A befitting end to the fashion festival

LAHORE, Feb 20: The fashion extravaganza that gripped Lahore in the past several days came to an end with the fourth and final day of the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week.

Nomi Ansari opened the event with his collection titled ‘The Circus of Life’ and both shocked and entertained by having midgets come on the ramp dressed in elaborate circus costumes. They walked, they rolled and they performed to the tune of the popular hit ‘My Boy Lollipop’. The models that came on the ramp acted a little silly posing and having fun with the choreography on the show.
His collection, a radical shift from his previous monotone collection shown at the Fashion Pakistan Week last year, was a burst of extreme multi-color outfits with an interesting construction in his dresses. Designer Hassan Shehryar Yasin walked the ramp for him in an elaborate and colourful jacket and he accompanied designer Deepak Perwani when Nomi Ansari came to do his final walk on the ramp.
.
The collections that did not make as big an impact as some of the others that evening included that of Rogue by Memoona Mannan, designed by her children, Sundas and Faraz Mannan. They showcased their ‘Rebel’ collection and took inspiration from ‘Spanish matadors and Jodhpur polo players’ and was decidedly western in its appearance. The celebrities who walked the ramp for them included stylist Shahzad Raza, the owner of the local brand Stone Age, Shoaib Shafi and jewelery designer Shazia Deen.
.
Shaiyanne Malik showed her ‘Kama’ collection on the ramp which included skirts with a lot of layering. The models were styled in large, chunky, gold jewellery and although her collection was not revolutionary by any standards, did contain one or two outfits that stood out from the rest. Hair stylist Natasha Saigol was the celebrity who walked the ramp for her.
.
Sobia Nazir showed a somewhat confusing collection. Her clothes did not gel together into a singular theme and seemed to be picked out very randomly. Titled ‘Sequence of Bloom’, it was anything but that. She employed the use of handkerchief hemlines, printed fabrics, followed predominant trends in an unimpressive collection. What was disappointing to see was that her use of embroidered lace to border her garments looked rushed and lacked finish. Her collection was not suitable for the ramp.
.
The head of the Pakistan Fashion Design Council, Sehyr Saigol, who designs under the brand of Libas, showed her vintage collection. A stop-motion video of the collection directed by designer Yousuf Bashir Qureishi preceded the showing of the collection on the ramp. It showed ethnic design in slim and flowing silhouettes and predominantly circled around shades of deep orange, red, blue and beige.
.
Munib Nawaz was the only menswear designer to show that evening and he displayed a collection titled ‘Kushti’ which takes its inspiration from the sport that is so popular in the local rural region. A poetry recitation inciting the audience to ‘bring out the warrior’ within preceded the showing of the collection. The models walked on the ramp and engaged in subtle displays of territorial dominance. The collection in itself was predominantly composed of western wear suits and didn’t have anything to do with the kushti sport in itself.
.
One of the highlights of the evening was a collection by designer Sahar Atif who designs under the label of Saai. She showed a clean cut, flowing and elegant collection with an aesthetic that reminded one of a fusion of both Sonya Battla and Ayesha Farooq Hashwani. Her outfits were white, pleated, draped, contained voluminous flow, with a hint of pale gold fabric here and there and seemed to embody an absolute femininity. The surprise of the evening was a performance by local pop duo, Strings who joined the models on the ramp. The designer got a very big round of applause from the audience at the end of her show.
.
Also one of the better collections shown that evening, Maria B’s interpretation of ‘Urban Rajastan’ was a treat to watch. Some of the features of her collection included long shirt lengths, drop-crotch pants and puffed sleeves. Her collection was predominantly composed of beige and teal. It was well-constructed and showed not only innovative design but clothes that were wearable as well. Designer Feeha Jamshed walked the ramp for her. Maria B later appeared with her own daughter (who carried a Pakistani flag with her) and Feeha Jamshed and all three of them paid tribute to the country by displaying a symbol of the flag on a scarf tied around their hands.
.
The fashion week also had its own share of awards titled the Libas Fashion Awards. Handed out by Sehyr Saigol, they included ‘The Heritage Award’ to Kamiar Rokni for his dedication to reviving the heritage of the country. The ‘Less is More’ award went to designer Sarah Shahid from the Sublime label. The ‘Designer of the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week’ went to Iman Ahmed of the Body Focus Museum who wasn’t present to receive it. The ‘New Designer’ award went to Ali Zeeshan.The ‘Best Female Model’ went to Nadya Hussain and the ‘Best Male Model’ went to Mohammad.
.
Hassan Shehryar Yasin ended the event in his signature grand style with an elaborate bridal collection, both men and women’s wear. It was dedicated to his grandmother, Mumtaz Jehan. The designer who is considered to have been the first to introduce fashion branding in the country wows by numbers and unique choreography and the sheer number of models who walked the ramp for him seemed to, in a way, signify the enormity of the fashion house in itself. His surprise celebrity for the evening was the Prince of Pakistani Pop, Ali Zafar who came in a glittering gold sherwani and sang a soulful single of his upcoming album. Both the designer and the singer received a huge round of applause with many members standing up for them. It was a grand end to an eventful fashion week.