PSFW Day 4: Sana Safinaz wows with dramatic gowns

Published April 23, 2015
Mehreen Syed in a Sana Safinaz gown.  — Photo:  Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
Mehreen Syed in a Sana Safinaz gown. — Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly

Last night Lahore came alive as the red carpet at PFDC Fashion Week shimmered with celebrities and media darlings in their best.

We saw Fawad Khan and Sadaf Fawad, Ayesha Omar, Meesha Shafi, Ali Xeeshan, Khadijah Shah, Amna Taseer, Nabila, HSY and many more.

Meesha Shafi, Ayesha Omar, Mohsin Ali, Meera on the red carpet.— Photo:  Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
Meesha Shafi, Ayesha Omar, Mohsin Ali, Meera on the red carpet.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
Nabila, Natasha Saleem, HSY and Sara Shahid on the red carpet.— Photo:  Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
Nabila, Natasha Saleem, HSY and Sara Shahid on the red carpet.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly

Day 4 was separated into two segments — the high-street section, featuring the House of Arsalan Iqbal, Erum Khan, Chinyere and Hassan Riaz, and designer pret.

It was designer pret that got everyone's pulse racing. Collections from Sana Safinaz, Republic by Omar Farooq, Syeda Amera, Huma & Amir Adnan, Sania Maskatiya and HSY were presented and didn't disappoint.

Sana Safinaz opened the show and was arguably the star collection of this whole fashion week. It's a wonder how they continue to outdo themselves with each collection they put on the ramp.

Their showcase ran the gamut from structured ensembles to sleek silhouettes and simple cuts, yet still managed to maintain a sense of integrity. There were flared pants, kimono-style jackets, jumpsuits, ball gowns, ball skirts, short dresses and more. Some stripes and geometric prints were also seen — they're hard to work with but the duo absolutely nailed this look too.

These complex outfits made a statement without being too fussy.— Photo:  Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
These complex outfits made a statement without being too fussy.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly

Outfits were constructed using organza, silk, duchesse satin and other luxe fabrics. Meanwhile, the collection was impeccably styled and the Outhouse jewelry worn by models complimented the clothes.

Gown after gown wowed.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
Gown after gown wowed.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
Another winner.— Photo:  Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
Another winner.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly

Sana Safinaz was a hard act to follow and perhaps, this should have been the finale of the night. We couldn’t help but think somewhere in the middle of the showcase: “THIS is how pret is done”.

Next up was Republic by Omar Farooq. Republic is a brand that is known for its strength in tailoring and that was evident in each outfit that was presented on the ramp. We saw an array of pieces including a hooded jacket, checkered pants and jackets, solid colours on sharply tailored suits, oversized coats and printed jackets.

Three looks by Republic.— Photo:  Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
Three looks by Republic.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly

The collection worked with fabrics such as suede, linen, chiffon, cotton, cotton silk and wool silk. The thing we loved about the brand’s showcase last night was that their collection was innovative enough to excite, and was also in-line with the global trends. At the same time it remained perfectly wearable for the Pakistani man.

This look is smack on-trend.— Photo:  Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
This look is smack on-trend.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly

The celebrity showstopper for this presentation was none other than Fawad Khan. As the act to follow Sana Safinaz, Republic did incredibly well.

Fawad Khan walks for Republic.— Photo:  Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
Fawad Khan walks for Republic.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly

Syeda Amera went next and with two big players like Sana Safinaz for womenswear and Republic for men showing right before her, matching up proved to be a difficult task for the designer.

Looks from Syeda Amera.— Photo:  Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
Looks from Syeda Amera.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly

Her collection ‘In the World of Sea’ used organza, jersey, nets and silks with hefty embellishment of beads, sequins and feathers on a color palette of aqua marine, blues, pink and yellows. The opening piece set the wrong mood for the showcase and steadily grew worse. The only piece we liked in the entire showcase was a pair of midi-pants. Everything else, was a disaster. Maybe her collection, “In the World of Sea” should have remained where it belonged, in the sea.

Next up was Huma & Amir Adnan making this their first time showcasing together in a fashion exhibition. The harmony that they hoped to achieve in the menswear and womenswear collection they presented was evident on the ramp. “Symphony’ used fabrics like silk, linen, cotton and microfiber featuring textures and embellishments with weaves, prints and embroideries. They showed double layered shirts, jackets, pants along with some funky vests.

Looks by Huma & Amir Adnan. The tangerine skirt (L) is a winner.— Photo:  Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
Looks by Huma & Amir Adnan. The tangerine skirt (L) is a winner.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly

Sania Maskatiya was the second-last showcase of the night. Her collection ‘Paristan’ was inspired by fairytales and worked with soft sunset hues.

Draping done done well by Sania Maskatiya.— Photo:  Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
Draping done done well by Sania Maskatiya.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly

Sania used deceptively simple cuts to create loose pants, kimono style gowns, and flowy silhouettes. Fabrics like silk, organza, charmeuse and crepe were seen with beads and sequins used as embellishment. All in all, her collection was pret well-done.

A stand-out look by Sania.— Photo:  Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
A stand-out look by Sania.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly

HSY was the finale of the night, as expected. The king couturier showed his collection titled ‘INK’ which was a combination of womenswear and menswear featuring signature HSY embroidery. We saw a myriad of silhouettes — kimono capes, short jackets, organza based jackets and more. INK was inspired by Indonesia, Langkawi, Nagasaki and Yunnan, aiming to represent their essence through the traditional dyeing techniques of Shibori from Nagasaki, Batik from Indonesia, and Gara from Sierra Leone. Furthermore the palette was developed using saffron, aubergine, eggshell, rosette, indigo and ochre. All in all, the collection was stunning. Favorite pieces from the collection were as follows:

Looks from HSY.— Photo:  Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
Looks from HSY.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
.— Photo:  Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly
.— Photo: Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly

At the end of the showcase, PFDC spokesperson Sara Shahid took to the ramp to thank everyone who'd made fashion week possible. The Council, HSY for production and choreography and Nabila for backstage makeup and styling got a nod.

And most importantly, Sara Shahid announced the next dates for the PFDC L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week; i.e, September 15, 2015 – September 17, 2015.

And then, in a rare turn of events, Sehyr Saigol, Chairperson of the Pakistan Fashion Design Council, came out on the ramp to announce the Council’s next step in facilitating the business of fashion; a Design District.

In her announcement, Sehyr invited everyone who is a part of this industry be it in jewelry, leather goods, or anything else to do with fashion to come be a part of the project.

She said the Design District would be "the first-ever craft, fashion, textile and design based district, the design district will serve as a multi-purpose specialized facility to assist in developing and enhancing art and craft industries, which are an integral part of Pakistan’s rich design legacy. In addition to being a centre for skill improvement and capacity building, the Design District will also house a first of its kind Textile Museum.”

Day Four ended on a high note with High-Street shows, some stellar Designer luxury/pret shows and the announcement of the next step forward by the Council.

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