KARACHI: After wooing front-seat fashionistas and fashion connoisseurs last year with creativity and flair extraordinaire, the second edition of Hum Showcase commenced on Wednesday featuring yet another avant-garde designer line-up and show director and curator Rizwan Beyg known for his strict check on quality.

A total of 21 emerging and established designers as well as design houses are scheduled to present prêt and luxury prêt collections over a span of three days with international models flown in from the UK, Sri Lanka, Africa and Russia.

The designer line-up for Day One featured celebrated names such as Zaheer Abbas, Adnan Pardesy, Deepak & Fahad, Hussain Rehar, The Pink Tree Company and Mahgul.

The collection titled ‘Rebirth’ by Zaheer Abbas was based on metamorphosis. The designer approached the subject matter by a redefinition of what the term evolution would mean in the present day and age. He fused old-world charm with new-age aesthetics, redefining power dressing in outfits that were both fluid and feminine.

The luxury prêt collection ‘Pixel’ by Adnan Pardesy lent a peek into the designer’s perception of print design using techniques termed as fabric manipulation, surface texturing and geometrics. He played with embroideries to create the desired effect on prints thereby elevating its status to a unique work of art.

The jewellery collection Vertex was by Ali Javeri Jewellers.

‘Beyond Borders’ by Deepak & Fahad was an exploration of multicultural Eastern elements encompassing mythological deities and ancient scriptures in digital prints and hand embroidery in outfits befitting the man of today.

The clean-cut lines of ‘Fleurotica’ by Hussain Rehar set its sight on contemporary prêt fashions where nature was the main source of inspiration, encapsulating both pastels with vibrant colours and putting them to use on skirts, free-flowing pants and dresses.

‘Colour Me Secular’ by The Pink Tree Company made a sweeping statement on the showcase ramp about Pakistan’s ideology and the principles this country was founded upon. It was presented in a manner that the collection underlined secularism through symbolism, and the six major religions of Pakistan and South Asia through their respective colours and signature symbols used both as embellishments and accessories.

Inspired by the African continent, Mahgul’s ‘Flight of the BulBul: in Ascension’ denoted evolution and man’s detachment from nature with industrialisation and digitalisation.

Clean, easy silhouettes, colour blocking and textures were freely found in the essentially Western-wear collection with hand-painted, monochromatic accessories.

The hair and make-up of the models is in partnership with Nabila’s N-Pro & NGents.

Those who will be presenting their collections on Day 2 and 3 of the Hum Showcase are Khaadi Chapter 2, Elan by Khadijah Shah, Faiza Samee, HSY, Jazib Qamar, Kuki Concepts, Misha Lakhani, Munib Nawaz, Nickie Nina, Rizwan Beyg, Sania Maskatiya, Umar Sayeed, Unbeatable by Shahla Rahman and Zonia Anwaar.

Published in Dawn, March 30th, 2018