Day three of Fashion Pakistan Week Autumn Winter 2014 (FPWAW 2014) was a poignant affair, ending with what may be the last ever ramp show by Maheen Khan – the doyenne of Pakistani Fashion.

While the finale was a celebration of the stellar ability of one of Pakistan’s most senior designers, the rest of the evening was about the best of young Pakistani design talent.

Day three saw excellent shows by some of the young designers who personify the current vibrancy of the Pakistani fashion scene. They displayed originality, skill and technique in collections that were both striking and diverse.

Sadaf Malaterre

The evening began with a low-key, monochromatic show by Sadaf Malaterre. Malaterre was never going to set the ramp alight with her laid-back, minimalist style, but the collection was refined and elegant.

This was the fourth monochromatic show of FPW and, while there was definitely an element of ennui about seeing yet another black and white collection, Malaterre handled the concept with characteristic style.

She based her pieces around a single, delicate spray of embroidered white flowers on black, working this motif onto flowing palazzos, scarves, skirts and wrap jackets. These were contrasted with pieces where cut and texture were all.

Some of the more experimental pieces, including a fringed dress, were perhaps too ambitious but for the most part the collection worked well. The simple lines, the subtle details and even the nostalgic French soundtrack made for a chic, restrained show.

Maheen Karim

Collection: Ravissant

Maheen Karim’s 'Ravissant' collection, on the other hand, combined glamour, allure and sophistication. She’s one of the designers that Karachi’s elite consistently turn to for ballgowns and eveningwear. This collection showed why.

Many young Pakistani designers get it wrong when it comes to gowns, making them revealing to the point of tackiness. Maheen Karim is not one of them – her aesthetic is sexy yet tasteful.

The collection included stylish gowns, jumpsuits, dresses, draped tops and formal trousers. She used subtle embroidery, lace and print to great effect in outfits that were perfect for the party season.

Standout pieces included a red jumpsuit with a sensual crossover back and a white, full-sleeved gown with shimmery embellishment and delicate, sari-like pleats. An attractive and classy collection from Maheen Karim.

Nida Azwer

Collection: Renaissance

Nida Azwer is another of the young stars of Pakistani fashion. She is known for her classic sense of style and love of traditional techniques and silhouettes, but people sometimes forget that she has more than one string to her bow. The collection she showed last night was a testament to her versatility as a designer.

Azwer’s 'Renaissance' collection featured saris and lenghas but combined these with wrap blouses and crop tops. Azwer contrasted laser cutting with rich digital prints and played with texture using velvet, silks and lace. She used hand embellishment, screen-printing and emboss printing to accent her ensembles, but kept the vibe young and fresh. Wraps, short tops and jackets were paired with cropped trousers, harem shalwars and flared skirts in a collection that was both fashion forward and wearable.

Mohsin Ali for Sana Safinaz

Mohsin Ali’s tenure at Sana Safinaz demonstrates the value of a collaboration between a talented young designer and an established design house. Mohsin Ali has profited from the experience and financial clout of Sana Safinaz, while they have benefited from his freshness of vision.

Ali’s Autumn/Winter collection for Sana Safinaz was exceptional in terms of both concept and execution. Drawing inspiration from the wild, Ali played with a palette of browns and greens with pops of purple and bright tropical accents. He used leather, velvet and silk in layered, draped ensembles that were enhanced by digital prints and chunky jewelled bugs.

The wild theme was complemented by the mood and the music of the show, which started with flashes of light and the sound of thunder in a tropical rainforest. A tribal drumbeat then moved smoothly through ethnic tones to jazzy pop.

The ensembles were elaborately styled, with most cinched at the waist with skinny belts, fabric or jewelled belts. All that draping made a great impact on the ramp, but under the styling were some fantastically wearable winter pieces. The leather waistcoats, flattering trousers, jackets, dresses and silk harem pants were all pieces that would work well as separates for the winter.

The collection was complimented by striking, opulent jewellery by Outhouse. Sana Hafeez Sheikh has just launched Indian brand Outhouse in Pakistan and their eye-catching pieces made quite an impact both on the ramp and the red carpet.

Faraz Mannan

Collection: Shanghai

Faraz Mannan is another of the bright prodigies of Pakistani fashion. His 'Shanghai' collection was notable for its fabric, cut and fit as well as for the quality of his embellishment and finishing. A woven, black tweed and a shimmery metallic one were among his most eye-catching fabrics.

Mannan added glitz with characteristically exquisite embroidery based on pearls, sliver spikes and sequins. There were some pieces that didn’t quite work, particularly an off-shoulder net kaftan, but for the most part it was a very appealing collection.

Outstanding pieces included a painstakingly appliqued blush pink jacket and pearl encrusted top. Mannan’s collection was smart, sleek and cosmopolitan and did justice to his talent.

Nauman Arfeen

Collection: Royal Parade

Nauman Arfeen’s 'Royal Parade' collection was the penultimate collection of fashion week. Royalty generally tends to be flamboyant but Arfeen’s collection focused on tone-on-tone embroidery on neutral colours.

Featuring long and short jackets in various styles, the collection included chooridar pajamas and lightly cropped trousers. Interesting styling details included coupling sandals with formal jackets, sockless models throughout and the use of riding crops and sunglasses.

Maheen Khan

Collection: To Karachi with Love

Maheen Khan’s swansong was the grand finale of fashion week. While Maheen will remain head of Gulabo, this was possibly her last show for her own label.

Before the show, TDAP president Rabia Javeri made a presentation to Maheen and spoke of her outstanding contribution to Pakistani fashion. Maheen was indeed instrumental in setting up the Fashion Pakistan Council. To a fraternity that has almost universally been nurtured and encouraged by her at some stage of their careers, Maheen Khan’s last show was an emotional moment.

The show began with Maheen reading out her inspiration for the collection, 'To Karachi with Love'. The collection is an ode to the fashionable women of Karachi in the sixties and seventies and to the city as it was then. It is obviously a collection that is close to Maheen’s heart and one that she put a lot of herself into.

As she finished speaking, she asked for the lights to be dimmed and for everyone to hold up little lights in the darkness – a message of hope and love for Karachi, the city of lights.

Maheen’s show began with a model in sweeping, hooded black cloak. She throws off the cloak to reveal a beautiful, gold draped sari worn over a shalwar.

Throughout the show, the models walked down the ramp with a black chiffon mask covering their eyes. The imagery was powerful and evocative, making a profound statement in a subtle manner.

The collection itself was quintessential, classic Maheen Khan – understated, refined and utterly beautiful. Delicate embellishment enhanced exquisite, pure fabrics in cuts that were essentially Pakistani with a cosmopolitan twist.

Maheen showed saris, shalwars, dress-like kurtas with flowy palazzos and capes. Maheen’s work is renowned for the exceptional quality of her finishing and this was visible in pieces like an organza cape, where the faultless seams enhanced the design.

As ever, Maheen’s collection was more about silhouette and form than embellishment. It’s a testament to her enduring talent that the collection was as contemporary as any seen during fashion week.

The collection ended with three models who have modeled Maheen’s designs over the years. Iraj, still a top model today and a regular at this fashion week, was joined by Frieha Altaf and Attiya Khan who both returned to the ramp as showstoppers for Maheen’s finale.

This was highly charged end to a week that has seen some great fashion. FPW ended on a wonderful note and the young council deserves praise for a well-planned and vibrant fashion week.

Read more here:

FPW amps up fashion fever on Day 2

FPW Autumn/Winter 2014 Day 1: More lows than highs

Salima Feerasta is a freelance journalist and the creative force behind style blog karachista.com.Follow her on Twitter @karachista