STYLE: IN WITH A BANG, OUT WITH A WHIMPER
The models walked out in a riveting haze of colour, slogans emblazoned across their tunics, truck-art prints on their dresses, breezing down the catwalk in insouciant, chic summer-wear. It was classic Gulabo, the boutique brand helmed by veteran designer Maheen Khan, and it set Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) off to a promising start. The very next day of the two-day event took off with yet another fashion forward act. This one was by Deepak Perwani, presenting the designer’s flair for creating immaculately cut apparel for the modern woman.
One wishes that these two opening showcases could have set the tone for the rest of FPW, but it didn’t. Sandwiched in between and afterwards were a slew of hit-and-miss shows. There were some brilliant debuts and the occasional interesting collection but there were also clothes that had no place on the catwalk.
The recently culminated spring/summer edition of FPW exemplified something that has increasingly become visible in the past few editions of the fashion week: forming the event’s DNA are designers who are experts in their fields. Maheen Khan has always been an important part of the Fashion Pakistan Council (FPC) and continues to play a vital role within its board. And fashion insiders know how tirelessly Perwani has worked for the council, in various capacities and, at present, as its chairman.
While this year’s spring/summer Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) got off to a rollicking start, it didn’t manage to carry on with the momentum because of some clothes that had no place on the catwalk
But two designers, regardless of how dedicated and talented they are, cannot win rave reviews for an entire event. Also, while it is understandable that new brands need to be given a chance in the spotlight, certain collections sometimes turn out to be so disastrous that they can make an entire event look bad. In a country where fashion is still nascent and the trendy often collides with the garish, this is a predicament endured by many fashion events, and it was one that FPW faced this time.
Fashion Highs
Despite all of that, one can’t blame FPW for not trying. Maheen Khan and Deepak Perwani flew high with their respective openings and there were others who didn’t disappoint. The Pink Tree Company proved its prowess at creating Eastern-wear replete with classic techniques such as chata-pati, gota and block prints. Saira Shakira presented some standout contemporary wedding wear options. Nauman Arfeen’s monochrome lines and pops of green were eye-catching. Natasha Kamal created beautiful prints with marbled effects.
Cheena Chhapra presented some beautiful phulkari, kanta and block-prints. Her show could have been a hit had she played around with silhouettes and not opted to feature multiple women dancing on the stage, dholki-like. A show opting for plus-sized women instead of models is a great idea but a catwalk still has to be treated like one, and not like a wedding dance floor.