LAHORE: Day Two of the ongoing PFDC L’Oreal Bridal Week at the Faletti’s Hotel showcased the designs of Shamaeel Ansari, Fahad Hussayn, Bank AlFalah Rising Talent Show, Zara Shahjahan, Ammara Khan and Ali Xeeshan Theatre Studio to a packed venue and with a very late start.

Shamaeel Ansari made her debut with the Lahore-based council with a collection that spoke volumes about a master craftswoman at the top of her game. She recreated and rekindled her magic of elegance and opulence on the ramp with same-tone embellishments on silhouettes remaining true to eastern traditions.

Metallics, pearls, mirror work and silk thread embroidery set the mood for the evening’s show. She then plunged into a darker shade with basic black worked completely over with gold. Kaftan and kimono-style shirts, angarkha cuts and more breezy, flowy silhouettes followed with A-line sleeves and rich panel embroidery worth its weight in gold.

Later, a matador jacket worn on a passionate red number and vibrant vintage splendour with lots of layering also set the style mood for the coming winters.

Fahad Hussayn’s Putli Ghar created drama on the ramp with a puppeteer and his puppet in a tale of creation, dominance and infatuation with digital floral prints. Standouts in this segment included a white farshi gharara worn by model Rubya Chaudhry and its black equivalent, a more colourful symphony with muted shades of bridal hues, the use of gold brocade fabric, beehive patchwork patterns and more.

The Bank AlFalah Rising Talent show featured Akif Mahmood’s a tutu-inspired skirt and lungi skirt among some other forgettable numbers before graduating onto to gota bridals which fared reasonably better.

Mahgul showed a strong signature style and evolution of design sensibility with her first outfit only while the rest fell flat.

Sheher Tareen of Studio S fared likewise with her Japanese script-inspired sari while the rest was downright gaudy and grotesque. And what’s with the sceptre-carrying models anyway? Sofia Badar showed promise with draping, cuts and choice of fabric but it was Wardha Saleem who struck just the right balance between embroidery and bling with images of the female figurine and elephant figures, a strong subcontinental influence, the dasi silhouette and a strong, exciting sense of unexpected play of symbolism.

Designers Zara Shahjahan, Ammara Khan and Ali Xeeshan Theatre Studio showed after the break.

Published in Dawn, October 2nd , 2014