KARACHI: After a tepid opening day, Day 2 of Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) Winter/Festive ’18 showcased bridal designs by Wardha Saleem, Sara Rohale Asghar, Deepak & Fahad, Maheen Karim, Rano’s Heirloom, Shahmeer Ansari and Maheen Khan on Saturday.

As the opening act, Wardha Saleem’s ‘Chandbaala’, inspired by the engravings found within the ancient Ajanta Caves, brought forth a whirlwind of candy colours in bridals amassed with ethnic embroideries and motifs. It was all played out on the ramp with a folk performance by Mai Dhai and her troupe. Azfar Rehman and Sohai Ali Abro made an appearance in this segment.

Sara Rohale Asghar chose ‘Fleur de Lis’ and the French crown royalty as her choice of presentation in elegantly conceived and intricately crafted bridals in blood maroon and muted tones. Ayeza Khan in a showstopper outfit looked quite resplendent.

‘Zartaab’ by Deepak & Fahad played on the theme of dull gold, beige and deep creme tones to create groom wear seeped in subtle embroideries and silk thread motifs in voluminous as well as sleek cuts and silhouettes as a recreation of a bygone regal era.

Maheen Karim’s ‘Lueur de Luxe’ was a take on luxury cocktail dresses, edgy trouser suits and shimmering dresses and two-piece sets come this charity ball season. It provided a sneak peek into what the party circuit will likely be wearing when it comes to rocking the night away beneath the heavens and the stars. She chose a palette of red, coral, cabaret pink and tangerine orange to paint a vibrant canvas depicting a strong sense of individual style, and imprint her signature on the season’s look.

All in all the collection stood out from among the rest in terms of individuality and sheer ingenuity as well as diversity.

Rano’s Heirlooms’ ‘Phool Bunro’ bridals stuck to the tried and tested formula, playing it safe to ensure sales. Almost yawn-inducing, it did nothing to introduce diversity or experiment with bridal looks.

Sastre by Shahmeer Ansari introduced formal menswear in ‘Beyond Generations’ which largely worked but with a few off numbers. Although it bordered on a tad boring, when it comes to commercialism and wearbility it certainly ticked all the boxes. Yousaf Bashir Qureshi made a celebrity appearance.

The closing act on Day 2, Maheen Khan’s ‘RAW’ was both vibrant and passionate in the way it portrayed femininity in statement-making broad strokes. Right from show opener Hareem Farooq’s draped bright red silk jacket top to showstopper Sadaf Malaterre’s chic look, the essence of the collection remained flawless, effortless and smooth as silk.

Deepak Perwani’s ‘Grand Finale’ solo show dubbed ‘Madhaniya — A Journey ’19’ took place late on Sunday evening at a private venue and hosted by FPW Board Member Ronak Lakhani for an exclusive audience including socialites and leading fashion editors and fashionistas through separate invites. The ramp remained awash with prominent stars and supermodels.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2018