Initiating the countdown to Karachi Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2011, the KFW Model Hunt & Choreographers’ Search took place last week at Park Towers in where else but Karachi. The aim was to find male and female runway talent for the upcoming event.

The 100 or so male and female models earlier screened and interviewed by the KFW organisers (Triple-E) showed up to be auditioned and judged by the celebrity judges besides the 50 walk-in modeling hopefuls on Day 1. The aspirants in both categories underwent a registration process during which they were measured and weighed.

As the main criterion for the fashion week is height (the minimum height for male models is 5’11), the finalists were 6’ and above. The minimum height for female models is 5’6”.

Tariq Amin, CEO of Pakistan Fashion Council and creative consultant for KFW (and Islamabad Fashion Week) oversaw the celebrity judges’ panels.

DAY 1 Designer Rizwan Beyg Instep editor Muniba Kamal Actress/model Sunita Marshal

After the registration of the walk-in candidates, a press conference later on in the day served to inform the media and those present about the impetus behind it all, and also about KFW and its association with the World Fashion Organisation (WFO).

Later, the models were asked to tackle a 32-foot runway and were quizzed by the judges about their modeling ambitions and confidence levels. Finally, they were judged from a total of 50 marks and appraised on personality, general appearance, presence/walk, attitude and physique/figure with a total of 10 marks per criteria.

A total of 15 female models and 40 male models were short-listed and called back the next day.

DAY 2 Actress/model Tooba Siddiqui Designer Sanam Agha Photographer Rizwan-ul-Haq

At the end of Day 2, the 15 female and 15 male model finalists were selected amidst excitement and cheer with the finalists to appear on the KFW runways in October. The eager finalists learned how to walk together during a finale loop.

Some of the short-listed models who did not make it to the final selections primarily because they did not measure up to the height requirement, were categorised as print models. Both the runway finalists and print models were photographed by photographer duo Mohsin Habib and Abdullah Haris, the latter having directed Ali Zafar’s Ghalib-inspired music video Jee Dhoondta Hai. The finalists will also receive makeovers by Tariq Amin.

The 30 Karachi-scouted finalist models will join the 15 male and 15 female models selected from the earlier model searches initiated in Islamabad and Lahore for IFW, for KFW 2011.

DAY 3 Choreographer Imran Kureishi Model Nadia Hussain Designer Adnan Pardesy

On Day 3, also dubbed Choreographers’ Day, three hopefuls — Farrukh, Hamza and Noman — showcased their talents in two presentations (one eastern and one western) by employing the use of props such as sunglasses and carryall bags. Each was given interchanging batches of models from the three groups.

However, Tariq Amin, the judges’ panel and members of the organising body felt that they the aspirants would not be able to handle the KFW rigours and schedule, and no one was selected as a finalist.

Some walk-in models also showed up on the last day and two male and two female models were added to the finalists’ list as back-ups.

Finally, Tariq Amin assembled the 30 finalists and gave them an opportunity to ask questions. He offered modelling dictates and tips including the five Ps: professionalism, punctuality, politeness, presence and poise; along with what models should carry in their model bags at all times.