The latter half of the year in Pakistan is marked by an onslaught of weddings and, inevitably, this wedding season is preceded by a slew of fashion weeks. Catwalks are spread out and a bonanza of bling, slinky fabrics and shiny matching jewellery begins streaming out in a never-ending procession. There is talk of setting new trends although, deep down, the primary motive driving forward any fashion week in this season is to milk the wedding cash cow for all that it is worth. Weddings, after all, are local fashion’s most long-standing, most lucrative retail avenues. And fashion weeks, as business-centric events, endeavour to play a vital role by showcasing the latest wedding wear to a mass audience.
Some events coin these designs as ‘couture’; at others, they are announced as ‘winter festive’ but the PFDC L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week (PLBW), which begins this week in Lahore and will be followed by many more — far too many more — fashion events, simply stays its focus on bridal wear.
“The importance of weddings in Pakistani culture can’t be denied,” observes Musharaf Hai, Managing Director L’Oreal Pakistan, the event’s sponsor for eight years now. “There are so many professionals who have built entire careers centered around weddings, from designers to hair and make-up artists to event planners. As sponsors, we have the same vision as the Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC) and try to raise the bar with a platform that is very relevant to Pakistan.”
But when it comes to wedding wear, the bar isn’t often raised. ‘Designer’ wear tends to be a generic mix of luxe fabrics in pretty colours and oodles of sparkly sequins. It’s all very banal although commercially viable, exuberantly ordered by a wealthy mass audience with a penchant for the traditional. The clothes could do well in a designer’s catalog but they certainly don’t belong at fashion weeks, where ideally the effort should be made to introduce distinctive design.
PLBW has delivered quite a few memorable bridal fashion shows. The upcoming event, now in its eighth year, is likely to continue to keep a gimlet eye on the finer details
A single ray of hope is provided by a smattering within the fashion fraternity who are able to strike a balance between commercial viability and trendsetting wedding-wear, who tweak indigenous craft, fabric and silhouette to bring forth something new. One hopes to see some of these designers on the PLBW catwalk.