’s range of indigo and white tie-n-dyes were absolute head-turners, infused with a spin on the traditional tukri and molded onto free-flowing, flattering silhouettes. The Pink Tree Company quintessentially played around with color and a cape worn by Nadia Hussain particularly caught the eye.

Gulabo added a much needed pop of colour on the runway with fun and quirky designs. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official
Gulabo added a much needed pop of colour on the runway with fun and quirky designs. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official

Zuria Dor exemplified their flair with the Western silhouette while Munib Nawaz presented well-tailored but somewhat wintry options for men, obviously having had kept London in mind. And then came Gulabo, staying true to its signature, fusing traditions with a hippie, uber-cool vibe, the looks styled with a range of ethnic accessories.

Hair Fashion Scout by Toni & Guy South Pakistan

Hitherto, Toni & Guy South Pakistan had collaborated with local designers for their hair and make-up shows. As a result, often the clothes would get noticed more than the styling itself. Additionally, according to Creative Director Saeeda Mandviwala, attuning the looks to suit the clothes would end up diluting the purpose behind the show which is to introduce avant-garde international styling trends to the Pakistani populace.

This time, Toni & Guy selected the wardrobe themselves, keeping it simple while letting the hair and makeup take center stage. It did catch the eye – sometimes for the right reasons, sometimes for the wrong. The makeup could have been better but the hair was idiosyncratic, complex, fun. Miniscule braids wound through buns, distressed ends were sprayed stuff, hair was curled or wielded into soft waves, shaded into brilliant colors.

Models flaunting their hairstyles on the runway. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official
Models flaunting their hairstyles on the runway. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official

This was certainly not hair for the regular woman but the whole point was to set trends that could then be simmered down according to customer requirements. They were statements that could be hated or loved but couldn’t possibly go unnoticed.

It was a show that was high on energy but it would have fared better with better models. While in these times of diversity, the odd short or slightly overweight model may be admissible, new girls need to be taught how to walk gracefully. Some of them wound their way with difficulty, wearing shoes that were too high or a few sizes too big for them.

In contrast, a cheerful Zhalay Sarhadi twirling on the ramp was a great choice for a showstopper.

Amir Adnan

The monotones and androgyny in Amir Adnan’s show are what a market inundated with print needs. The women wore basic kurtas paired with monochrome pants and waistcoats. Possibly the best look in the collection was a basic black sherwani with gold buttons worn by Mehreen Syed.

Waistcoats and sherwanis dominated the runway during Amir Adnan's show. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official
Waistcoats and sherwanis dominated the runway during Amir Adnan's show. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official

Adnan is a pro at tailoring the sherwani and no one could have worn it better than the lissome Mehreen. The Eastern menswear was subtle and well-finished. One didn’t enjoy, though, the casual-wear.

It was, nevertheless, a collection that could have benefited from experimentation and innovations in styling. The crisp tailored lines will sell well at Amir Adnan stores but they should have made more impact on the catwalk.

Deepak Perwani

Deepak Perwani’s experience shows in the finesse of his cuts. The womenswear in his ‘Pure’ traversed a palette of whites and off-whites and was refreshingly minimal. Lace was worked onto diaphanous sleeves and crystals shimmered ever-so-slightly. The men’s suits fused just the right bit of funky with a well-conceived palette, letting the men look like men in this sad age of sartorially blind dandies.

Men in hues of blue for Deepak Perwani. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official
Men in hues of blue for Deepak Perwani. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official

Classy, sophisticated and with a lack of bling that one really appreciated! Thick layers of sequins don’t equate to evening-wear; one wishes more designers would understand this.

Amato

And then came Amato, in an effusion of net and florals, featuring floor-length gowns, trails and appliqué. There was nothing particularly new about the embellishments and besides the entire collection was too princessy to be able to push the fashion envelope.

Closing the show was a grand finale featuring a mixed assortment of some of the country’s most illustrious designers, showcasing a few outfits each. The clothes were beautiful but many of them had been seen before at other shows or in fashion shows. One wishes that more of these labels had chosen to present individual collections instead of just creating two or three.

Amato featured florals and floor-length gowns at the FPW. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official
Amato featured florals and floor-length gowns at the FPW. Photo: Instagram/Fashion Pakistan Official

And this, in essence, was where Fashion Pakistan Week faltered. There should have been lesser capsules and more complete collections. Certain collections direly needed to be edited out. The timings needed to be regulated so that the event didn’t end after an exhausting 11 p.m. on both nights.

The second and final day of FPW was a good day for fashion. It could have been better. FPW, overall, could have been better. Celebrating their 10th year this time, the council needs to get stronger in order to celebrate 10 more.

Comments

zeea Feb 24, 2017 08:07pm
I wonder where these outfits can you wear in casual life... so dramatic
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weq Feb 24, 2017 08:52pm
Gorgeous Pakistani women until they get married, Nadia is an exception
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Sk Feb 24, 2017 09:08pm
@zeea - They wear them in Fantasy Land. On Mars perhaps?
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AXH Feb 25, 2017 07:59am
@zeea - If you have ever watched fashion shows in the West, you would probably already know that those outfits are not worn in the public. These outfits show creativity of the designer. Some of these clothes are sold after a bit modification. If these clothes were that unusable then why would these shows pour in money to host them if there was no ROI (return on investment)?
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imtiaz ali khan Feb 25, 2017 12:39pm
Wah yaar beautiful show and beautiful people and girls are so pretty.
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hyderabadi Feb 25, 2017 07:05pm
nice review! The author seems to have the right words to describe every thing from the setting to dress to their hairstyle. regards!
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VIN Feb 26, 2017 03:00pm
@zeea They are not designed for that and it is not the purpose also.
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