The Spring Summer 2021 edition of Fashion Pakistan Week turned out to be a decent affair but suffered at the hands of debut designers and clumsy new models
Fashion Pakistan Week — the country’s premier fashion week returned after a forced hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Having been a highly anticipated event ever since the legendary couturier Maheen Khan took over the reins of the council, replacing another veteran Deepak Perwani who has several successful seasons to his credit, of course when the world wasn’t in the midst of a pandemic.
Given the crushing impact of the pandemic several industries are struggling to sustain just as our local fashion industry has also to bear the brunt with everything from production to retail remaining shut for most of 2020 and as expected the overall impact has also forced many designers and brands to cut back budgets shifting focus from ‘putting up a show’ to ‘keep the show running’. Under these circumstances it is nothing but admirable of Maheen and the council to have actually executed the fashion week while also at least maintaining a certain standard.
‘The Secret Garden’
Planned originally for April 2020, FPW held its Spring Summer showcase this past weekend in Karachi. Titled ‘The Secret Garden’ the show was held on a much smaller scale at a private property with only an exclusive and mindfully curated guest list keeping in mind the SOP guidelines.
I personally appreciated the move as invitees only included those relevant as opposed to filling up the hall with socialites, distant relatives of sponsors and overzealous bloggers and ‘fashionistas’ who I know for a fact every PR firm loves to seat in the front row as they will hoot and cheer to literally anything.
However, even with an exclusive guest list there was mismanagement over the seating arrangement as editors of some of the country’s top publications had to struggle to get decent seats given the show’s ‘first come first’ rule and the lack of coordination between the on-ground team.
Moving on, with its last edition being directed and produced by Nubain Ali and Production 021 respectively, FPW 2021 saw a completely new team take charge and the decision had already sent murmurs flying around the industry.
‘A New Direction?’
Although not new to the Pakistani fashion scene, show director and choreographer Adnan Ansari brought his ‘Riwayat’ from London to Pakistan to execute the fashion week.
Having formerly produced the popular Pakistan Fashion Week (PFW) across the UK and many European countries, Adnan introduced a different take on what a fashion week must look like. While some might say his direction lacked the usual ‘pomp and splendour’ that we have grown accustomed to at fashion shows; he instead opted for a more intimate setting with an unusual runway that was centred on a mesmerising, illuminated tree.
For Riwayat, fashion weeks focused around fashion rather than being a spectacle, for them this is how international fashion shows are done and if they have their way we better get used to the lack of ‘thumkas and matkas’ on the runway.
What was truly appreciable is that for the first time a fashion show started and ended bang on time — something those of us who attend shows regularly have dreaded as we waited for a show scheduled for 7 beginning at 9 or even later in the past.
While Adnan and his team deserve the praise for executing a fashion week under such trying times and also a limited budget, there were also some very visible issues. The first being the ramp itself, while the runway was simply enchanting I feel it could have been used better as there was no uniformity in the choreography.
Some models stopped too soon, some missed a spot, few were too fast and others dragged — whether this was a fault on the director’s end or the evidently confused new models. But then on the same ramp experienced models Hira Shah, Fouzia Aman, Sabeeka Imam, Shahzad Noor and Hasnain Lehri roused up a storm; so who is to be blamed for the hotchpotch.
Overall, the reason for highlighting the production and direction team here is because this is the first time the council has brought in a new team to run the show as opposed to other fashion weeks that shuffle between the same old names eventually making every other event look the same.
‘An All New Model Pool’
A major aspect of this year’s FPW was the pool of completely new models that had been selected through auditions and then trained, groomed and prepared for the fashion week with most familiar faces unseen on the ramp with the exemption of a few like Hira Shah, Arsalan Ihsan and Fayezah Ansari.
Without offending any of the new models, I firmly believe that the selection could have been a lot better and their grooming could also have been improved. I felt the models were too confused on the ramp, they didn’t really know how to carry the outfits or pose on the ramp which ultimately made the already average looking outfits look even worse.
A good model can make even a garbage bag look a million bucks — that said it seemed like the team took the criticism under consideration and made some changes in the line-up the next day while the walks were also visibly much improved.
Out of the pool there were certain models (photographed above) that were passable and could make a career for themselves in the industry if polished well but overall the model pool was not up to standards.
Collection Review
Of course the designers’ collections are the main focus at a fashion week as I review the 14 collections that were displayed over the two-day weekend fashion showcase.
Umsha By Uzma Baber
Umsha by Uzma Baber who had one of the best collections at BCW kicked off FPW Day 1 with her collection named ‘Silhouette’ however failed to live up to the benchmark she set for herself. The visibly bad fittings, tacky headgears and unblended, amateurish makeup contributed to making the display a disdaining affair.
