A model gets ready at backstage prior to presenting a creation by a Pakistani designer at the Pakistan Fashion Week.–Photo by AP

Karachi: Dubbed as Pakistan’s first fashion week devoted entirely to designer and high street wear for men, the first phase towards the organisation of Men’s Fashion Week 2012 got under way at The Dolmen Mall on Monday with a press conference addressed by Tehmina Khaled of Take II, Rukaiya Nazir of R-Team for setup, Rampedge CEO Wasif Elahi, MFW 2012 spokesperson Munib Nawaz, stylist Khawar Riaz and others.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Khaled said that the men’s fashion industry was flourishing by leaps and bounds and that now was the right time to invest in its growth. “We have good-looking male models, a pool of talented menswear designers and someone of the likes of Khawar Riaz who is committed to men’s styling as well as Nabila, both of whom will be styling the male models,” she said.

Mr Elahi urged the media to “lend its support to the exciting and ambitious project” as it would require their unwavering support.

Mr Nawaz answered the question as to why have yet another fashion week at all. He said that we all have men in our lives who want to dress up in style and that it’s the fastest growing industry internationally. “The menswear luxury industry has grown by 13 per cent in times of recession. In Pakistan, too, its importance can no longer be ignored,” he observed.

He said MFW2012 will take on accessories designers as well as those designing leather goods as they want to work together and collaborate in order to move forward. “That’s where Wasif Elahi as CEO and Mansoor Vohra as Director of MFW 2012 come in to bridge the gap. It’s going to be a fun ride as 25 per cent our exports come from the menswear industry. Pakistani brands are easily selling internationally, so why not menswear,” he said.

“Fashion weeks have come in quick succession and I welcome the present initiative and hope I can contribute to it professionally,” said Mr Riaz, the Lahore-based stylist who had just flown in for the event.

He said that as part of the model hunt, talent from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad will all be able to participate in the three-day MFW 2012 that will be held from Aug 30 to Sept 1 as yet at an undisclosed location.

Representing Style 360 channel and the Hum Network Ltd was its representative Shanaz Ramzi who said they were proud to be associated with the event as with all the other major fashion weeks. “This time it’s a bit different and we hope to break the monotony as most designers cater to women’s wear. This time round we hope to have more women in the audience and hope it’s conducive to male models as well,” she said.

Ms Nazir commented that June is also the time for Father’s Day and “so we’re not forgetting them at all. Wish them all the best.”

During the question and answer session, Mr Nawaz mentioned that so far there were 13 confirmed designers out of a capacity of 24, with 12 established brands, eight retail and four emerging designers. He said that Khawar Riaz would assist in the 40 models’ selection and coordination by setting a benchmark for the procedure. “We are also online at http://www.mfwpk.com, on Facebook and Twitter. All you need to do is just google it,” said Mr Nawaz, also the official spokesperson for Men’s Fashion Week 2012.

Zurain Iman is the person in charge of styling, editing content and collections.