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instep
review
A quartet that sang odes to fashion
Shamoon Sultan is the future of Pakistani fashion. Maheen Khan has
played a monumental role in making the future of Pakistani fashion
possible. Nomi Ansari has poured oodles of colour into it. And HSY
is one man who has helped corporatize the industry. The (now annual)
Veet show that took place in Karachi recently put out four very
cohesive collections that went on to prove how far Pakistani fashion
has come.
By Aamna
Haider Isani |
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Shamoon
Sultan (Khaadi)
It was a good evening for fashion, with Shamoon Sultan launching
his summer collection for Khaadi Khaas, the branch of Khaadi
that stemmed off with ready to wear a couple of years ago. And
this was a great collection - the best that evening - practical
in its wearability and extremely stylish in terms of the designs
it drew out. It was the kind of collection that would actually
manage to take 'fashion' a bit closer to the streets. While
designers like Rizwan Beyg and even Sana Safinaz are extraordinary
designers, it is the mass retailers like Shamoon Sultan, who
can actually change the way people look beyond high profile
events. Because through the multitude of outlets he has all
over the country, he designs for wider cross section of society.
And one could see this fabulous collection translate so well
to ready to wear at Shamoon's Khaadi Khas outlets, where it
will be hitting anytime now.
Colour
friendly, with a predominantly white base and a splash of a
very fiery red, this collection was every thing that Pakistani
fashion can and should be about. The base was pure cotton, spun
at the Khaadi factories, with only the occasional use of
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voile
or silk for structure. And the construction was innovative: contemporary
without being confused or stuck between two diverse worlds of east
and west or modern versus traditional.
There was summer's favourite silhouette: the kaftan as well as a
wide interpretation of the maxi dress. Embroidered trousers were
smartly tailored whereas the tops that accompanied them were often
handkerchief cut, lending the overall ensemble an easy and breezy
air for hot weather.
With
this collection one feels Shamoon Sultan has managed to shake off
the extra baggage of over-embellishment that his Khaadi Khaas label
has been carrying. One can safely say that Khaadi really has become
khaas - something special. |
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Maheen
Khan
Maheen Khan's finale was just as powerful as Khaadi Khaas's
breakthrough was. It is rather clichéd to call Maheen
the doyenne of Pakistani fashion but that's exactly what she
is. She is someone who has seen Pakistani fashion grow and her
label has grown with it. Her classic line Maheen has remained
timeless and unaffected by changing fads and the brave experiment
she did with Gulabo just went on to prove that she has the confidence
as well as the experience to make it bigger than ever.
It was a coming together of age that this collection - put together
in record time for the Veet Show - was all about. Christened
Blue Moon, it was very aptly a wash of silver blue light marked
with shadows of a buttery gold. Very ethereal in the statement
it made, this collection, one felt, was all about fashion maturity
and was therefore miscast in a show full of youthful vibrancy.
But it was magnificent in its own right.
Choreographed with a difference, the capsule collection was
brought on stage by models, who all spread out on stage as being
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an all-cast
photo shoot for an old Audrey Hepburn movie. After the powerful
blast of energy from Khaadi Khaas and Nomi Ansari, Maheen's collection
had a soothing effect, befitting for the finale that it presented.
There
were eleven outfits in all, cut out in shades of the moonlight.
Her trademark cutwork and delicate embroideries were the core
element, accessorized by pearls and delicate chiffon tassles that
one can always hope to see in her shows.
One can only add that while sponsored group shows are great for
upcoming designers who have no other choice, the seasoned and
polished designers like Maheen realize that they merit a solo
show. That's the only way the statement she makes can have maximum
impact, unadulterated by the distractions of the drama of colour.
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Nomi
Ansari
The best thing about Nomi Ansari is that despite the calls of
the west, he has managed to remain unapologetically loyal to
his signature, which is brightly coloured wedding wear. It's
not just bridal but everything that one might want to wear to
wedding festivities that Nomi designs so brilliantly. He has
had his brief trysts with designing contemporary western wear
but thankfully, he has traveled back to what he does best.
The collection he unveiled at the Veet Show was not unlike anything
he's shown before but in its commitment to signature was its
strength. The hemlines had dropped and the Patialas easily replaced
with the harem, but in a nutshell it was the wonderful splash
of colour that had one sitting up and noticing. Showing after
almost a year in Pakistan, Nomi Ansari returned to form with
perhaps the most vibrant shade card he's ever attempted. And
it was beautiful. As always, the silhouette was traditional
while bordering on a tongue in cheek statement that the designer
himself always makes, |
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even
in his personal style. How else do you explain the 'halter cut waistcoat'
that he himself chose to wear? That cheekiness peeped through in
almost all of his designs making it ideal for the wild at heart,
young and restless generation that loves his label. It was most
apparent in the scarlet high heel sandals that Nadia Hussein wore
as she walked out in the bridal show stopper; a bride in red shoes
instead of gold? It's time to lose unnecessary traditions was the
message!
The plumed
headgear was something one has seen enough of and one also wishes
Nomi had paid his usual level of attention in selecting the footwear
for his models but other than those minor details, his was a collection
that opened the show with much needed vibrancy and even optimism.
What Nomi needs to do with his aesthetic is diffuse it to make it
retail friendly. While he is designing ready to wear for The Designers,
there is hardly ever new stock on his racks. And when there is a
new collection, it is usually unaffordable. Nomi needs to branch
out and devise a much more affordable range for the youth; smartly
dressed girls who would love to be able to wear what he designs
beyond the bridal marquee. |
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Hassan
Shehryar Yasin
HSY very clearly chose to stick to an international format and
showcase an autumn/winter 09 collection (as it is done one season
ahead of time globally) instead of a mid summer one. His palette
was darker and his silhouettes incorporated denser fabric and
a couple of jackets that certainly were smart. While one can
appreciate his discipline, it has to be said that a topical,
summer collection would have made more sense in Pakistan. Forecasting
is done (usually at fashion weeks) where there are buyers at
shows who will order outfits that will take six months delivery
time to get to the stores. Since this was neither the case nor
the intention of the Veet Show - an event organized to add some
fashionable glamour to a corporate affair - a summer collection
would have made more sense. People would want to see what is
available at HSY stores and multi retailers now, not six months
later. |
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That
said, the HSY autumn/winter 09 collection had very definite
hits and misses. The hits included the tailored jacket ensembles
- as the one worn by Tatmain (above) - as well as several quasi-traditional
outfits that would work well as eveningwear. It was fine as
long as it stayed within traditional bounds.
The attempts at western wear didn't work at all. His short dresses
with the heavy embellishment didn't work as dresses (left) and
one sometimes felt that the designer had forgotten to add a
lower to the shirts/frocks that could've passed off as a kameez
instead of a dress. Ethnic embellishment can never work on western
silhouettes - the kaam wala gala belongs on a kurta not mini-dress
- until it is done with balance and not many designers have
managed to accomplish that balance yet.
HSY is a brand name associated with bridals and traditional
formal wear and that is what it is popular for. While a heavy
Arab influence has always reflected in his creations - now further
strengthened by the amount of time the designer spends in Dubai
- one would have hoped to see more of what HSY does best rather
than what he aspires to do better. |
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Photography
by
Faisal Farooqui
Event Management: Catwalk
Hair and makeup
of the models: Sabs |
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