INSTEP Magzine

ashionably
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Fashion Rocks
The LSAs are swept away by the
Gen Xers of Pakistan's fashion industry
Designer Maheen Karim and photographer Rizwan-ul-Haq take home two big awards; Couture King Rizwan Beyg thanks younger designers for making fashion fabulous

By Saba Imtiaz

LSA's fashion awards are probably the most awaited for the fashion industry. They're also quite possibly the most talked about, from the day the nominations are released, to the moment when the presenters call out the names of the winners.

And this year's LSA fashion winners were deservedly awarded for their work throughout 2007. The most shining fact that came across was that this was a year for the Generation X of fashion. When Rizwan Beyg in his acceptance speech for Best Couture Designer hailed the younger generation of designers who are "making fashion fabulous", the audience broke into applause. That sentiment put into words what fashionistas were feeling as they watched the awards: that the older crop of the fashion industry was making way for the new.

And the Gen X definitely came through. First time LSA winners were Maheen Karim for Best Prêt Designer, Rizwan-ul-Haq for Best Fashion Photography and Rabia Butt for Best Emerging Talent. These three are an example of the talent that the LSAs have brought to the forefront. While the rest of this year's awardees have won previously, it was these three that captivated the minds most. Talented, smart and rising steadily - they are proof that the awards no longer remain an exclusive domain for those who have been part of the industry for years.

Maheen Karim, who has emerged as one of Pakistan's best designers for her innovative work, collections and her focus on being a purely prêt designer, deservedly took a trophy home. Combine that with her professionalism and her retail philosophy, which has also reached Dubai. The only other contender for Maheen's trophy was Kamiar Rokni, but Kamiar has clearly done far better work in 2008 than 2007, when he was just striking out on his own in the last months of the year. And Maheen's mark on fashion could be felt very clearly on the LSA Red Carpet: for a designer who was unheard of a few years ago, models including Fayeza Ansari and Rubab - were dressed in Maheen's elegant gowns. And that the best Pret Award went to a designer who refuses to dabble in traditional bridals is heartening and shows that there are new ways for designers to make an indelible mark on Pakistan's fashion scene.

What was surprising to note at the LSAs was that Sonya Battla's nomination was missing as she had withdrawn her name. And while Maheen Karim clearly deserved to win Best Prêt, Sonya has also done fabulous work in prêt. It is sad that she felt the need to withdraw her nomination. Such attitudes hinder the industry building process, which designers should be supporting for the future of fashion. However, what is great to note is that with this year's nominees - they had all done great work that was award-worthy.
And the Gen X of fashion took home another award: Rizwan-ul-Haq won for Best Fashion Photographer. The other clear favourite for the award was the duo of Guddo-Shani, but it was a close call between the two and it has to be said that Rizwan clearly deserved to have won this award. He is steadily rising among the top echelon of fashion photographers, and his work speaks for itself. One thinks this award will definitely take him higher. And that in itself is fabulous. Photographer Tapu Javeri presented the award to Rizwan ul Haq despite not being a nominee himself and he did it with extremely good grace.

At the event itself, it was the younger models and designers that shone with the way they carried themselves and were out in full force. They were gracious and gorgeous - and gave hope that Pakistan has a glittering future, at least when it comes to the world of style.

An example of that is this year's winner for Best Emerging Talent - model Rabia Butt. She has been doing great work as a model since her entry into the arena. And while she still has a long way to go, her work with different photographers and the eclectic campaigns she has done make her someone to keep an eye out for.
But while the LSA winners included the younger style makers, awards also went to previous LSA winners - established names in the fashion industry who are still hard to beat when it comes to their achievements in any one given year. Deepak Perwani, Rizwan Beyg and Khawar Riaz are old hands at fashion, but there's a reason why their constant sense of reinvention and business sense has made them a force to reckon with.

The Best Couture award went to Rizwan Beyg for the third time. Though Rizwan has clearly emerged as Pakistan's top couturier, it needs to be said that this is a category that could clearly see some competition were other couturiers to get their act together and if they are to come out with new lines at least every season. Couture is not just art, it needs to be combined with a similar kind of business sense that prêt commands. And that edge of accessibility is something that Nilofer Shahid does not have. Yes, she went to Paris Couture Week last year, but it is Rizwan who is churning out collections regularly since he showed the unforgettable Carnivale collection at the Carnival De Couture who is truly making his presence felt.

However, the surprise of the night was the Best Model winners. Neha Ahmed won again for Best Female Model, while Ameer Zeb Khan won for Best Male Model. And it has to be said that while they are definitely making strides in the modelling arena - 2007 was clearly the year for models like Fayeza Ansari, who is constantly in demand and is a force to reckon with on ramp and in print. The same was the case with Ameer Zeb Khan, who has done few memorable campaigns. Models like Rizwan did better work in 2007, are versatile and also far more recognizable than Ameer Zeb. This was a category where one could clearly think of far more deserved winners. However, there's always next year!

Deepak Perwani walked away again with the award for Best Menswear, which proves that Deepak is undoubtedly one of Pakistan's favourite menswear designers. From sherwanis to suits, Deepak's mark on how contemporary Pakistani men dress is profound. The only one who is a contender for his popularity is Munib Nawaz, a clear favourite of the music industry or Ammar Belal. However Deepak has emerged to be more innovative at both prêt and formal wear, which is where his edge as a designer lies. And the other thing that works for Deepak is his business sense. He has retail down pat, operating stores in both Karachi and Lahore and stocking in Islamabad.

And while Khaadi took home the award for Best Retail Brand, one feels that several other upcoming retailers had outshined Khaadi in 2007. Most notably Crossroads - who have gained a very large share of popularity since they expanded their market. While Khaadi is a staple favourite for many, and have been expanding, one does feel that there is a need to award talent that is making strides in retail - since at the end of the day, Khaadi's forte lies in the textiles, whereas to be a great retail brand one needs to make their mark felt in all retail lines.

But fashion isn't just made fabulous by the clothes. The award for Best Hair and Make-up went to Khawar Riaz, someone who has been working steadily for years. Khawar's contribution to the modelling arena deserves to be recognized as well: his discoveries are a large part of the fashion industry and are gracing everything from billboards to magazine shoots. And the fact that Khawar isn't part of the clique mentality that has dogged the fashion industry has translated to his large portfolio of work. For a man who is iconic in terms of his contribution to fashion, the Best Hair and Make-up award is yet another feather in Khawar's loaded cap.

All in all - the LSAs were a night for fashion's younger generation to shine. And the boycotts, no-shows and nomination withdrawals by the older doyennes of the fashion industry didn't make a difference to the fashion segment. This year's LSAs proved - without a doubt - that there are other beacons of the fashion industry that are willing to work towards building it stronger. May they prevail!

Fashion Lifetime Achievement Award:
Mrs Sughra Kazmi

One of the most touching moments was the Fashion Lifetime Achievement Award, which went to Mrs Sughra Kazmi, for her immense contribution to Pakistani fashion. A brilliant montage highlighting Mrs Kazmi's foray into fashion was screened, and it brought out why Mrs Kazmi is an institution in her own right. Nilofer Shahid presented the award and acknowledged Mrs. Kazmi's contribution as she made her introductory remarks. Bunto Kazmi accepted the award on behalf of Mrs Sughra Kazmi (her mother-in law), and said, "Well, its better late than never!" One can't help but agree - it was a fashion history moment in itself to see Mrs. Sughra Kazmi's work and dedication being honoured at the LSAs.