INSTEP Magzine

Best Pret Designer
Iman Ahmed at Body Focus, Maheen Karim, Sadaf Malaterre, Sara Shahid at Sublime and Sonya Battla
This is a repeat of last year's list with the usual suspects, except Kamiar Rokni has been replaced with Sadaf Malaterre, who has got her first LSA nomination. Sadaf has undoubtedly been put into the reckoning because of her incredible showing at the Ensemble show. Through their seasonal showings, Zeba and Shehrnaz Husain are doing wonders for their designers. Maheen Karim made the big jump to Lahore last year where people took notice of her after her showing at the Boulevard show.
Iman Ahmed's work is legendary but while she is famous for being an island unto herself, of late she has been coming out, taking part in groups shows where her incredible designs come alive and so a larger audience has woken up to her. Sara Shahid and Sonya Battla are always in the reckoning but that has more to do with their consistency and reputation. And while Sonya Battla does the occasional show and wows the audience, Sara Shahid still needs to do that show and come out with a bang. She is a superb designer but we do feel that a show is what stands between her and that LSA award.

JBest Couture Designer
Bunto Kazmi, Kamiar Rokni, Rizwan Beyg, Sana Safinaz and Umar Sayeed
What a category this is and it is made exciting this year by the inclusion of Kamiar Rokni amongst the aristocrats of fashion. Nominated last year in the Best Pret Designer category, just one year after launching his own label, Kamiar Rokni gets left out of pret this year but makes it into couture. Surprise? Not really. However, his shaadi clothes and dresses are the stuff of legend and fashionistas whisper only Maheen Karim and Kamiar Rokni know how to cut a dress. Kamiar's love of embellishment and flamboyance has assured him a place in this, the most hallowed of categories. That he has been nominated alongside names like Bunto Kazmi, Rizwan Beyg and Sana Safinaz has touched him. It would be a shocker if he wins because he is in the company of giants and in retrospect 2008 belonged to Sana Safinaz. Their collection was the piece de resistance of the Ensemble Avenue show. They opened a studio in Lahore and shifted to a new studio in Karachi, started stocking at Soiree in Dubai, their lawn collection was sellout as it is every year. So far the Lux Style Award has eluded them but whatever the outcome, last year fashion was all about Sana Safinaz.

Best Female Model
Fayeza Asad Ansari, Nadia Hussain, Neha Ahmed, Noore Bhatti and Rabia Butt
Nadia Hussain is the reigning queen of the catwalk these days. With years of experience behind her, she has perfected the gliding walk and that glazed look that make her the perfect mobile mannequin on the catwalk. She is fashion's new Vinny on the runway but print is not her forte. Rabia Butt shines in both categories even though she is so new. The Guddu Shani girl won the Best Emerging Talent award last year and has gracefully waltzed into the mainstream reckoning this year. Neha Ahmed is a superb talent both on the runway and in print, but is a two-time LSA winner. Noore Bhatti is dynamite in print thanks to mentor Khawar Riaz and she is a very pretty girl but she doesn't make much of an impact at shows, and rarely appears in them.

Best Male Model
Abdullah Khan, Ameer Zeb Khan, Arsalan, Iffy Zafar and Rizwan Ali
The Best Male Model category remains largely the domain of Khawar Riaz and the boys of KR Crew. Abdullah, Ameer Zeb and Rizwan Ali are all Khawar Bhai's discoveries that effectively make it to the runway, to print and to commercial campaigns. They also have the most effective modeling portfolios for the LSA jury to peruse because KR Crew compiles them and sends them in like any modeling agency should do for its talent. That said, Abdullah remains Khawar's greatest find and he's already won an LSA as has Ameer Zeb. The proverbial dark horse this year is Iffy Zafar, the Karachi based model whose fabulous physique, long rock star hair and unconventional looks make you sit up and say 'Wow'. Fashion is not just about pretty boys, it's also about impact and Iffy Zafar has maximum.

