LAHORE, April 14: On the second day of Pakistan Fashion Design Council’s four-day fashion week, six designers exhibited their collection through fiery catwalks by leading models of the country.

On Saturday, the Act 1 of the show opened with the collection of Akif Mahmood’s spring/summer women’s wear collection entitled ‘Glamazon’, inspired by the glamorous woman of today. The collection drove its inspiration from the rich, luxurious fabrics, woven and crafted beautifully with gold threads translating into bold motifs and patterns such as brocades and jamawars with jacquard weaves.

The designer has drawn on these bold designs and converted them into a glamorous summer collection, using these as thick embroideries and beadwork on jackets and short dresses.

Second on the runway was the men’s wear collection by Noman Afreen. Entitled “Rags to Riches”, the idea was to put forward a collection worked in left-over warehouse materials turning them into high fashion. To this end a wide array of unique materials such as fiber strands, steel wires and curtains have been used with leather.

The third and final designer of the Act 1 was Asifa and Nabeel. The collection was entitled “Leaves of Fall” inspired by autumn.

The collection comprised both women’s and men’s wear and was designed keeping in mind the transition of summer into winter, manifesting in a palette that blends shades of fall into the whites and greys of winter. Indeed the collection represented a mix of cool and warm hues resulting in a neutral appeal with a depth reminiscent of the season.

The Act II opened with some cool collection by Ammar Belal entitled “Reunion 2012” that drew inspiration from the youth of Pakistan. There was a free-spirited feel to the entire collection which offered staple basics in a teenager’s wardrobe with elements of quirky detailing. A rainbow of colours in knitwear jersey, pique and rib were used to incorporate a sporty, performance-based feel in all the pieces. Taking a typical high school setting as a background, there were a variety of signature looks that play on the most common stereotypes present in our educational institutions.

The “Bohemian Artists” in the collection were showcased through Ammar Belal’s multi layered, digitally printed chiffon of Jackson Pollock’s art. The wild, chaotic brush strokes in the print had a subliminal harmony that related to the mood of the youth today.

Zonia Anwaar’s women‘s wear collection entitled ‘Sylphic Inca’ was inspired by native American tribe ‘Inca’ and the designer endeavored to showcase tribal interactions with a tint of deftness and vibrancy in clothes. The design philosophy behind the collection was to incorporate this tribal culture gracefully with a spark of flamboyant colours. To this end four key colours were part of the collection but in different tones, with brighter and subtle shades of each colour mixed with vivid and embroidery colours. Inca drew upon the polychromatic and shaped patterns from its tribal aesthetic history, which were revitalised in embroidery and textile prints. All of the prints were custom-made and digitally printed.

The last designer of the second day’s fashion gala was Fahad Hussayn. Hussayn’s summer collection was entitled “Paranoir” including men’s and women’s wear. The collection drew inspiration from the sub-continental stereo types associated with colours. For instance, widows adorned in white and in black both in times of mourning but never to mark celebrations. The collection’s primary fabrics were cotton, silk, chiffon and high count linen.