KARACHI: Winter Fashion Gala (WFG) held on Saturday in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut Pakistan and the Alliance Francaise de Karachi brought together talent from fashion and entertainment, along with Red Carpet celebrities, popular TV personalities and hosts.

Leading fashion brands such as Nine Figures (9F) by Fahad Mustafa, Diners, Sohaye and Edge Republic, along with prominent fashion designers Parishae Adnan, Zubair Shah, Seema Shah Bridals (S.S. Bridals) and Lubna & Cyma constituted the show that featured celebrity showstoppers such as Angeline Malik for Parishae Adnan, transgender activist Kami Sid, TV actresses Tehreem Umair and Neha for Zubair Shah, Sarah Umair for S.S. Bridals, actor Junaid Akhter for 9F by Fahad Mustafa, lifestyle blogger Irfan ul Haq (Irfanistan) for Edge Republic, Aasif Rehmaan for Diners and Aliya Sattar for Lubna & Cyma.

An innovative hair and make-up segment to display the creative talent of the hair and make-up artists at The Trio Salon led by Saraphine Andrew held quite a few genuine surprises for the fashionistas sitting in front-row in the audience. Parishae Adnan dressed the models for the segment featuring avant-garde and retro style looks.

The cast and crew of Indus Echoes (Sindhu di Goonj), a Sindhi language film released after a gap of almost three decades, comprising director Rahul Aijaz, Executive Producer Mohammad Kamran Jawaid, actors Vajdaan Shah, Samina Sehar and Ansaar Mahar came on stage to talk about their experience, trials and tribulations.

They presented the Sindhi ajrak, a symbol of Sindhi tradition, customs and hospitality, as a gesture of goodwill to the Director of Goethe-Institut Pakistan Andreas Schie­kofer, Director of Alliance Fran­caise de Karachi Gregoire Brault and designer Zubair Shah of WFG.

The segment featuring the thesis collection of the graduating fashion students of the Indus University saw some very interesting and unique takes on the creative thought process when it comes to fashion and its related social themes. The 15 students’ collection played with fabrics, textures, colours, silhouettes and materials to project an extension of their creative mindset on the WFG runway.

Kathak performer Asfand Khattak and Ayyan Rockstar also performed covers of popular numbers between the fashion segments.

Designer Zubair Shah showed a highly stylised formal suits collection based on the theme of ‘Black & Gold’ with acrylic embellishments, gold accentuates and customised jewellery pieces on a theme of smartly crafted formal black jackets and flared pants with chunky gold chains around the waist, a sherwani with delicately embroidered fauna imagery, and gold leather short jackets and longcoats paired with black denim.

The bridals by S.S. Bridals brought to the ramp a vibrant splash of colours on classic eastern silhouettes while those by Lubna & Cyma focused on embellished fabrics.

Of the brands, streetwear, casual styles, oversized silhouettes and cosy knitwear formed the crux of the collection by 9F by Fahad Mustafa.

Women’s wear brand Sohaye showed a timeless floral collection celebrating nature’s grace, reflecting the beauty and charm of blooming blossoms, meant for day and evening wear.

Menswear formal attire brand Diners showed smartly crafted suits and eastern wear in rich fabrics and attractive winter hues.

Regalia by Edge Republic for the modern man featured tuxedos and suits, ethnic and casual wear in signature styles and with intricate hand embroideries.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2025