ISLAMABAD, March 10: The Pak-China Friendship Centre had morphed into the glamorous site of the most happening fashion show at the annual Islamabad Fashion Week (IFW) which started on Tuesday.

A bright stage welcomed the audience at the exclusive event and as models fluidly walked down the ramp one after another – a rhapsody of colors captivated the audience in a vibrant contrast to the sterile white of the stage.

But on the first day the story was not the high profile of the event or the media hype around it; rather the narrative which stood out was that the torch bearers of 2012 IFW were students of Gift University, Gujranwala.

Chosen from the best and brightest of the university’s School of Fine Art, Design and Architecture (SFADA), the IFW gave the graduating class of 2011 a chance to present their thesis work.

But presenting their work at such a substantial forum did not faze the student designers and their creations walked on to the stage comfortable on practiced bodies of the stunning models.

From Qamar’s translation of the three environmental Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle to Faraz Abid’s mobile advertisements and Yasir Ikram’s reinterpretation of Rajasthani traditions, diverse concepts informed the thesis works of the designers.

Faraz revealed that he took a modernistic approach to his project. “I wanted to portray the future of advertising – a world where ads are mobile, billboards coming to you instead of you going to them.”

While Faraz took a specific concept and created a futuristic execution, Yasir Ikram’s tribute to the splendors of Rajasthan took a more aesthetically appealing turn. It was instinctively appealing to the eyes in the warm familiarity of reds and yellows mixed with bold blues and greens and got a loud ovation from the audience.

“This show is proof that our students have talent and all they need is encouragement,” said Adnan Ashar, thesis supervisor of the students, and added, “This is a great opportunity because it gives young designers to showcase their work and also prepare for professional life by putting on a professional show.”

According to Farooq Jalal, the Head of Department, the department of SFADA has existed for seven years but the real change has been in the last two years: “In the last two years, the students have decided that they want to rise and align themselves with the fashion industry of Pakistan and groomed themselves accordingly. They have been participating at events in Karachi and have now come here.”

As the models prepared for the next designer and behind the stage a flurry of activity showed a change of scene, Tariq Amin, one of the biggest names in the world of fashion, made it to the show. “I thought it was quite innovative and fun – and that is what fashion is about so I think students did exactly what was expected from them,” he declared with confidence. Much awaits the people of twin cities as IFW continues on for the next two days.