An ‘affair’ to remember

Weddings in the subcontinent are a test of will-power, patience and strength, given all the meticulous planning and preparations that go into it. Fortunately, all of this could soon be a thing of the past.

Wedding Affair Pakistan 2014 held at the Palm in Clifton, Karachi, served as a one-stop bridal expo targeting both the current and upcoming wedding season. It showcased some unique and innovative ideas for weddings, related products and services under one roof, with a bridal fashion presentation marking the opening day.

Among the notable features of the expo were bridal apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty and grooming services, photography, wedding planners, decorators and caterers.

The fashion segment featured popular models draped in both eastern and western wedding ensembles as well as trousseau collections. The colour palette ranged from staple red to pristine white, and attractive pastels with intricate embellishments. The hair and make-up of the models was by Venus Beauty Salon & Spa.

The social scene is so active that seven days a week are just not enough to contain it all, and here at IoS it is impossible for us to cover all of the events. It almost makes you wish there were …

Summers never looked so fine

Recently, So Kamal at Dolmen Mall played up on its fashion imprint by way of a catwalk presentation on the opening day of a three-day sale and exhibition at the lifestyle retail outlet.

An A-list of fashion models including Saima Haroon, Falak Sheikh, Iqra Fayz, Ria, Sara Khan and Samia showcased premium lawn patterns designed by Zara Shahjahan for Kamal Lawn, along with an in house midsummer collection titled Florence. The light summer fabric prints presented during the fashion show generously borrowed from the rich patterns from subcontinental culture, as well as classic Indian design motifs. Also featured were two-tone kameezes with panel embroidery in a spectrum of staple summer colours such as yolk yellow, saffron and muted blue.

Especially visible was the attempt to infuse an element of change in existing trends by raising the shirt hemlines, keeping them just over or above the knee. The hair and make-up was by Angie Marshall.

The launch drew people together from across the social fabric of Karachi along with fashionistas including fashion designer and host Nazia Malik, fashion model Konain Khan, model-host-actress Tatmain-ul-Qulb, Kiran Khan and Hira Tareen among others.

Tatmain (L) and Nazia Malik

This year yet again marks a triumph for designer Zara Shahjahan who has been designing lawn for Kamal Ltd for two years now. Previously, the Lahore-based fashion label Elan had been on the job of designing the collection. The exhibition also featured So Kamal’s new home couture collection, embroidered fabric, home accessories and pret wear on discounted rates. — A.K.

Smooth and ‘savvy’

It was all about tenacity, totality and triumph while celebrating achievements of womenfolk, its exuberance emerging from an eclectic mix of feminal forte ultime. The occasion was Coca Cola’s Savvy and Successful 2014, to pay tribute to women who have broken daunting barriers and defied unnerving norms to attain success in their respective fields.

Held at the Expo Centre in Lahore, the event espoused women’s empowerment as being essential to communal progress and evolvement. One of the six iconic high-achievers acknowledged on the occasion was haute couturier Nilofer Shahid, who was also recently awarded the prestigious ‘Le grade de chevalier dans l’ordre’ by the French government in recognition of her contribution to the development of art and fashion design, besides having received numerous international accolades previously too. Endorsing Nilofer’s distinction as a designer was a three-segment ramp show displaying a regal collection that enthralled the audience with its oriental ambience. Philosophising the verses of Rumi and Allama Iqbal through every stitch, cut and ornamentation, the pieces oozed out opulence, eloquence and elegance that denotes the innate characteristics of the female gender, even when faced with unvarying trials and tribulations.

A dazzling whirling dervaish performance by Adnan Jehangir and his team on Bulleh Shah’s Tere Ishq Nachaya followed.

The styling for the ramp show was by Ather Shahzad. Ayesha Tammy Haq and Mahira Khan were hosts for the evening.

Besides, Nilofer Shahid, other recipients of the Savvy and Successful award included MD Oxford University Press Ameena Saiyid, Pakistan’s first and only combat-ready fighter pilot Ayesha Farooq, the fastest Asian woman in Asian Games 2010 Naseem Hameed, Roshaneh Zafar of Kashf Foundation and Samina Baig, the first Pakistani woman to have conquered the Mount Everest.

Following at close heels was a live performance of Coke Studio, an expérience inoubliable. Debuting some classic compositions, the event was orchestrated by Rohail Hyatt in addition to musicians from Turkey, Italy, Serbia and Pakistan. An ode to Season 7, the vocalists included Umair Jaswal, Zara Madani, Fariha Perviaz and Bedia Sumru from Turkey. Rohail was on the guitar, coordinating the symphony of sounds that was the fusion of the works of over a dozen musicians from four different countries. Babar Ali Khanna on the house-band brought out the best on the dholak, while Valeria Pozzo from Italy and Goran Antovic from Serbia were brilliant on the violin and keyboards, respectively.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, June 15th, 2014