It might matter where you showcase your collection — but what will always matter more is what you show.

In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, with fashion councils having bitten the dust, this is what one can safely conclude. Designers need to put their best fashion foot forward on the catwalk, making good use of the platforms that are available to them.

And the last and only platform still standing in Pakistan, consistently showcasing fashion, is the yearly Pantene Hum Bridal Couture Week (BCW). Credit goes to the Hum TV Network for continuing to put their faith in fashion when no one else is.

For years, fashion purists have been dismissing BCW as a “TV show”, organised by the network so that it can have content to air during national holidays and long weekends. There has also always been the critique that collections at BCW are not selected discerningly. The line-up bunches together promising names with atrocious ones. Many a major designer has been known to cock an imperious eyebrow at the BCW catwalk, and declare that this was simply not ‘their’ market.

However, even Pakistan’s most prestigious labels can’t always be put on a pedestal. Veteran designers have been known to botch things up at major fashion weeks. And the TV mileage can actually be an added benefit. Many a regular BCW participant vouches for the boost in sales resulting from the mileage generated by the show.

Besides, this is not a time to be condescending.

Competition is tough, with new brands surfacing constantly and gaining eyeballs with the aid of intensive social media marketing. There are no other platforms for collective fashion shows. In the case of the more established brands, the mileage generated by fashion shows that took place some years ago can only go so far.

Designers simply need to get off their high horses, think business and make good use of Hum Bridal Couture Week, the only collective catwalk platform now available to them

It is important for designers to consistently flex their muscles with the aid of innovative campaigns and fashion shows. The latter goal can either be achieved by taking on the Herculean task of hosting a solo show, or by becoming a part of a collective fashion week.

Designers simply need to get off their high horses, think business and make good use of the only platform now available to them, hosted consistently by a major TV network.

The country’s slew of newer ateliers realised this a long time ago and avidly take part in the event. Some other established names have also been aware of BCW’s immense marketing potential, and are now regular participants. Many more seem to have also gotten the memo.

This year’s BCW featured some very forgettable collections. There was often a long, painful deluge of humdrum clothes that had to be endured. But then, occasionally rearing its head, was also creative, covetable design…

You win some …

The event started off with a whopping line-up of 70-odd designs by Fahad Hussayn. Celebrating having completed his 15 years in the industry — Fahad’s debut show had also been at BCW — the designer’s ‘The Collateral Convention’ was a nod to his evolving ethos over the years.

There were glittering short dresses, statement capes and jackets, and long, fitted gowns that are more likely to be seen worn by celebrities and models on the red carpet rather than get purchased by the largely conservative Pakistani audience. And then, there were varied options of wedding-wear, running the gamut from flowing gowns with trails to saris, angarkhas, and lehngas paired with cholis, as well as long shirts and a beautiful, old-school chata-patti gharara.

Fahad is well-known for bending his head towards painstakingly detailed embroideries, spinning them in unique, colourful ways, and this collection didn’t disappoint. The colours were simply beautiful and the embellishment meshed together in heavy swathes. Also, the dupattas paired with the outfits were in a league of their own, lined with heavy-duty borders. It was all quite regal.

There were also quite a few menswear options — I personally liked the monochrome kurta and pant sets amped up by waistcoats and jackets. The designer’s penchant for statement accessories made an appearance here and there — in the form of a funky pair of huge earrings or an elaborate crown worn by a model. One wishes that more accessories could have been visible, but perhaps the designer had his hands full coming up with such an extensive line-up.

It was a strong start to BCW, but there was more to come. It’s just that, in order to see some of the better collections, one had to sit through multiple not-very-good ones. I’ll be honest — sometimes one literally slept through them!

On the upside, Ali Xeeshan Theatre Studio returned to the catwalk, guns blazing, after a sabbatical of four years. In the designer’s signature style, it was a show that was high on energy and theatrics, brought on with the aid of wacky, brightly coloured props.

There were models who came out holding elaborate umbrellas, others held stacks of matkas (earthenware water pots) worked with glittering mirrors. Showstopper Ushna Shah stepped out in green bridal-wear, framed by a doli (palanquin) in matching colours.

Beyond the props, the clothes had some very pretty colours to offer. There were bright turquoises, shocking pinks, emerald greens and reds, and then there were lighter shades of pink and ivory, all worked with a kaleidoscope of glinting gota, jamawar borders and hand and machine embroideries.

Ali has never leaned towards the dainty floral patterns — he’d rather make a loud statement with eccentric florals and geometrics. This all new line-up, reminiscent of his aesthetic but unsimilar from his previous collections, did so very well.

Another major name adding clout to this year’s BCW line-up was HSY. In commemoration of having completed 30 years in the business, HSY or ‘Shero’ — one of the country’s most renowned designers — presented a line-up of affordable couture, which included pretty lehngas and cholis, flowing skirts and saris and elegant embroidered kurtas, pants and waistcoats for men.

The embroidery was a mix of machine- and hand-embellishment with luxe fabric forming the canvas, adding a bit of glitter without making the designs overly heavy.

Looking back upon HSY’s 30 years — I’ve written about his work quite frequently during his design journey — there was a time when the designer professed that he only wanted to concentrate on luxurious heirloom wedding-wear. This, then, was his nod to his changing clientele in a changing world — an audience that loved fashion and wanted to look good but also didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg while doing so.

A selection of menswear collections didn’t disappoint. Emraan Rajput set himself apart as a designer with a keen eye for cuts and a deep understanding of what works in the market. His line-up included a range of Mughal-esque Eastern-wear in a pleasing palette dominated by ivory, beige, gold, black and pristine whites.

The embellishments were neat with just a smattering of bling and the variations in the lowers were interesting, ranging from pajamas to shalwars, straight pants and even a lacha!

