KARACHI: The T-shaped catwalk with the red carpet lined with fairy lights set the perfect stage for paying tribute to the way women used to dress up and wear floral accessories in the bygone eras of the ’60s and ‘70s. One overheard whispers such as: “Hey! which heroine does she look like?” or “What grace! Doesn’t she resemble Shamim Ara?” as one breathed in deep the fragrances jasmine flowers, roses, plumeria, orchids and, of course, gardenia.

The third Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Floral Art Society’s Gardenia Chapter held at a local hotel here on Thursday, besides appreciating the work of its members in promoting floral art and applauding its outgoing executive committee and welcoming its incoming committee, was also about celebrating the beauty of nature through flowers. Because that’s what the Floral Art Society of Pakistan does and has been doing for the past 50 years or so as it branched into some six or seven chapters of which the Gardenia Chapter happens to be the youngest.

The meeting kicked off in a normal way with the reading of minutes of their last annual meeting along with the presentation of the financial report. While outlining the chapter’s past year’s activities, its outgoing president, Nishat Kazmi, said that she has seen the Gardenia Chapter of the Floral Art Society develop before her. “All the old Ikebana Society members are the founders of the Floral Art Society and all its chapters,” she said, adding that throughout these years they have all grown together, while learning and appreciating new and marvelous things.

On the occasion, Qurrat-ul-Ain Aamir, the new president, of the Gardenia Chapter said that she was eager to build on the strong foundations laid by her seniors.

The past and present presidents of the Gardenia Chapter -- Salma Ansari, Salima Feroz, Nishat Kazmi and Qurrat-ul-Ain Aamir -- also joined hands to create a big floral art arrangement.

They were all full of praise for a member of their team, Shaima Saeed, who advised them on floral art, and who is currently out of the country.

Then came the highlight of the event, the fashion show with flower accessories. One-by-one, all members of the Floral Art Society Gardenia Chapter, Nishat Kazmi, Nadia Balgaum, Farah, Salima Feroz, Qurrat-ul-Ain Aamir, Halima Afzal, Saima Mussarat, Nadia Zubair, Shehla Subhani, Salma Aziz, Abida, Malika Majeed, Soofia Javed, Farida Hashmi and Salma Ansari, took to the catwalk wearing pretty floral accessories that they had made themselves. There were garlands, there were crowns made out of flowers, there were flower earrings, there were flowers woven into braids or just a single rose, orchid or plumeria holding together a bun.

The show stopper, the chapter’s first president Salma Ansari, deserves special mention here. She came out dressed as Maula Jatt in a black kurta, check print dhoti and Peshawari chappals. Her mustache was made from jasmine flowers, the gandasa or halberd that she carried was also rose wood from an old rose bush in Balakot.

Finally, a senior member of the Floral Art Society, Amtul Rauf Khan gave the vote of thanks appreciating the Gardenia Chapter for its work.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2023