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Amidst the strong participants of day 1 were none other than Nida Azwer, who showed inarguably the strongest collection of the evening.
Titled “Arabesque,” the collection employed an entirely white palette accented with bronze, gold and silver. Notable pieces included a laser cut long jacket in pristine white and floral appliquéd Capri pants.
Day 2 of FPW began with Fahad Hussayn’s collection. Titled “Aristo-Anarchy” and employing a colour palette of gold, white, beige and orange, the collection was vibrant and employed a tribal feel within the colour-blocked pieces.
A strong floral element also flowed throughout.
The second day became stronger with Gulabo by Maheen Khan, which was a fresh take on print-on-print.
With separates containing maps and cityscapes (complete with minibuses and rickshaws) acting as a monochrome backdrop against the graffiti-like colourful-- even neon splatter albeit artfully implemented.
The silhouettes were fluid and easy-flowing.
Three-quarter length dresses and skirts were fresh and easy for Spring/Summer.
Among the strongest contenders of the second day of FPW was Shamaeel’s collection titled “Tughra” -- denoting the official seal of Sultan Suleiman of the Ottoman empire.
Showcasing a variety of separates in vivid printed silk, the colours varied from a dual palette of auburn, burnt orange and rust on the one hand with violet, plum, cobalt, turquoise and navy on the other, offset against a white palette, very reminiscent of the classic tile work found at the Topkapi Palace in Turkey, along with floral motifs.
The accessories comprising clutches and turbans were trendy, matched the collections and were styled immaculately.
The colours of the collection blended perfectly with each other while the embroidery was understated whilst still complementing the separates in a balanced way.
The third day began with a strong fashion statement made by Tapu Javeri’s “Tapulicious” featuring three separate capsule print collections, transformed into garments by Kamiar Rokni, Hassan Sheryar Yasin and Mohsin Ali.
Paying an ode to the orient, the first of the set consisted of his aunt Mariam Syeedulla’s Japanese artwork re-imagined with a contemporary twist.
Sticking to a palette of the classic oriental cobalt blue against white, the graphic prints were actually composed of hundreds of tiny photographs of Karachi to make up the larger image.
The effect was unique and edgy with all the artistic detail employed within.
The second set comprised of colour-blocked garments which were translated into contemporary pieces by the very talented Mohsin Ali.
Clashing prints and colors were pieced together to create a single piece, all the while presenting a unified collection of artfully coordinated separates featuring bodycon dresses and waistcoats amongst others. The third and last set designed by HSY was completely monochrome.
Comprising of chevron and zebra stripes along with leopard prints and with a facial print of none other than HSY himself, the elements came together to create a rather unique and original montage.
Kayseria delighted audiences showing them how to have fun with lawn by working with a kaleidoscope of refreshing prints in anticipation of the summer ahead.
With Pakistan inundated with lawn trends and the usual three-piece suits, it was something of a change to see bright lawn saris on the ramp as evening wear.
Ali Xeeshan brought the drama by producing a show within a show, bringing much excitement to the day’s collections.
His pieces paid homage to the rich history of the subcontinent al beit with a contemporary twist.
What was particularly noteworthy was the use of all show elements and focusing on “showcasing” the collection -- bringing classic Bollywood tracks together to jolt even the most jaded audience member to sit up and take note.
The silhouettes were fresh, the treatments comprising unique origami-like folds and knots along with detailed cut-pleating, along with some safer drapes.
Nomi Ansari closed FPW with a bang.
Bringing futuristic elements together for his show titled “Gravity” which was replete with helium balloons and confetti showers, Nomi, who was clearly having fun with his theme, experimented with metallic silvers offsetting it against heavily embroidered lehngas thrown in the mix, keeping his collection fun and quirky.
Poufy skirts modernised with ombre shading and peplum along with requisite space-age accoutrements like metallic bubble necklaces thrown in the mix, Nomi paid an ode to the 80s with his grand finale.
With the model Neha showing his final outfit complete with a feather in the cap – no doubt Nomi’s cheeky take on the idiom – Nomi can be fully credited to providing the life and laughter to the grand finale set against Roxy’s classic rhythm “joyride” reminding the fashion community to indeed stay tuned for the next FPW.
Faiza Virani is a former Herald staffer. She is now a freelance journalist writing on geopolitics, culture and lifestyle.
