STYLE: THE RETURN OF FARAZ MANAN
Seven years ago, designer Faraz Manan had very openly decided that he would no longer be participating in the group shows that formed the modus operandi of the fashion weeks organised by the Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC) in Lahore. It was a time when fashion weeks were a popular catchphrase and the PFDC had steamrolled its way to the top. And yet, Faraz decided to pave his own yellow brick road to fashion stardom, taking a risk that ended up working for him. He has, since, been hosting only the occasional solo show in his home-city of Lahore, making trips on to multi-designer events in Karachi and has successfully treaded international waters by latching on to the Middle East’s affluent fashion mecca.
So, this year, when he returned to the PFDC catwalk with a show at the PFDC L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week (PLBW), the event was jokingly referred to as the ‘Return of Faraz.’ It was quite the show to see, the show that proceeded to rule the clustered bandwidths of social media and one of the most vivacious of feathers in PLBW’s mixed-up hat.
Faraz returned, but on his own terms — the PLBW had redesigned its patchwork, incorporating solo shows as well as group designer shows in its schedule. He had carte blanche to invite his own considerable clientele, friends and family to his show. His positioning as an established designer also ensured that he had more say in when he wanted to show, and he opted for the opening act on the last day of fashion week.
It was a prodigious 40-piece collection — 30 designs for women and 10 for men — that drifted from bridal-wear to trousseau to red carpet statements: tasteful column dresses, long front-open shirts, tunics with exaggerated trailing sleeves, lehngas and fitted halters among them. Glinting lame was mixed in with chiffons and organzas, the palette moving from lemon sorbet to pastel pinks and greys, culminating in a brilliant emerald green worn by Mehreen Syed, among others. Flanked by his glittering regalia, Faraz took his bow at the end of the show, acknowledging the applause with a nod here and there but never really smiling. He doesn’t usually smile for the cameras; even when he’s the recipient of applause or posing next to a sultry Kareena Kapoor or clicked at a high-end party with an exclusive guest list.
Faraz Manan has laid the foundation of a prodigious fashion empire. But after opting out seven years ago, he was once again recently exhibiting at a fashion week show in Lahore. What made him change his mind?
It doesn’t mean that he isn’t happy — he is. Very — and, off camera, when I meet him after the show, he is all smiles. “I feel extremely lucky that 14 years into my career, I have the appreciation of senior designers and serious critics who truly understand fashion. I feel humbled that so many of them turned up to see my show and gave me sincere feedback afterwards.”
It is on this note that we start our conversation. Faraz is on a high, surrounded by friends and his family, who help him run his business. In a few more days, he leaves for a week-long trip to Dubai and as soon as he returns to Lahore, his day is packed with meetings with clients. He has a show coming up in Hong Kong in early October, one in London in November and, then, his Spring/Summer 2019 collection is going to be showcased this December in Dubai. He is busy — but euphoric — and he wants to talk about his journey thus far through couture’s elaborately textured world.
Talking business
We start off with the most obvious question: Does this return to the PFDC’s catwalk imply that he will no longer be flying solo in his hometown Lahore, joining hands with the council instead? “Nothing’s for sure,” he says. “I may have different plans for my business in a few more months. Showing at PLBW just made sense to me this time because I had a solo slot and could make sure that I could showcase my work my way.”
But hadn’t he parted ways with the PFDC seven years ago because he had differences with the Council? That’s a thing of the past evidently. “I respect the Council and the vision of its chairperson Sehyr Saigol. Back then, I chose to step away from fashion weeks in Lahore because I felt that it was my hometown and I could easily orchestrate my own shows here. No one else was doing solo shows back then, and it was a chance I took that ended up working for me. I just wanted to entertain my clients in my way, work on the ambience and make sure that the models looked a certain way. I’m not interested in the additional ‘guests’ and oglers that end up finding their way into fashion week.
“Over the years, I have come to realise that I don’t want to be a jack-of-all-trades. I dabbled with high street retail with the Crescent brand only to realise that I didn’t enjoy churning out generic prints by the hundreds every season. I love the intricacies of luxury-wear and bridals and the details that are incorporated into creating lawn suits. I am here to do serious business. So when I have a show, I want my audience to take it seriously.”
Kareena Kapoor is Faraz’s ‘good friend’ who asks him to bring ‘paye from Lahore’ when he visits her and images of him socialising within the Kapoor and Pataudi inner circle frequently flit on to Instagram.
So Karachi was different? “In Karachi, I have opted for joint shows simply because they are more convenient. My other base is Dubai where I also have a flagship store. I also prefer to have an individual show there.”