A far cry from how most events go, one was utterly delighted to
see that the shows at Fashion Pakistan Week started - and ended
- on time. Kudos for their organizational skills!
Blackout
spirit!
While the characteristic power cuts interrupted at least one show
every day of Fashion Pakistan Week, one has to give credit to the
audience for bursting into applause everytime the lights went outÉ
and to the models who would then make their way back to the entrance
to re-do their run.
Colour
Forget the pastels. The hits of the show came from the bursts of
colour on the ramp, particularly at the Ather and Sabeen show.
Be
desi, play desi
It was utterly delightful to hear Pakistani music on the ramp -
Deepak had Atif Aslam's 'Tere Bin', Rizwanullah had the Coke Studio
versions of Zeb and Haniya's 'Paimona Bitte' and Noori and Saeein
Zahoor's 'Aik Alif' and Feeha Jamshed had Ali Azmat's 'Ley Sambhal'.
Foreign
press
The cheers for the organizers for pulling in a reported 34 members
of the foreign press including photographers... thus resulting in
coverage of the event worldwide!
Patriotic
moments
There were plenty of moments to tug at one's nationalistic stringsÉ.particularly
when Ismail Farid and Feeha Jamshed presented their tributes to
the military.
Traditional
with a twist
The indigenous Pakistani touches were everywhere, particularly in
the way some of the shows were styled. Feeha used motia garlands
and Deepak Perwani incorporated parandas as headgear.
 Runway
The runway looked perfect - even better in the runway photography
- and truly up to mark with international standards.
Samina
Ibrahim
The acknowledgement of Samina Ibrahim - a woman who has done tremendous
work for fashion journalism in Pakistan - was yet another hit at
the show.
The
Graduate
One finally got to see the work of the Asian Institute of Fashion
Design and Pakistan School of Fashion Design students being displayed
on the ramp. Kudos to the organizers for giving them a chance.
Senior
designers encouraging younger ones
It was great to see older designers helping younger ones out - particularly
Deepak Perwani, Maheen Khan and Rizwan Beyg who built up hype for
them and helped them out with their shows and styling backstage.
But the catch remains: the next time Milan Fashion Week rolls around,
which designers will we get to see representing Pakistan? The old
guard or the new guns?
Front
row heavyweights
Celebrities in the front row - and on the ramp - were a delight
to see. Those who walked the ramp included Adnan Siddiqui, Atiya
Khan, Tanya Shafi, Frieha Altaf, Ronak Lakhani, Ayesha Tammy Haq,
Tapu Javeri, Mahira, Rizwanullah and Feeha Jamshed and one spotted
columnist Ardeshir Cowasjee, MPA Sharmila Farooqui, Amin Gulgee,
Ayesha Omar and Anoushey Ashraf attending the shows.
Misses
Under the shadow of the Taliban
The foreign press had a field day covering Fashion Pakistan Week,
whole-heartedly pronouncing it to be held Òunder the shadow
of the TalibanÓ and writing articles that left one wondering
whether we were all, actually, attending the same event. Some of
the phrases they used - 'ÕDare to bare', ÔPak Fashionistas
Thumb a Nose at Taliban', 'Pakistan's Fashion Week Bares Country's
Frothy Side' and 'Tattoo vs Taliban' - became instant catchphrases
to laugh at during the shows.
 Wardrobe
malfunctions
We saw way too much of some models courtesy the unfortunate wardrobe
malfunctions. Next time, designers, pin the dresses and fasten the
bodices. Thank you. Though we're glad that the models kept their
composure and didn't burst out crying ala Kangana Ranaut in Fashion.
Lack
of good models
Even though some of the models shone - and several Lahore-based
models flew in for the shows - there was a noticeable lack of good
models on the runway. How long will Iraj be a finale model for?
All
dressed up and
nowhere to pose
The red carpet area was almost negligible at best. While the country's
fashionistas were a sartorial delight on several days - there was
hardly any space for them to model their outfits in full glory.
Dry
run
While the show was marred with a lack of finances, the fact that
there wasn't even water to drink was a tad annoying. Someone should've
pulled in a in-kind sponsor for these small details.
 Scheduling
secret
For reasons one can't quite comprehend, there was no schedule of
designers showing at FPW given out - instead it was all a 'secret'
(and not a very well-guarded one since designers would reveal the
line-up anyway when asked).
Seating
plan
Whoever drew up the seating plan must have had a bad day - or no
sleep - because it was quite a disaster. While it makes sense to
have socialites - particularly those who are buyers - in the front
row, there didn't seem to be a reason for every designer's sibling
and society begum to also be seated there. There are the second,
and the third rows, y'knowÉ and the ramp is visible from
there too.
More
pret please
The nightwear and bridal collectionsÉboth of which had no
place at Fashion Pakistan Week. Perhaps a exhibit on the sidelines
for these collections would work best the next time around.
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