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IN FASHION: A beauty pageant
It seems Ather Shehzad have been wooed away from photography for the time being, a field they excel in and are best known for. Recently they won the coveted (?) Lux Style Award trophy as well. The duo could not make it to the awards ceremony because they were occupied in the preparations of the launch of their beauty salon.
A fashion show is an interesting idea of launching a salon, and Ather Shehzad knew that. The invitation card for the launch of their salon-cum-studio in Lahore was catchy in its title; Witness the miracle of beauty, printed in blazing silver font colour against fluorescent orange background, that seemed to promise an interesting evening.
However, in what can be called a completely star-struck evening that saw luminaries from the fashion industry to big names in Lollywood, people were mostly taken by ‘surprise’, since it turned out to be a show of its own kind. To quote Shehzad Reza, the man behind the hairstyles and the makeup, “it wasn’t a normal show; it was more a complete makeover!”
Iraj, with her ‘hawk eyes’ and ostrich feathers, was as wild as they come. As she sashayed down the ramp, shaking and moving to Hasan Shehryar’s creative choreography, the supermodel brought the house down
It was about images, that could be as diverse and bizarre as the ‘druggie’ look of Nadia Malik, Iraj’s ‘bird of paradise’, Aminah Haq’s ‘black bride’, Cybil’s ‘angel’ etc. A guest remarked, “The show basically presented the fun side of makeup!” Some people even thought that the show did not quite address the concerns and conceptions that pre-occupy most designers as well as hair and makeup artists today.
Away from the gossip and the tittle-tattle, a jubilant Shehzad was overheard prattling about how Secretary Information and Culture, Kamran Lashari had come up to him and told him especially, how he had found the show “simply mindblowing!”
Reema and Resham were heard remarking, “Shehzad! Hamare bhi kabhi style karo, “to which the befuddled guy muttered, “Actually, films are not my style. Whatever I have is for fashion.” Period.
The show was different in more than many ways. For one thing, it wasn’t a ‘hotel show’. It had a unique venue: A large, white canopy was set up on the ground adjacent to the salon, inside of which seats were arranged amphitheatre style. Two large curtain screens faced the crowd, showing Ather Shehzad’s signature. The ramp that was painted red, rolled out from behind the screens and ran, cutting across the crowd. There were candles all over the place, and red and white gladiolas. The ambience and the arrangement, right down to the catering, were loved by the crowd, courtesy of Zareen Khalid.
The sequences that took away most of the ‘wows’ from the audience were those of Vaneeza and Aminah Haq. Vinnie’s pink fuschia sari by Omer Said and the huge red flower on her head was a head-turner all right, while Aminah’s black lehenga by the same designer, and her ‘larger-than-life’ eyelashes, with diamonds around her eyes, was a stunner as well. Aminah closed the show.
Earlier, the show began with a brief documentary on Ather Shehzad, with slick visuals of their fashion shoots and hair and makeup shots that swooshed on the projection screens, before Cybil made the first appearance of the evening. Wearing a white, flairy Calzoom creation, white wings, long tresses that were dyed orange, and minimum makeup, she was the angel of the night, while Iraj, with her ‘hawk eyes’ and ostrich feathers, was as wild as they come. As she sashayed down the ramp, shaking and moving to Hasan Shehryar’s creative choreography, the supermodel brought the house down. The ‘sluttish’ act by ravishing Natasha in a red hot ensemble also left the audience ‘gasping’ for more. Surprisingly, the male models weren’t given much scope to perform, except for Nomi whose ‘bull’ was an instant success, and Mikaal’s ‘disco boy’, in red chiffon ‘karigar’ shirt, with his red glittery eyes and golden hair, simply stole the show.
When it comes to glamour, can our film babes, who were guests, be far behind? While Resham’s bewitching beige long shirt and slit trousers by Maheen could give the Natashas and Emans (present there) a run for their money, Reema was simplicity personified in a black shalwar kameez and Meera was loud and overdressed as ever. Out of the men lot, Shaan was least pushed, and remained gingerly stuck to his seat with wife Amina.
The finale was another unique thing about the show. After Aminah’s exit, the curtain was raised from the screens, accompanied by a blaring sound of music, and the audience got to see a blazing red stage, with all the models who had participated in the show sitting around, and posing for the cameras. It was simply unique.
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