My Journey to Pakistan: Fashion Pakistan Week 3 - Day 2

In the hot summerish Sunday, fashion industry stopped for a minute at the beginning of day two in order to pay the respects for the lives lost in the tragic accident from Siachen.

After that the show started rolling with Shehla Chatoor’s latest designs. The collection had a composite and posh look with colors like white, metals and pastels dominating the ramp. The pieces of the collection go beyond the Pakistani borders and address to the modern and emancipated women from all over the world. There was a tiny touch of Eastern in the prints, but the kind that would make you stand out from the crowd and look unique and stylish. I appreciate the most the attention paid to the accessories, as this helped the line have a complete look.

 

Kuki Concepts came up with a time travel story of love, passion and luxury. The collection (inspired from Rajasthan) took us to the far lands of Raja, Maharaja and Mughals and proved that tradition and luxury have a new name: Kuki Concepts. The colors choice was impeccable from white, to gold, burgundy, emerald green, turquoise, and purple. The collection went beyond the cuts and designs by using exquisite fabrics like velvet and brocade. The designer proved that vintage is timeless by using fabrics 50 to 100 years old.

In their collection Ayesha Somaya played with the shades of pink: rose, salmon, blush and fuchsia. Some of the pieces from the collection reminded me a little of the cocktail dresses from the ‘20s through the flapper fringes and the beads, but had modern touch as well. The designs were embellished with lace and crystals. It is a collection targeting not only modern Pakistani fashionistas, but also international ones.

Next was Next with a street fashion – prêt-à-porter collection for summer 2012. The label came with casual looks for the modern youngsters. The range of colors was from ice pastels to electric beats, daring the young professionals to follow the trend. All cheered and applauded when the ramp was taken by children presenting few outfit choices.

Tayyab Bombal presented a modern collection for casual meet-ups or for casual Fridays (in international corporations). It was a westernized collection that emphasized the importance of small details like a cool beads bracelet, a minimalist wallet / purse or funky accessories such as neon color sunglasses.

Evening was closed by Umar Sayeed who presented pieces from several collections. The designs went from sleeveless and backless dresses, to mixed prints black and white jumpsuits and reached the height of priceless Pakistani haute couture. We witnessed the colors grow from white to beige, mustard, purple, turquoise, pink. Apart from the modern and global designs, Umar Sayeed presented some bridal designs that had the clear influence of Pakistan embroiled into them. They were outstanding jewel-like art pieces that made many young ladies reconsider their must have list for their upcoming weddings. 

There were some beautiful designs today and luxurious fabrics, but I wish to see more wow factor on the ramp tomorrow.

Things to work on:

Although things went smooth in day 1, in day 2 there were some technical issues with the sound at the beginning of the show.

Seeing the same 20 models in every single designer’s presentation is starting to be boring. I bet Pakistan has more than 20 good models out there! Plus this is also making things difficult for hair stylists and makeup artists and their work looked sloppy here and there (visible extensions, almost same hairstyle for every collection) and did not match the designs.

I did not dig the Jesus Christ look of that male model (sorry I don’t know the name).

 Photo credits: 18% grey (via http://pakteahouse.net)