Fledgling fashion designer Nida Azwer makes a uniquely elegant debut in her show titled 'A Curious Mind'.

Although one arrived well on time for the show, the venue was packed with attendees to the point that quite a few had to stand and watch the show and nobody seemed to be having a problem with it. This was a debutant show of a new designer, someone who has been quietly working for the past two years generating a modest buzz now and then, and nobody wanted to miss what the one of the future upholders of the fashion industry was going to be like.

The event which was done by Wow Events carried their signature minimalistic, playing-with-white simplicity which has almost always worked since this helps in bringing out the models and the outfits on the ramp with their impeccable lighting for their fashion shows. The medium-length ramp had a large revolving door in the beginning of it which set the stage from where the models would enter. Each section of the revolving door had something to it, whether it was all mirrors giving a three-fold reflection of the model or a larger-than-life chair or a side kept plain and simple. Each model would pose in her section, the viewer would get a full-glimpse of her first as the door revolved and in the second cycle, she would get off the door and walk down the ramp. Simple, yet innovative, the choreography was done by the designer herself.

The show was pleasantly free of corporate sponsorship or the hoopla that preceeds sponsored shows, in order to communicate the brand 'creatively' to the audience. Her models walked down the ramp in traditional eastern garments with a refreshingly modern touch to them, and not just in terms of embroidery but also in choice of colour combination, cuts, and the designer's knack for creating a bold border — whether through embroidery, skillfully cut-out designed edges or in her choice of using a different colour and design fabric. Halfway through the show it became apparent that Nida Azwer is someone out of the norm. Her work was a unique yet tasteful blend of cuts and traditional styles brought skillfully to the modern era.

They say a collection is a success if you can pick out at least 50 per cent of the outfits as being sure winners. Keeping in mind her prêt, couture and bridal collection — all of them together — it's hard to pick out just one or two outfits that stood out, an overwhelming majority of her collection was delightfully exquisite and tastefully elegant. From her signature use of the izar pants — which she claims she gets from her grandmother who used to wear them a lot — to her unique use of gara embroidery on her clothes, this designer's collection conformed to the current trends predominant in the industry (long, peshwaz-style shirts, fitted and flowing pants, etc) and yet stood out in the manner in which she chose to translate those trends. Her colour palette was predominantly composed of white, crème, bronze, blue, turquoise pink, orange and red.

So what is the essence of this designer? Some time ago, a fashion industry person had referred to her following the style of Bunto Kazmi in her designs. Where Nida Azwer is traditional in that she chooses to design eastern wear, uses a decent amount of embroidery and seems to have an inherent love for gara embroidery, she may be looking towards refining her skills and evolving in the more ethnic, indigenous or rather conventionally traditional style of fashion. What sets her apart is the modern way in which she chooses to translate that same tradition. I can't say for sure if she is the next Bunto Kazmi, it's too early, but I can say for sure that if she continues at the rate and the direction that she has shown in this show, she might carve out a whole new genre for herself.

There is no doubting the fact that Nida Azwer is a much-needed breath of fresh air. One only hopes that she may be able to follow up on her subsequent collection with just as much panache and style as she has this one — and will hopefully not fall into a 'mould' most people who garner appreciation quite early end up getting into. Marked with the fact that this designer at least, seems to be thinking out the moves she is making in the industry (she waited two years before showing) and in her career, one is optimistic that she may be the spark that won't die out anytime soon.