Karachi May 10, 2014: After the exciting and flawless execution of
Day 1 of PBCW 2014, Day 2 started with shimmering celebrities and
socialites on the beautifully decorated Red Carpet, with lots of lounges
by different sponsors. The ramp had a mesmerizing appeal with its
flower chandeliers and constantly changing images on the digital
backdrop. Show 1 of Day 2 kicked off with the elegant presentation of
Zaheer Abbas. His collection “Jashn-e-janaan” was a beautiful display of
a wedding affair. Making his debutin 2010, Zaheer Abbas has truly
transformed his brand into an eponymous label by bestowing a new meaning
to the way Pakistani fashion is perceived around the world.
Zaheer
Abbas’ collection was followed by Somal Halepoto’s “Ronak” line. In her
debut collection at PBCW 2014, Somal halepoto stayed true to her style
and element. The collection represented her signature use of intricate
embellishments, bright colours and the precise fusion between modern and
traditional work. Her line was sophisticated, chic and modern, with a
tasteful touch of traditional influences.
“Reflections”
by Uzma Babar was the next collection to follow. The collection was
based on the five main ceremonies -- from mayoon to valima which reflect
the ‘Big Fat Weddings’ of Pakistan. With high-tech gleaming fabrics,
peppered with glittering beads to give a radiant look to the brides, her
outfits were expertly crafted to perfection with fine detailing and
vibrant colours, reserved especially for the wedding season.
First
Act of Day 2 was concluded by Rani Emaan’s “Jewel of the Nile”. Her
collection based on hues of reds, maroons, golds, corals, greens and
nudes with very intricate but detailed embellishments was breathtakingly
gorgeous and will be remembered for a long time. The exquisitely done
pieces were adorned with quintessential kora and dabka but resham cut
dana, tila, pearl and real stones rule the roost. The fabrics included
chiffon, kundan, zari, banarsi, self-jamawaar and self-chamois were
carefully chosen and put together.
Day Two Show Two opened with a beautifully choreographed hair and makeup show by “Sabs the Salon”.
The
Hair & make up presentation was followed by the much anticipated
showcase of “Power House of Fashion”, which included stalwarts of the
fashion industry such as Ali Xeeshan, Khadijah Shah, Kamiar Rokni,
Nickie Nina, Sana Safinaz, Shamaeel Ansari and Umar Sayeed. The star of
PIFD, Ali Xeeshan opened the segment with a dramatic style. His
signature flamboyance was prominent in his collection - the use of
unusual colour shades and high-end luxurious fabrics merged with
unconventional embellishment techniques in both traditional and
contemporary cuts. Staying true to their statement of elegance, style
and panache, luxury brand Elan presented their timelessly beautiful
collection which was followed by Pakistan’s premier fashion design
house, The House of Kamiar Rokni led by Kamiar Rokni, Tia Noon and
Rehan Bashir. The House presented its core philosophy to embrace art, culture and imagination in their fashion.
The
internationally acclaimed designer duo Nickie Nina was next to follow.
They presented their alluring designs with a variety of luxury fabrics,
innovatively fusing different textures and aesthetically pleasing colour
scheming. Each piece was uniquely handcrafted using a range of diverse
methods such as wasli, karchob, zardozi, silk threads, semi-precious
stones and Swarovski crystals.
Queens of haute couture in
Pakistan, Sana Safinaz dazzled the audiences with their timeless
creations. Their sleek, contemporary and streamlined cuts received huge
applause from the attendees. The sleek, chic and timeless creations of
the “fantastic duo” paved the way for the fashion heavy-weight, Umar
Sayeed. Umar Sayeed’s creations comprised luxurious details such as hand
beading and dazzling craftsmanship. His integration of hand-embroidery
with both delicately intricate and bold designs was awe-inspiring and
received an overwhelming response from the audiences.
The living
legend of Pakistani fashion industry, Shamaeel Ansari skillfully played
with elements and imagination to weave vibrant tapestries of colours and
textures. Blending east and west, leisure and decadence, oriental and
the outright contemporary and sensuousness in her creations, her mastery
over vintage techniques was staggering.
After the
fantastic and ravishing showcase by the legends of our fashion industry,
the audiences were given yet another collection to talk about by
charismatic Yasmin Zaman. Her collection was inspired by the motifs and
patterns found in Mughal art and architecture. Her collection was based
on the floral and geometrical designs symbolizing the fusion of Central
Asian and subcontinental art forms. The element of arches has also been
incorporated to signify the Central Asian aesthetic which has influenced
the evolution of dress sense in the subcontinent. Every piece was
mastered to perfection with traditional craftsmanship employing aari,
zardozi, kamdani, melded with in-house hand-printing to reflect the
commonality in our traditional and modern demands.
Day 2 of PBCW
2014 was concluded in a dramatic and glamorous style by none other than
the brilliant Faraz Manan. His collection titled ‘Istanbul’ was inspired
by the beautiful fusion of Asian culture and European flavour present
in Istanbul. Manan conjured up fabulous creations out of chikan kari,
thread work, and Swarovski to execute this glamorous collection. His
collection encapsulates couture and ready-to-wear women’s and menswear
for an androgynously chic line. He also used regal hues like gold and
metallic, ice blue nude, prink and olive green to translate austere
elegance into his very warp and weft.
PHOTO CREDITS: Faisal Farooqui, Ahsan Qureshy and Haris Usmani
PHOTO CREDITS: Faisal Farooqui, Ahsan Qureshy and Haris Usmani