Amping up the collection were the accessories: elaborate turbans, luxurious shawls and dupattas draped carelessly over a silk kurta, and the traditional sehra covering the faces of some of the dulhas (grooms)on the catwalk!

Later, Emraan’s show progressed to men’s suitings, offering tuxedos, jackets and suits that fit well and oozed glamour. The show ended with actor Ahsan Khan walking out with a placard in support of Palestine, followed by models who all did their final walk wearing keffiyehs. It was a very relevant, very well-put message in support of the people of Gaza and the tragic events unfolding there on a daily basis — and it became one of the event’s most viral moments.

Similarly, Humayun Alamgir’s collection offered so many interesting options for men. There were hand-embellished kurtas, pants and waistcoats in gorgeous shades of salmon pink, mint green and even an ebullient orange.

Catching the eye were the well-fitted all-black and all-white options — showstopper Junaid Khan Niazi opened the show looking veritably like a Disney prince in an all-white sherwani and straight pants set. Many of the models wore matching khussas with their clothes — the little details are so important in making a design memorable.

Marching to his own drumbeat was Munib Nawaz, offering menswear but with a twist. Munib would rather cut a shux — his hybrid version of a sherwani and a tuxedo — than go along with a basic sherwani. He’d rather create colour blocks of embroidery rather than dabble with basic floral patterns, and pair an embroidered jacket with an asymmetric angarkha for drama.

There were some pieces that were perhaps included in the collection purely for the theatrics — the purple-and-green glittery jacket and the elaborate cape with balloon sleeves worn by model Aimal Khan come to mind. Basically, this was Munib Nawaz telling you that, while he could certainly cut a neat, conventional sherwani, he could also cater to the groom who wanted to look like a rockstar at his wedding!

It’s commendable that, while the designer must surely be thinking of commerce while designing for BCW’s mass audience, he also didn’t let go of his edgy signature.

At the other end of the spectrum — and certainly very pleasing to see — was high-street brand Almirah’s line-up of beautifully embroidered, pastel-coloured Eastern wear. Some of the designs were worked with mirrors, others with tone-on-tone or lightly coloured embroidery. Kurtas and pants were layered with jackets and sherwanis. It was all very commercially viable without being boring — other brands that were part of BCW should take note.

Also notable were the collections by Nickie Nina and Mehdi, presenting beautifully embellished clothes. One must also acknowledge the work of Haaris Shakeel, who invariably always brings out a neatly embroidered range in a very appealing mix of colours. Other collections that had potential were by Shiza Hassan, Saira Rizwan and Souchaj.

Did one experience a sense of deja-vu while seeing some of the collections, reminding one of other designs by other designers? Certainly. But this critique can be pointed towards the established power players as well as the newer labels. The rampant tendency of Pakistani designers to plagiarise is unfortunately something one can go on and on ranting about.

More significantly, were any of the collections at BCW experimental, introducing new trends to the bridal market? Was there a crazy spurt of creativity that enthralled you completely? Hardly.

You lose some …

Bridal-wear tends to be a realm of design that plays it safe. The focus is more on meticulous craft rather than on wacky, avant-garde statements. Very few young girls aspire to look wacky at their weddings, after all. They prefer traditionally beautiful clothes that they can cherish forever.

This, then, is what designers — even those well-known for their edgy work — tend to create for them. There have been times when even bridal-wear has managed to balance experimentation with viability but, this time at least, the focus was just on beautiful clothes.

Sadly, there was an entire plethora of brands that failed even when it came to neat embroideries and appealing silhouettes. There were plenty of cancans merrily peeping out from beneath lehngas, sometimes so prominent that they looked like trails!

There was a veritable bonanza of untidy, gaudy embellishments and strange styling, such as models’ faces completely covered with dangling beads! The modelling pool didn’t help — consisting of a gaggle of girls and boys with completely disparate heights, many of them barely managing their way down the ramp.

To be fair, the designing blunders were not limited to the up-and-coming brands. One will not take names — and therefore, avoid a bloodbath — but even some of the most anticipated showcases featured an untidy sherwani, a badly stitched bodice and even a male model ambling down the catwalk in shoes that were clearly too big for him!

And then there were shows that were absolute bores, even more so because of the unimaginative music selected by the designers. Designers, please take note: while it is ideal that you come up with creative collections, if this is beyond your abilities, do try to uplift the general ennui induced by your collections by getting creative with the music.

But does all this mean that established ateliers should not try to showcase at BCW? Unless they have the wherewithal to splurge out on regular solo outings, it would not be business savvy if they don’t.

There was a time, long ago, when fashion council chairpersons — of both Karachi and Lahore — used to give a frequent explanations for including a few mediocre collections in the fashion week roster. They would say that when these struggling designers showcased alongside more established ones, they were able to realise how they could improve. When their work proceeded to get ridiculed and another’s got praised, they would make sure that they did better next time.

The BCW line-up has highs and lows. But, in the absence of fashion weeks, this could become the stage for showcasing the work of Pakistani fashion’s power players, for introducing new debutantes along with some, sadly, ghastly collections. Maybe, like the fashion councils used to suggest, the ghastly ones will improve when they see the work of the better designers.

Also, maybe, just maybe, with more of fashion’s ‘it’ crowd coming on board, the Hum TV Network will decide to revive Hum Showcase, the platform dedicated entirely to original, creative fashion, which receded into the shadows following the shrinking budgets in a post-Covid-19 Pakistan.

Searching out the few stars in a sea of blingy mediocrity, cheering for the few spurts of originality seen in a mostly generic design-scape, it seems we’re back to square one in the case of Pakistani fashion.

But if it weren’t for BCW, we wouldn’t even be there.

Published in Dawn, ICON, December 24th, 2023