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Faculty fashion
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What was it?: The 10th anniversary of the Textile Institute of Pakistan (TIP) which was celebrated with a full day of speeches that culminated in a fashion show.
Who was there?: A smattering of textile industrialists, faculty members, students, socialites and celebrity designers Nadya Mistry, Usman Dittu and Rizwan Beyg.
Who choreographed the fashion show?: Veteran, Imran Kureishi.
Who were the designers?: TIP faculty members Imran Qureshi and Ambreen Khan.
Why were faculty members displaying their work?: “The students are basically engineers and ‘texperts’,” explained Ambreen Khan. “However we are working on introducing a fashion apparel department at TIP.”
Designer
Imran Qureshi
Age: 29
Education: Graduated from the Pakistan School of Fashion Design (PSFD) in 1999
Work Experience: Assisted UAE couturier Khalid Khalil and UAE-based fashion house Scalini for three years. Interned with Elie Saab, the designer famous for creating the gown Halle Berry wore when she accepted her Oscar.
Present Provenance: Teaches pattern making at TIP and draping at the Asian Institute of Fashion Design (AIFD).
Inspirations for this collection of menswear and womenswear:
• The colour ‘Red’ as seen in a slew of orange sleeveless shirts with crimson logos; grey assymetrical shirts with a smidgen of red on a camisole overlay; and geometric and paisley corduroys with red piping.
• Metrosexuality and Ambisexuality: “I wanted more and more colour and the same colours for men and women,” said Qureshi. “The mood was that anyone can wear anything.”
• The Mafia and 1940s Italy with a barrage of newsboy caps and mufflers.
Highlights of the collection: Qureshi’s light turquoise sports jacket paired with a white shirt with Burberryesque detailed khaki jeans. The white jeans with red streamer-like piping.
Lows of the collection: Zebra-stripe jeans with oversize leather back pockets and the two-coloured (white and beige) legged corduroys with chocolate pockets.
Departure from signature style: “I spent four years helping to design these opulent couture gowns at Khalil, Scalini and Saab. This is a complete turnaround with basic uniform-like clothes with minimal yet quirky embellishments.”
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Designer
Ambreen Khan
Age: 25
Education: B.Com. Graduated from the Asian Institute of Fashion Design (AIFD) in 2003.
Work Experience: Interned and worked at Maria B and Rajby Industries, a subsidiary of Prestige Apparel.
Present Provenance: Head designer of her own label, AMBS INC. Has taught fashion apparel and fashion merchandising courses at TIP since 2004.
Inspirations for this womenswear collection:
• The Blending of East and West. As seen in pretty beige textured palazzos worn with a multi-coloured sitara speckled top; a peach Rajistani-inspired two-tiered skirt; and the piece de finale, the elegant godet-created western silhouetted burnt vanilla ballgown worn with matching camisole and organza dupatta.
• Khan’s signature nuts-and-bolts embroidery and tilla wire work. As seen in a dirty plum handkerchief dress embellished with aforementioned embroidery with the tilla wire resembling pretty florets.
• The 1980s. As seen in the psychedelic tie-dye (ombre or degrade) saris in periwinkle blue, light turquoise, kashmiri pink; deep lavender and cobalt combinations.
Highlights of the Collection: Ambreen Khan’s signature ‘nuts-and-bolts’ embroidered tops and skirts; the faux snakeskin pleather slit capris; the deep tangerine and fuchsia tie-dye two-layered gharara with asymmetrical top; and the chundri tie-dye saris with shaded Kashmiri embroidery.
Lows of the collection: The garish black-and-gold sharara (see pic).
Signature Style: “At AIFD I was famous for my nuts-and-bolts embroidery. I’ve been working hard for a very long time. Struggle is the only key to success.”
Overview
Choreographer Kureishi stated that of late he has been criticized for his ‘boring’ straight runway catwalks. In his own defense Kureishi explains, “As far my choreography goes, I’m trying to upgrade the local scene to international standards because the local scene has become a circus. I’m attempting to replicate the single file catwalks of Paris and Milan that are sophisticated and simple. We have to get into synch and present fashion as fashion and not as entertainment.”
Three tangible elements are needed for sophisticated Paris and Milan choreography to work: sleek, well-designed or tailored clothes; stunning hair and make-up; and up to the par models who have similar heights and body types, preferably lean and lanky. The show saw the return of Imran Kureishi protogee Neera Mansoor to the catwalk after a lengthy hiatus with just a few post-baby weight pounds still to lose; attitudey Iraj and ZQ; and a slew of other newbies. The male models also came in all shapes and sizes including a pudgy entry model and ab-gods Nadeem and Iffy who needs to control his head movements when posing. “Our model resource has run dry and the fashion industry needs a shot in the arm. We need to inject new people into it,” Kureishi said.
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