KARACHI: A ramp presentation titled Fashion Couture Walk 2023 (FCW23) was held at the Russian Centre for Culture & Science, aka the Russian Friendship House, and featured the design acumen of six emerging brands and design houses.

The designers who stood out for their presentations on the FCW23 ramp were Culturista by Urooj, Bella Raggaza by Nuzhat, Haya and the grand finale by Zubair Shah Premium Menswear.

Urooj, a fashion student, presented her final assignment in a womenswear collection themed on the Grand Blue Mosque in Istanbul, and the blue tile work from Hala, Sindh. She employed the use of white cotton and linen fabrics and painted blue frescoes and motifs on a collection that featured classical eastern, pure western and hybrid cuts and silhouettes as well. The overall effect was accentuated by blue jewellery and flowy organza throws.

Bella Raggaza by Nuzhat is an online retail womenswear designer. She chose to show a myriad of cuts, colours and classical eastern and bridal fashions. She also deals in made-to-order trousseau pieces as well as ready-to-wear pieces. At the FCW ramp, she mostly put bridal pieces from previous collections and fresh ones especially created keeping the hot summer months in mind. The colour palette remained the popular choice of women in usual hues for festive occasions.

Showing at the FCW23 Grand Finale with a unique 22-piece western menswear and groom wear accompanied by heirloom bridal wear limited capsule collection, Zubair Shah Premium Menswear (ZSM) is a dynamic and emerging young brand holding a lot of promise. ZSM started out during Covid-19 as an online brand dealing in eastern menswear and has since branched to include more mainstream fashion pieces in menswear.

For the FCW23 ramp, ZSM employed the use of his signature eye-popping candy colours in tone-on-tone two- and three-piece power suits in uniquely stylised and radical cuts, and the traditional safari suit deconstructed and redesigned for the younger generation to include more vibrant colours, designs and cuts in trendy Italian fitting.

For its catwalk debut show, ZSM produced an engaging and pumping soundtrack featuring classic music tracks such as Eye of the Tiger by Survivor and the more modern Roar by Katy Perry to present its highly stylised collection on the ramp with individual bespoke pieces highlighted by colourfully spray-painted biker helmets for the power suits and face masks featuring the facial impressions of African safari animals for the youthful-looking safari suits.

The groom and bridal wear capsule collection comprising painstakingly hand-stitched old world bridal trousseau trends and embellishments such as chatta-patti borders, gota work, zari lace, sequins, diamantes, pearls and kiran lace trimming.

Waistcoats on shalwar kameez and kurta pajama, front-open and traditional groom sherwanis and a tux in pink for the valima groom featured here notably.

The brides wore a scintillating collection of Punjabi-themed three-tone shalwar kameez in candy colours and an orange-themed chatta-patti gharara for the Mehndi and Mayun segments, a blingy white sharara suit for the Nikah and a traditional red gold-sequined heavily embellished sharara, and a sparkling, diamantee-encrusted light pink sari for the valima segment.

Television actress and celebrity Natalia Karanjia hosted the FCW23 Red Carpet. Director of Russian Friendship House Ruslam Mikhailovich Prokhorov, Ranu Gul and Fariha Aqib were also present at the event held on Saturday evening.

Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2023