Overall, the collection felt like it was at least two decades too late while few ‘lacy’ outfits looked like the nightgowns at budget markets. The showstopper outfit adorned by actor Amar Khan featured a frilly statement neck that was so poorly tailored it looked like a neck brace while the celebrity’s ‘theatrical’ walk also didn’t help one bit.
Diner’s
A popular menswear brand one would expect them to put up a much curated collection with at least better fittings however the brand failed to deliver, as the entire collection seemed full of outfits that were just randomly pulled off racks and not made especially for the fashion show.
There sadly wasn’t a single wow outfit with the worst being the ill-fitted and badly tailored suits. Ensembles such as a monochrome ajrak printed waistcoat over ‘disco’ black pants, a very ‘Anil Kapoor’ outfit, and jeans that was folded a bit too high adding to the brand’s lacklustre FPW debut.
Sadaf Malaterre
Being a seasoned designer one expects Sadaf Malaterre to have it all figured out as to what is to be showcased at a fashion week and what not, however that didn’t seem to be the case with her FPW collection.
Except for the very first outfit of Fayezah Ansari that was a long net skirt and a hybrid saree, the entire collection felt just old and outdated. The showcase also marked the debut of her menswear line consisting of half tucked-in ‘dirty’ white shirts over black denim with models chewing gums on the runway really made you wonder if the men’s line was a last minute addition and did no one bother asking the model spit the gum out before hitting the ramp.
The designer also tried to make a statement against dog culling but for a collection titled ‘The Flow’ one expected it to be a better curated sequence.
Aleena and Fareena
Bad styling — that’s the second thing that came to my mind as Aleena and Fareena’s maiden FPW showcase progressed, the first being the obvious poor fittings. However, unlike many other collections that didn’t have a single redeeming factor, the duo got lucky with their very chic jackets and capes.
The outfit modelled by Hira Shah with glittering gold details on the shoulders and another similar combo were my favourite. That said, the brand should definitely stay away from making gowns, and I still am questioning the pants studded with golden metal flowers.
Overall, Aleena and Fareena did show promise and a more thought out collection might help next time along with maybe giving their showstopper some extra coffee shots so they don’t end up sleepwalking on the ramp like theirs did this time.
Kalah by Mubashra
With some outfits that felt like they were designed for Bollywood item numbers, Kalah by Mubashra’s ‘Lotus Pond’ didn’t really have many outstanding moments. Fringes, frills and a whole lot of unnecessary sparkle just didn’t add up and the collection didn’t feel like something to see at a fashion week.
That said, there were only two good things about the entire display one being a peachy off-shoulder gown that had a garden and swans embossed and the showstopper outfit which was made better by Rhyan Thomas’ hair and makeup — a breath of fresh air.
Tabassum Mughal
Ostentatious rather than opulent, Tabassum Mughal’s ‘Eclectic Regalia’ makes me wonder which medieval novel was she reading when designing the collection and does the designer think her pieces were in any remote way relevant to our market.
Another question I have is why the cancans which are meant to stay under the outfit were stitched into the dresses and were visibly for several inches — it just looked unpleasant. There was even a look where the model was wearing a net veil over her head that was pinned into a ball at the back. And of course the flashy crowns and umbrellas decorated with very fake flowers just added to the un-impressiveness.
Sundus Talpur
Save the best of the last and they did as Sundus Talpur literally stole the show on FPW’s first day. Having already made a mark with her signature gold line, Sundus impressed far and wide with her hand-sculpted silver jewellery which I personally loved and was looking towards her display for.
The jewellery showcase featured some very interesting statement chokers, oversized neckpieces and cool earrings. I also found the hair accessories very inspiring and of course the showstopper walk by Hira Shah simply ended the night on a high that had a been marred by average at best and downright bad at the worst.
And it was no wonder that one of her head pieces also made an appearance the next day worn by supermodel Fouzia Aman for her showstopper walk for designer Maheen Khan.
Shamsha Hashwani
Safe and strictly for the clients — Shamsha Hashwani knew exactly what she wanted to achieve from her FPW display and her collection reflected that very well.
The designer of course focused on building her market and keep the wedding season money rolling in hence her collection featured the pastel colour palette with pretty floral embellishments, both being a winning combination to lure in customers. However, the collection unlike Day 1 was well-fitted and tailored with my only quarrel being over her showstopper ensemble worn by Sanam Jung that I felt was too long for this particular ramp.
Maheen Khan
One of Pakistan’s most senior designers and a legend herself Maheen Khan seemed to have been more in sync with what modern fashion actually is than almost any young designer with their fancy fashion school degrees and ‘Jacquemus-fangirling’.
The collection named ‘Amnesia’ was presented in collaboration with Hilal Silk and the way Maheen has applied her years of experience and more than that, design aesthetic to conceptualise and execute a collection that focused only on fabric and silhouettes with the former being the sole MVP. The silk silhouettes were cut and designed to perfection as the designer stayed away from the bling and glitter and rather let the fabric itself take centre stage.
