August 31, 2008

 Photography: Fahim Siddiqi/Whitestar
 

Paying tribute to the fashion industry, was the launch of a new fashion channel in the country: Style 360. There is a price to be paid for aesthetic glamour and they’re gladly willing to sign the cheque.

Let’s face it: Fashion is the entertainment industry’s stepchild. It’s always been treated as that and only managed to get somewhat of a boost these past couple of years when its scope and more important, visibility increased. However, keeping that in mind, fashion industry celebrities are still not as popular as perhaps, music, theatre or television personalities. What it does have, other than individuals expressing their more aesthetic side, is sheer drama.

It’s more cut-throat, unforgiving and requires one to have a certain thickness of skin to survive in it. You will be welcomed with open arms but make one mistake and you will be flicked away like the proverbial fly in the soup. The only way to survive is to be on top of the game at every level and at all times.

Paying tribute to all this and more was the launch of a new fashion channel in the country: Style 360 (henceforth referred to as S360). The name says it all as it covers fashion all the way. There is a price to be paid for aesthetic glamour and the people at S360 are gladly willing to sign the cheque.

What was pleasing to note was that every little detail was carefully taken care of. The invitation arrived in the form of a passport. To gain entry into the world of S360 you had to present it at the reception which was led to by the classic red carpet lined with vintage cars. Once inside, you were confronted by a waiting lounge draped in black and white, complete with sofas, a refreshments bar and statuettes lining your passage, while a live band played music on the gallery above. The show was opened by a group of acrobats who wowed all and sundry by their sheer agility and stunts. They used a circular trapeze and ribbons in their act, some of which were absolutely breathtaking and on a completely different level from how local work is being done.

No fashion event is complete without a fashion show. The ramp was set against a black backdrop of a starlit sky, offset by massive screens displaying varying visuals on either side. Opening the show was a collection by Hasan Shehryar Yasin (HSY) who also did the fashion choreography for the event. Starting off with an ensemble of black outfits, what was interesting to note was that the models sported chic black hoods across their eyes (see no evil, perhaps?). The collection was, however, very Sheroo: The shirt lengths were long and flared out towards the bottom. A majority of the outfits, however, had also been shown as a part of his Autumn/Winter collection last year.

The two bridal outfits that were shown as a part of the finale for his collection weren’t all that as they were overtly embellished and very reminiscent of what is freely available in the local market. How he chose to style them, however, was what set them apart. The models wore long, black velvet capes offsetting the bright red which gave them a somewhat darker, chic look.

Nomi Ansari also showcased his collection at the event. The Karachi-based designer is known for adding a bit of fun to his collections and how he chooses to show them. His models literally flashed as they came on stage that night. They sported headgear fitted with tiny, colourful lights throughout the showing of his collection. Except for a chosen few pieces, the collection inspired by Lollywood had also been showcased previously at a solo show held at The Designers outlet in Karachi a couple of months back.

Iman Ahmed of the Body Focus Museum is one of the oldest designers in our very, very young fashion industry. Shy when it comes to making social appearances, she’s not one to constantly push herself into the limelight, instead choosing to let her work speak for her. Making a rare appearance was an eagerly-awaited collection by her on the ramp. Unlike other designers she chose not to have her outfits be drowned in over-the-top embellishments or embroidery.

Playing with a colour palette that encompassed creme, white and black with a flavour of red thrown in here and there, her collection clearly displayed a maturity that comes with time and well-honed aesthetic instincts. Her models sported dresses which had several layers on the skirts, lachas set well above the ankle and culottes that made a visible comeback. Some of her models even sported kifayahs, as did the designer herself when she came for her final bow towards the end.

The other designer who managed to create a stir that evening, but in a complete different style, was Umar Sayeed. His collection, some of which was plucked from what he showed at Ensemble’s Midsummer Night’s Dream show earlier this year, was heavily composed of a colour palette of deep red, black and white. He was also the only designer to have the models sport saris on the runway. His collection played around with volume and layers, and one would have liked to see the models play with it as they walked down the ramp.

Personally speaking, the only flaw in the evening was the hair and make-up show titled “tribute to theatre” featuring Shahzad Raza of the Lahore-based Ather Shahzad duo. With all due respect, the collection was far, far from that as the models walked down the ramp in over-the-top headgear and oversized, untidy-looking wigs some of which were distastefully blonde and curly (think Goldilocks). There is a very good reason why people living in the subcontinent don’t have naturally blonde hair — simply speaking, they would look really bad with it. The sooner our stylists understand this, the better.

Also amusing was Shahzad’s introduction as a “living legend.” He may have spent over a decade in the industry and is known predominantly for his work first as a fashion photographer and now a stylist, but that hardly qualifies him for the rather generous title.