A leading local fashion portal launched its first multi-brand outlet on Thursday (Sept 26) at Fortune Mall, Husain Chowk, M.M. Alam Road.

The exclusive evening featured prominent cricketers, musicians and fashion designers. This was followed by a lucky draw where guests were given a chance to win outfits from designers at the new outlet. The evening further featured a live mannequin display where models wore outfits from participating designers.

The Fashion Central outlet is a purpose-built facility spread over an area of 3,300 square feet and is initially stocking the creations of 31 women’s wear designers, four men’s wear designers and five jewellery designers.

In an effort to promote emerging talent, the new fashion venue features a dedicated space for the work of outstanding students from the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design, a first for any multi-brand store.

The evening was well-attended and featured fashion industry stalwarts including national team cricketers Ahmed Shehzad, Nasir Jamshed, Imran Nazir, Abdur Rehman; musicians Fariha Pervez and Noman Javed; models Alyzeh Gabol, Fia and Natasha; TV personality Huma Amir Shah; fashion entrepreneurs Zahra Raza & Sadaf Raza; fashion designers Ashraf Feerasta Daredia of Pink Chiffon, Waleed Zaman of Kayseria, Rana Noman, Sammy K, Uzma Sheraz, Shireen Lakdawala, Hajra Hayat, Huma Taj and Sara Salman.

A five-day Puppet Workshop by Saleem Bismil commenced here at the Shakir Ali Museum on Sept 23:

Some seventy or so students from various schools, institutes and colleges attended the workshop and created puppets on different social issues while learning the basic techniques in Puppet Workshop.

The students were awarded with participation certificates on Friday last -- the final day of workshop. Famous personalities from performing and fine arts attended the event.

The Punjab Council of Arts will hold a short film festival in the second week of October. The three-day event will have equal opportunities for amateur filmmakers from all over Punjab. The council has written letters to all institutions having film and TV departments to participate in the festival.

The film screenings will also offer an opportunity for dialogue and questioning on the screened films by the audience. The venue will be the Open Air Theatre at Bagh-i-Jinnah. There will also be singing performances in between the film screenings.

Design trio -- Kamiar Rokni, Tia Noon and Rehan Bashir -- are set to showcase a brand new bridal collection at the prestigious PFDC L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week.

Titled ‘The Orientalist’, as the name suggests, the collection is inspired by the glory and fascination that captivated the West when they first encountered the exotic East. As its core design ethos, The Orientalist captures art, culture and imagination with each creation a celebration of the merging and blending of creative art and heritage from around the world. For this showcase, The House of Kamiar Rokni has collaborated with renowned jeweler Reama Malik of GOLD who has created exclusive jewelry for the collection.

Each Orientalist creation draws from traditional, regional and global embellishments and silhouettes bringing them together to form a bridal signature from The House of Kamiar Rokni. Expect cuts that vary in length, volume and diversity, fabrics that are sheer with diaphanous textures that compliment otherwise bold forms, silhouettes that integrate layering with variations in the sleeve and structured jackets, all of which work together to reinvent the classic bride for the modern era.

The collection celebrates fabrics created from regionally indigenous textiles and to that end is based in a selection of hand-woven silks, organzas, jamavars, chiffons and nets, in an eclectic mix of vibrant colours.

Complementing the collection is a range of bespoke jewellery pieces created by Reama Malik based in the traditional craft of ‘Polki’ and ‘Meenakari’, including necklaces, jhoomars and tikkas.

The trio’s diverse backgrounds shine through the label’s clothing representing a seamless amalgamation of a combined history and cultural diversity that the three have inherited. The brand strives to provide an immaculate essence of style in all their creations, designing signature one of a kind pieces that evoke a sense of individuality and elegance in the people that wear them. The Houses’ core philosophy is to embrace art, culture and imagination in their fashion.