The flowy, slinky and sexy black ensembles reminded for the first time in these two days what actual fashion looks like. The colour palette was largely dominated by blacks, greys, golds and occasional whites but there was also this bright orange-ish skirt that stood out and was a nice addition.
Of course a collection of such elegance required a showstopper that would do it justice and very rightfully Fouzia Aman strutted down the runway dressed in a white hybrid saree and talking about sarees there was also interesting grey number on Fayezah that I thoroughly enjoyed seeing on the ramp.
Sameer Sain
Sameer Sain started with a bang — a black on black sherwani on Shahzad Noor but then things went downhill quickly and painfully. Over embellished shirts and sherwanis with boxy fittings were not at all pleasing to look at while the tailoring also seemed substandard.
The traditional men’s formalwear collection featured dark toned and sequinned shirts that were paired with white pajamas although they should have been styled with lowers of the same colour to make the outfits look decent and coordinated.
The designer also tried to make some statement with long, pleated black shirts but failed as the overall designing lacked craftsmanship even the final outfit was off and only worked because Hasnain Lehri was wearing it.
Zaaviay
Bad fittings made a comeback on Day 2 with Zaaviay’s FPW debut which was most evident in the very first outfit with the ill-fitted blouse and badly pinned dupatta. As for the collection, Zaaviay wanted to attract the wedding circuit and looked towards the fashion week as a lucrative opportunity to do so.
The outfits were neither innovative nor inspiring and just played around with everything that had been done before and remained a strictly ordinary affair. The styling was awfully inspired by Ali Xeeshan and Sana Safinaz as some models were seen wearing eye-glasses with funky and long chains.
Although it is understandable that a new brand would prefer showcasing a collection that would eventually translate into orders but would it have been a terrible idea to at least be a little innovative.
Sana Abbas
A snooze fest!! The entire collection was so boring and repetitive that I might have taken a quick nap during the show. The only high-point of the segment was when a cat showed up on the ramp for a brief moment.
Sana Abbas’ debut collection seemed a lot inspired by a bunch of designers whom I will not name and it lacked distinctiveness. The outfits were all pretty traditional and featured a brighter colour scheme but that was all — there was not even a single outfit that I can actually talk about not even the showstopper outfit on Kinza Hashmi.
Gogi by Hassan Riaz
I have so many questions on this one. After seeing his last FPW collection and now this recent display I really want to understand what goes in Hassan’s mind when he’s designing these outfits or rather Christmas trees or rather this time the inspiration was a packet of the very famous ‘Chilli Milli’ jelly.
Bright and blinding shades of red and green with some of the most clustered and confusing embroidery and embellishments I have ever seen made me at one point shut my eyes and have a sip of water as it was painfully dizzying.
The ensembles had these huge flowers and almost entire jungles printed on them while some models were seen wearing long glittery masks which would have made sense had the collection been called ‘Arabian Nights’. Then there was the showstopper outfit on Nadia Hussain which really was the cherry on top of a cake — literally courtesy the hair and makeup too.
The outfit in fact had a very disturbing visual of two horse heads meeting somewhere around the crotch followed by a green glimmering lawn below it — I would like to know what the concept of this outfit was but then am also too scared to find out so let’s just leave it here.
Delphi by Nida Tapal
Maybe saving the best for the last was the overall theme for this year’s FPW as even on the final day it was the very last collection that was truly outstanding but then luckily there was also Maheen Khan earlier.
Delphi has been around the block for a while now but only makes seldom fashion week appearances which is a shame because with a collection they presented, it is definitely one brand to look forward to each fashion season. The collection featured the right kind of sparkle and shine as designer Nida Tapal worked with a difficult and not very frequently seen material — crochet into a glamorous affair.
The outfits ranged from ensembles that could be worn on a red carpet like the opening mermaid-y dress on Fayezah and several finely designed options in wedding wear as well. Nida’s formal wear although had a traditional flair but the overall execution was very modern and the outfits were something one can work to a formal dinner or even a wedding.
The colour scheme was also unique in its own as greys and lilacs were mixed with pastels. All in all Delphi without any doubt put up a fantastic finale showcase and ended Day 2 on a high note.
In conclusion, FPW returned after an year under a new production and direction team ‘Riwayat’ led by Adnan Ansari with Maheen Khan chairing the council, like every other fashion week and many previous seasons of its own, the show this time also had its fair share of ups and downs with only a few standout collections but it is fair to note that the fashion week was a much better presentation than BCW which was held a few weeks before.
FPW staging a show under a tight budget and several limitations at least had its intentions in the right place as it was evident the team evaluated and reorganised themselves for the second day and this instils hope that under better circumstances, the platform would be able to deliver a much better event.
Photo credits: Jaffer Hassan