Best Menswear Designer
Amir Adnan, Deepak Perwani, Ismail Farid, Kuki Concepts
and Munib Nawaz
A category that once wouldn't go beyond two names - Amir Adnan and Deepak Perwani - is now bubbling over the brim which just goes to show how far men's fashion has come in Pakistan. The contenders are all strong: Amir Adnan holds the torch for traditional menswear in Pakistan like none other and his business acumen has helped him expand in ways that no other designer has managed to date. Deepak Perwani remains a hot favourite trendsetter but with multiple awards sitting on his mantle, this might just be the year for him to move on. Munib Nawaz and Deepak have been neck to neck in the race for the past few years (Munib actually made it to Miami Fashion Week before Deepak, taking lead!) and this might be his year to move up too as far as the LSAs go. However, it must be said that Ismail Farid is the dark horse of men's fashion: a designer that has opted to stay low profile despite having the cutting edge of style to go beyond everyone else. He stepped in to design the wardrobe for musicians at Coke Studio 09, when Munib Nawaz failed. If Munib's success has largely floated on the music videos he has designed wardrobes for, then Ismail Farid comes forth as a designer who has focused on conceptual brilliance and perfection in his shoots and deserves to go places with the kind of precision vision that he has.

Best Emerging Talent
Aaminah Sheikh (Model), Adnan Pardesy (Designer), Fahad Hussain (Designer), Fayyaz Ahmed (Photographer) and Nisha Butt (Model)
Three major emerging talents go head to head in this category. There's Aaminah Sheikh, who is being touted as the new Aaminah Haq, with the same impact and multitude of expressions. There's Adnan Pardesy whose theatrical collections got even the crme de la crme of fashion excited. And then there is Fayyaz Ahmed, a photographer who started off with covering concerts who has now perfected his fashion photography to such an extent to merit a nomination. Fahad Hussain is showing versatility beyond his eastern wear and Nisha Butt a model is also a nominee, but their chances pale in comparison to the Big Three of emerging talentÉ all of whom have fashion insiders raving.

Best Fashion Photographer
Arif Mehmood, Deevees, Guddu Shani, Khawar Riaz and Rizwan ul-Haq
Another exciting category with the legendary Arif Mehmood back in action as far as fashion is concerned with painterly shoots as only he can do them. The hugely talented Rizwan-ul-Haq, who won the award last year has kept amazing us with his interpretation of style and is a nominee again. Guddu Shani, the new Ather Shahzad of Lahore (though they are husband and wife and not just buddies) get nominated thanks to their prolific and very versatile portfolio. Khawar Riaz and Deevees complete the category and make it rather Lahore heavy. However one must mention the fact that Maram Aabroo have missed a nomination this year. They are good and the fact that they are women adds to their appeal. That said, photography is perhaps the most neck in neck category with such abundant talent and Maram Aabroo, though they may not have been nominated this year, definitely make the future brighter for fashion.

Best Hair and Make up Artist
Akef Ilyas, Guddu Shani, Khawar Riaz, Munazza Rizwan and Tariq Amin
It's the usual suspects again, with Guddu Shani, Khawar Riaz and Munazza of Deevees from Lahore being nominated. Akef Ilyas is the surprise this year which just goes to show that if you are talented and do creative work, you will be noticed and honoured. Akef Ilyas could possibly be the Rizwan ul Haq of hair and make-up, a talent that comes out of nowhere and hits you by surprise, but this year, he is up against the king himself: Tariq Amin. 2008 was the year of Tariq Amin with a high fashion Ensemble show, the innovatively crazy Castrol show and the Sunsilk show where he made Pakistani models channel Marilyn and Madonna. When you have shows as memorable as these, who needs a portfolio? Tariq Amin is back in the spotlight and fashion is a lot more fun because of it.

Best Retail Brand
Crossroads, Ego, FNK Asia, Generation and Stoneage
These are brands that have taken fashion retail to the people, to the masses as opposed to the classes. Nominated almost every year for this category, Crossroads return once again for their consistency in good quality western wear and noticeably smart campaigning. There is a Crossroads outlet in every major city of the country and it needn't be endorsed that the brand sells like hot cakes. With Khaadi (that has been winning until now) out of the running this year just might belong to Crossroads as far as the award goes. Fairly new on the retail horizon, Ego has quickly risen to attention with collections that appeal to working women from all walks of life. If Crossroads targets teenage urbanites, then Ego is for the slightly more mature clientele. FNKAsia, from the house of Amir Adnan, is another first time nominee, which can easily be branded as the first truly international retail label from Pakistan as it has stores in Dubai as well. Generation, of course, is the most well established and affordable of all brands. And Stoneage is definitely getting better each year, gathering a steady fan following for youngsters.